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[APD] Re: 1st Planted Tank questions
Cut the lights to something closer to 110W. Once the tank is
stable, maybe go up to 150W.
Cut it to 130 this afternoon
That should work for the duration, 11 hours a day or so. And I'm
assuming that the lights are right on top of the tank? Not
suspended up a foot or more above? And, given the high light
intensity, if this setup was originally designed for a reef tank
be sure most of the remaining lights are the daylights not the
blue actinics, if any. Assuming the lights are on the tank, the
reason I suggested cutting them is because you'll have an easier
time closer to 2 watts per gallon (WPG) than 5 WPG. Sure, you can
run at 5 WPG, but '1st Planted Tank' and 5 WPG is begging for
trouble.
Dose ferts to get to this:
http://www.sfbaaps.com/reference/barr_02_02.shtml
It should need ferts at 1 week given macros from cycling and the
new substrate?
Plants need what they need, why not provide it from the start?
Also, go to:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forum/fertilator.php and find
the products/chemicals you are dosing for each nutrient. Once
you've made the big water change, test and then dose to get to
the recommended levels using this calculator. If you don't have
some of the needed chemicals, go here: http://www.gregwatson.com/
Don't have P04 kit, KH = 8.4, nitrate = 15 (5 from tap), nitrite
= 5, ammonia = 1, GH = 6.2. Am aware these are high but are they
high for a tank that is in a reasonably early stage of cycling?
You'll want a PO4 test kit, the one I suggested earlier is
perfect for our needs but will probably have to be mail ordered.
Make the big water change and, as others suggested, don't worry
about cycling issues. Set CO2 levels using the pH/KH/CO2 charts:
http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/CO2/kh-ph-co2-chart.html
Use new growth on the water sprite (h. difformis) as an indicator
for low Fe (iron) and dose CSM+B or another product accordingly.
It will grow in pale if low on Fe. The only real wild card in all
this is K+ (potassium) since there isn't a reliable
hobbyist-level test kit. Look at the posts earlier this month on
K+/potassium to see what people are doing. I do a weekly 20%
water change, test for NO3 and PO4 then dose KNO3 and monosodium
phosphate (Discus Buffer)accordingly to get to the recommended
levels. If NO3 doesn't drop much during the week, I'll dose K2SO4
for K+ at about 5 ppm. It's looking like a twice weekly dose of
CSM+B at .1 Fe is working.
HTH
TW
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