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<no subject>
Hi, I need help.
I am having problems with algae, specifically the dark green/brown/black
encrusting the plant leaves kind. My lfs tested phosphates and nitrates for
me, 1ppm phosphate, 3ppm nitrate. No nitrite or ammonia. My pH varies from
6.6 to 7.0 depending on time of day and life cycle of the three CO2 yeast
reactors (2 liter) I have. My tap KH and GH run around 2 degrees each. I add
about 3tsp of baking soda at each water change to make the kh 5 deg. Temp of
the tank stays at 76F. I have 160 watts of light (GE Sunlight bulbs color
temp ~ 5000k?) over a 75g. I am trying to grow E. Amazonicus (or bleheri)
not sure, C. wendtii, Ludwigia repens, egeria densa, microsorium pteropus
and a sagittaria sp. My LFS said there is too much phosphate in columbus
water and I am trying to use an adsorbtive resin to take it out. I dont dose
with any liquid fertilizer, I dont have an extremely rich substrate, just
gravel (which i lightly vacuum) and aquarium pharmaceuticals root tabs +
iron. Should I get a RO/DI unit? Should I use as directed once with the
phospate resin? I hope Ive given enough info. Oh, I change water weekly 30 -
40%. I currently have about 50 - 55 inches of fish in the tank.
Question number two: A friend of mine just got some nice Pterophyllum
Altum from another friend. He has extremely soft water as well, but is not
much of a plant grower. He filters his water through a RO/DI unit and peat
to make the pH about 5.5-6.0. If I put peat in the filter, it will darken
the water, which I assume will absorb some of the light. Will I need more
light? Since the CO2 lowers pH, will there be an effect on the fish? I am
working of the relationship between pH and Kh for CO2 presence in the
aquarium in the Scheurmann book, therefore by lowering my pH, I increase CO2
content, should I decrease KH to compensate?
Thanks,
-Zach