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Potassium dosing levels



On Saturday, November 01, 1997 3:48 AM, Aquatic Plants Digest 
[SMTP:Aquatic-Plants-Owner at actwin_com] wrote:
>
> Aquatic Plants Digest   Saturday, November 1 1997   Volume 02 : Number
> 1050
>
>
>
> In this issue:
>
> 	Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V2 #1049
> 	Re: Q: low tech, low maintence tank
> 	Magnum Canister Filter and Ehiem surface skimmer
> 	Thai algae eater
> 	Hydroponics lights and lead strips
> 	Low tech tanks
>
> See the end of the digest for information on unsubscribing from the
> Aquatic Plants mailing list and on how to retrieve back issues.
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Date: Fri, 31 Oct 97 13:15:29 -0800
> From: gomberg at wcf_com
> Subject: Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V2 #1049
>
> On 10/31/97 at 03:48 p, Aquatic-Plants-Owner at actwin_com (Aquatic
> Plants Digest) said:
>
> >There is a picture and some information on the Electrolysis CO2
> >System at http://marine-monsters.com/front/products/co2.html.
>
> Well, Casey, I think you got screwed.  These guys have been
> taking Dupla lessons on pricing but not on quality.  For $44 for
> a piece of carbon worth a few cents, they should give you
> unbelievable service.  Talk to a local carbon rod source and see
> if you can find an alternative source of carbon.  And if the
> thing gunks up, it's really NOT low maintenance after all, is
> it?  Sorry.
>
> - --
>
> Dave Gomberg, FormMaestro!                     http://www.wcf.com
>  gomberg at wcf_com
>   Help stop Internet spam! Join CAUCE:   http://www.cauce.org/
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 16:34:08 -0500
> From: "Louis Lin" <lhclin at aw_sgi.com>
> Subject: Re: Q: low tech, low maintence tank
>
> Bain Chin wrote:
>
> > I am interested in the experiences of others who keep low
> > maintenance/low
> > tech tanks. I am trying to learn ways to keep a planted tank that
> > requires
> > almost no work.
> >
> > Currently I am trying out a 10 gallon by the window. I use no filters,
> > or
> > heaters. The only wire for the tank is for one fluorescent tube (a shop
> > light.) I have 2 tetras, 1 black molly, 1 guppy,  lots of snails, and
> > lots
> > of plants - hygro, cabomba, anachris, java fern, banana plant, floating
> > fern - on cat litter plus sand. I feed the fish once a day (tetraMin
> > flakes
> > 2 minutes) and change the water when I feel like it - maybe 30% twice a
> > month. I want to get more fish but feel that I don't have the setup
> > just
> > right yet. There is still algae, water is slightly colorless cloudy
> > (though
> > I suspect it's the salt that I add, which has additives in it so it's
> > 1/3
> > less sodium.)
>
> I run a 10 gallon low tech tank.  It is sitting in a bright room.  The
> only
> gadget on it is a power head that circulates the water.  So no lighting,
> no
> filter.  The tank holds only snails and ghost shrimp.  I rarely change
> water,
> may be once every two months and I feed only weekly.
>
> The tank was set up as a feasibility experiment on freshwater plenum.  So
> it has a plenum made with eggcrate, pvc pipes and nylon screen.  On top
> of
> it is 3 inch of coarse sand (later I found out the sand is calcium based,
> so
> the water in this tank is very hard).  I've mixed some slow release
> fertilizer
> in the bottom of the sand.
>
> This tank took a long time to cycle compared to tanks with filters.  The
> initial ammonia is coming from the slow release fertilizer.  So if
> you are adding any fertilizer to your substrate, add only a tiny amount.
>
> Low light plants do great in this tank.  High light plants either rot
> away
> or barely stay alive.  Plants that do great in this tank includes java
> ferns and anubias.  Plants that stays alive includes cabomba, valniseria,
> amazon sword and H. difformis.
>
>
>
>
>
> - --
> - ---------------------------------------
> Louis Lin             lhclin at aw_sgi.com
> "Plan B: Dilbertize the enemy."
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 14:48:01 PST8PDT
> From: "Darrell Roze" <roze at excaliber_commerce.ubc.ca>
> Subject: Magnum Canister Filter and Ehiem surface skimmer
>
> I was thinking of ordering a Magnum canister filter and a Ehiem
> surface skimmer, but I thought I should double check to see if there
> was any potential problems with using them together.  Is there anyone
> out there that is using a set up like this?  Should it work?
>
> - - Darrell
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 18:21:16 -0500 (EST)
> From: Earle Hamilton <ehami at sunny_ncmc.cc.mi.us>
> Subject: Thai algae eater
>
>  Thai algae eater is the name used in the wholesale trade for the SAE.
> It was my pleasure to visit with a wholesaler in the Detroit area
> (RJ's).  Since finding out what they are and how much plant people
> want them, he is determined to get lots when he can.  So far they
> have not been available but when they do I will put the word out and
> those folks with shops that buy from RJ can enjoy the benefit of
> SAE's at their local shop.
>
> When I was at RJ's and talking about this they did scrounge up two that I
>
> bought.  There is no question they are SAEs.
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 18:38:45 -0500 (EST)
> From: Earle Hamilton <ehami at sunny_ncmc.cc.mi.us>
> Subject: Hydroponics lights and lead strips
>
> Some time ago the question of where to get those little aquatic plant
> baskets lead to a suggestion to try hydroponics supplies search on the
> net.  While there was a rock wool growing medium I was unable to find our
>
> little baskets.  This post covers two subjects.  Baskets and lead strips
> and (2) hyrdroponics lights.
> In selling bunches of rotalla indica (I grow about 500 ten inch stalks a
> month) the shops would prefer to have the lead strip to hold the bunch.
> Also for selling sword plants they like the pots.  Does anybody know
> where I can get a reel of lead weight and/or the little baskets?
>
> (2)  While the search of hydroponics supply places didn't give me an
> answer to the above it did give lots of good info on MH lights with much
> better prices than any fish source.  One of the cousins to MH they talk
> about is H.P. Sodium lamp (High pressure?)_.  I don't think this is the
> yellow sodium street light from years ago.  It is supposed to enhance
> orange-red and blue spectrum whereas the sodium lamp I know of is a
> single frequency.  At any rate the new H.P. Sodium lamp is called a SON
> AGRO bulb.  It comes in two sizes (430 and 270 watt) and requires a
> special conversion unit to use in a MH fixture.
> Q.?  Does anybody know anything about using these things for aquatic
> plants?
>
> Also interesting in the hydroponics stuff is the idea of a moving light.
>
> For a reallly large tank I wonder if  1000 watt bulb moving slowly back
> and forth over the tank would be as effective and lower watt stationary
> bulbs.  The cost effectiveness of the larger bulbs is attractive.
> Q.?  Any thoughts on this approach?
>
> FWIW sample prices for MH fixtures (bulb, ballast, fixture all assembled)
>
> is $170 for 175 MH, $204 for 250 watt, $255 for 400 watt and $315 for
> 1000 watt.
>  --Earle Hamilton from northern Michigan where coral once grew
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 19:19:55 +0000 (   )
> From: "Roger S. Miller" <rgrmill at rt66_com>
> Subject: Low tech tanks
>
> >
> > Hi folks,
> >
> > I am interested in the experiences of others who keep low
> > maintenance/low
> > tech tanks. I am trying to learn ways to keep a planted tank that
> > requires
> > almost no work.
> >
> > Currently I am trying out a 10 gallon by the window. I use no filters,
> > or
> > heaters. The only wire for the tank is for one fluorescent tube (a shop
> > light.) I have 2 tetras, 1 black molly, 1 guppy,  lots of snails, and
> > lots
> > of plants - hygro, cabomba, anachris, java fern, banana plant, floating
> > fern - on cat litter plus sand. I feed the fish once a day (tetraMin
> > flakes
> > 2 minutes) and change the water when I feel like it - maybe 30% twice a
> > month. I want to get more fish but feel that I don't have the setup
> > just
> > right yet.
>
> So how long have you had this setup?  Long enough to say that the plants
> are all well established and adjusted and the  conditions you describe 
are
>
> stable?  Or are things still adjusting?
>
> If you have pairs of livebearers then you can let their population
> increase to the point where it's in balance with the resources in the
> tank.  My low-tech tanks have a basic population of otos and shrimp that 
I
>
> maintain, and a population of guppies - I just use feeders - that moves
> up and down as conditions in the tank vary to support more or fewer
> fish.  Probably any omnivorous livebearer would do - maybe even some
> killies, but I don't keep them.
>
> You might also try some kind of filter feeder instead of or along with
> the fish.  I don't think that fish - especially predatory or 
insectivorous
>
> fish (I think that includes most tetras)  - are particularly good for a
> low
> maintenance tank.
>
> > There is still algae, water is slightly colorless cloudy (though
> > I suspect it's the salt that I add, which has additives in it so it's
> > 1/3
> > less sodium.)
> >
> > Bain Chin
> > bchin at mit_edu
> >
>
> Hmm.  Unless you know what the additives are and are willing to put up
> with their consequences, then maybe you should just use salt?  Two other
> possible explanations for the cloudiness come to mind.  It could be
> caused by the kitty litter, which is after all clay and wouldn't
> necessarily settle very well.  The other possibility I thought of is that
>
> it's phytoplankton - possibly the start of a green water problem.  When I
>
> get green water blooms in my low-tech tanks it starts as colorless
> cloudiness and doesn't show green until it gets rather dense.
>
> My low-tech tanks aren't quite as low-tech as yours.  They're heated.
> Also, I run small powerheads in them so the water circulates.  Right now
> the tanks are changing a bit because I recently pulled out and replaced
> their substrates.  Prior to that (I've had them for a few years) they
> were generally in pretty good shape; I get green water blooms from direct
>
> sunlight over more than a couple hours/day, and I have had fits with hair
>
> algae but that seems to stay under control with the right, fast-growing
> plants and a functional substrate.
>
> Adey and Lovejoy's book "Dynamic Aquaria" provides some interesting
> thoughts that can be applied to low-maintenance freshwater tanks.
>
>
> Roger Miller
>
> ------------------------------
>
> End of Aquatic Plants Digest V2 #1050
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>

For the last couple of months I have been fertilizing with the original 
PMDD recipe (I only recently became aware of the revised version) and not 
surprisingly, I found that my tanks were seriously short of NO3.  I 
compensated for that by making a KNO3 sol'n (1 tbsp/300 mL) and using that 
to keep nitrates between 5 and 10 ppm without boosting iron levels.

After a while I found that I was using at least two or three times as much 
KNO3 solution as pmdd, and I became concerned about other elements of the 
PMDD mix, notably the K2SO4 and MgSO4.  Should I be adding those in 
proportion to the nitrate or in proportion to the iron (the two things I 
can test for) ?

It will come as no surprise to many of you that I now have classic 
potassium deficiency symptoms in my tanks.  I am adding K2SO4 to treat 
that.

The new pmdd recipe will help with this a certain amount, but I have a 
feeling that I will still be adding extra KNO3 to keep the nitrate levels 
high enough, so I am still wondering how to determine appropriate dosings 
of potassium.  Should I be watching the ratio of K2SO4 to KNO3?  Is there 
something else I can do other than watching for signs of deficiency and 
correcting after the fact?

Frank.

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