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Brookster123
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yahh... The balance thing... I'm still working that out.. 3-4 months of tinkering haha, it has been fun though!
New finnex planted plus !!!
- Thread starter Brookster123
- Start date
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rhsoto94
Aquarium Advice Freak
jwh0818
Aquarium Advice Addict
Hey bro! Awesome light! Glad you got it! It looks amazing!
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Brookster123
Aquarium Advice Addict
I'm really liking it man! Thanks! I couldn't help the urge to run both the finnex and t5no, the t5 offers a little more natural color, I may even try putting the rossete bulb back in.. Anyone think I'm going to high light for no co2?? I dose excel full strength..
Fresh2o
Aquarium Advice Addict
It can be done; Rivercats maintained a heavily planted brightly lit tank for quite a while before she stepped into the pressurized CO2 dark side. You may want to use Metricide for less expensive source of Glutaraldehyde (if you aren't already).
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Brookster123
Aquarium Advice Addict
I still have $30 worth excel or 1000ml to use up. My next order will be metricide and the dry fert pack from gla.. What will I be up against? Mainly algae growth?? Will I need to ramp up glut dose? I still think I'm only in med light category? What do you think fresh? You're familiar with both the lights im running. What if a I ran only the finnex for my first 3 hour photo and both for my second 4.5 hr period??
Fresh2o
Aquarium Advice Addict
That plan sounds fine. Just keep an eye on it. I don't think you will end up with an algae farm. You can dial back on the hours as needed.
When I switched from t5 to led I noticed some growth changes but it took a while. Let's use the broadleaf chain swords in my tank as an example. Started with about 7-8 small specimens. Under the dual t5 no it was barely alive. Small in size and no runners. Was using Flourish Complete, API Leaf Zone, and Excel at the time. About a month after using the LEDs the leaves got larger. Maybe a runner here or there. Nothing too dramatic. About 6 weeks after using DIY CO2 (piped directly into one of the HOBs) I noticed even larger leaves and lots of runners. At its peak growth, the swords would have taken over the entire tank (20g long) in a matter of a few months. Leaves are growing to the surface. The plant went from a foreground to a midground to a background plant in less than a year. 4 months after using CO2 I harvested 50-60 plants and still had about 50% left in the tank. Did a similar re-harvest 3 months later.
During that time (before and after adding the DIY CO2) algae was not a problem. Oh, was also growing Bacopa caroliniana at the time and was trimming that down every 1-2 weeks. That plant might have been a nutrient hog and helped keep the algae at bay.
Before you order from GLA, if you get the PPS-Pro pack, get an extra 500 mL fert container. You'll want to mix up and dose the nitrates separately due to the nitrates already present.
Bottom line: you'll probably be fine with the Excel/Glutaraldehyde only. CO2 does help. After fumbling around with DIY you'll probably get tired of it and moved onto pressurized.
Sorry for the long post.
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Brookster123
Aquarium Advice Addict
No, I appreciate it! This is exactly what I need to know!! I'm using the narrow leaf micro chain as a guinea pig too, although 3 months under t5 mine was looking pretty healthy, only a couple runners but full and lush nonetheless.. If I'm any good at predicting what my future self will do, I may just stick to the liquids for the time being and go full blown co2 like yours when I hopefully get out of my apt and have more space for toys.. In the meantime.. If I get antsy I can always hack up a DIY setup... This stuff is more than fun huh????
Old Scales
Aquarium Advice Addict
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Brookster123
Aquarium Advice Addict
Hahaha that's awesome!!! Thanks for being such an attentive plant doctor.. Creepy?!? Noooooooo
rhsoto94
Aquarium Advice Freak
Got mine in today I didn't expect it to be so slim.
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Brookster123
Aquarium Advice Addict
theyre very steam line ! I really like it so far, you check out the blue night lite yet?
rhsoto94
Aquarium Advice Freak
Yeah it's too bright in my garage to see it completely but I do like the night light combined with the normal light. Have u seen a difference in growth?
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Brookster123
Aquarium Advice Addict
I've noticed my rotala pinking up a bit which is a great sign!
rhsoto94
Aquarium Advice Freak
Nice! Hopefully my hairgrass carpets in my low tech not really expecting it to but wanted to see what it'd do
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Brookster123
Aquarium Advice Addict
sorry if I've asked but are you dosing carbon or ferts?
rhsoto94
Aquarium Advice Freak
Yeah doing double dosages of API booster and flourish there's no fish in there right now. I set up DIY co2 but couldn't get it to work yesterday so gave it a break for today.
rhsoto94
Aquarium Advice Freak
I'm going to dry ferts an metricide once I run out of what I have right now.
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Brookster123
Aquarium Advice Addict
No fish yet? You cycling? I'm going to go dry/metricide to. Just need to exhaust my $100 worth if seachem stuff haha
rhsoto94
Aquarium Advice Freak
I had a goldfish but I did a complete rescape and dirted it and through off my nitrite so I took him out until the mini cycles done.
