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Re: PMDD



APD> Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 12:03:17 -0800
APD> From: " Thomas  Barr"<tcbiii at earthlink_net>
APD> Subject: Re: PMDD

APD> I'd rather add things dry, it's less messy, last forever, no issues with
APD> dissolving the salts and you can get to within 1ppm using dry weight/volumes
APD> with the macro nutrients.

Well, i was wondering if a could do that. Since i am going out today
to look for the this stuff this really helps. I am lazy and donīt like
the idea of doing it daily. How about putting everything in the power
filter, the current should help disolve things.

APD> Some observational skills are needed to fine tune this but generally with
APD> 2-3w/gal, adding per 20 gallons: 1/4 teaspoon dry of KNO3 every 2-3 days
APD> 3-5mls of traces every 2-3 days, a smig of PO4(a couple of rice grain's worth
APD> etc every 2-3 days, and add 1/4teaspoon or slightly more of K2SO4 after your
APD> water change only.
APD> Do 50% weekly water changes.
APD> Be certain you have good CO2 levels, 20-30ppm at all times when the lights are
APD> ON.

My LFS fertilizer contains:
Boric Acid
Fe
Cobalt
Manganese
Magnesium
Zinc
Potasium Sulfate
Potasium Ozonophospate
Hummus
K20
P2O2

The problem is i live in Colombia (not Columbia), and is hard to get
any test kits, the only thing comonly available is a wardley amonnia
indicator. Based on pure observation i know things could go better. I
have a 65 gallon tank with CO2 and plants only pearl when i do a water
change and add certain amount of LFS fertilizer. It is heavilly
planted with
vallisnera
Hygrophila diformis
java moss
Water sprite (grows like mad specially when using co2)
Alternanthera reineckii ''lilacina'' i didnīt think this one will
survive but is doing ok.
Another plant donīt know its name but it had big leaves 15 cm, now the
new shoots are really small 1 cm.

I guess plants that are not heavy root feeders are doing ok since the
tank is pure gravel and i have an UGF. The others just arenīt suppose
to do well in this setup. It wasnīt supposed to be a planted tank,and i
am not ready to tear it down to change the gravel and replant everything.

I am going to experiment with the a small heavily planted 10 gallon
tank with only one betta that is definitely missing some macro
nutrients, everything stopped growing after doing great for about a
month, it has a combination of something i think works as flourite,
some  quartz  sand  and  common  gravel.

But  how  do i combine my LFS fertilizer which supplies some micro and
some  macro  but  no  N without having any test kits, i am considering
ordering  some  but  don't  know the fish store that will send them to
this  part of south america, there was a discussion of some good tests
previously,  shiping costs are usually high, and it makes no sense to
buy a 10 dolar test and spend 15 or 20 dolars on shipping charges.

Should i change my LFS fertilizer, since all the information i get is
from this list, the actwin site and some other good sites and some
books
Ecology of the planted aquarium
One of Amanos beautiful photo books

My LFS isnīt a good source since they couldnīt understand when i
talked about the diference between general hardness and carbonate
hardness and the relationship with CO2 and PH. That was a big
disapointment, although i got to point out that their show tanks have
beautiful  plants,  so i guess they got the empirical knowledge to put
the  whole  act  together.  I  even  overdosed  once,  following  their
recomendations  on  the amount of fertilizer, all my vallisnera turned
brown,  it  didnīt  die it just turned brown, and they are still brown
(it  has  been  two months) so they are alive but they donīt look nice
they look weird.

This is my first post, i have been following the list for 3 or 4
months, and i like it a lot. I hope i did manage to write something
coherent since english isnīt obviosly what i use on a daily basis
and i wanted to tell a lot of things.

Thanks

Diego Carmona