Re: Mega dosing the day before a water change

[paragon <para111 at yahoo_com>]

Tom cc'd the local SFBAAPS list on this message; I
included my response below:

Erik Leung
erik at e-aquaria dot com

---------------------------------------->

Tom, 

Interesting you should bring this up. I was going to
post something along these lines as I gathered my
thoughts. I've been doing akin to what you mention the
past few weeks subsequent to Michael L's open house.
Not exactly to address algae quite the way in which
you describe below, but more to combat what I feel are
plants exhibiting the type of growth they'd put forth
amidst very lean conditions, despite regular additions
of nutrients (primarily N &P at this point). 

I notice this particularly in fast-growing Rotala
spec.
"green" and Elatine triandra. When the tank was new
and
raw, the Rotala grew much, much faster. Lately it is
slowing despite parameters remaining relatively
constant. N/P measurable at all times. 

This is a 29 gallon with 2x 55w compacts. I don't know
what higher than normal is for you, but I spike the
N03- up to 20 or 25ppm and the P to a few ppm before a
60% water change the next day. I notice a slight
increase in green algae on the front glass but
otherwise things are kosher (I use the front pane of
glass quite a lot for gauging nutrient conditions in a
given setup.) This spiking seems to be helping a
little with the lean-ish growth I've been seeing. 

I think that instinctively wanting to keep the tank
leaner-running due to the high light might be
detrimental (trying to be intuitive and anticipate
excess under strong light). In fact, maybe the
opposite is necessary. Richer conditions than would
seem unreasonable at first for higher-light tanks may
be needed for strong growth. Keeping N/P "just
measurable" [or on the lean side] might not be good
enough. 

Erik Leung
http://www.e-aquaria.com



On Wed, 19 Mar 2003 00:58:37 -0500
Thomas Barr <tcbiii@e...> wrote:

Anyone Mega dose a day or less before the 50+% water
change?

I've been doing this for three weeks.
I add 2x the KNO3 and KH2PO4 I would normally.
I don't add a bunch of expensive Trace elements nor do
I add K2SO2 since there's already a fair amount from
the KNO3 and residual K2SO4 that's added
after the last water change.

I figure less than day will not start up any algae
issues and it will allow the plants to soak up a bunch
of N and P.

[message truncated]

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