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I go 8-10 hours , no more, it's simply not needed and wasteful, cost more electric bill. Regards, Tom Barr

DIY CO2, well, a decline in the rate of CO2 has repeatedly induce this. No, it's not normal growth, I no longer have any issues as long as the CO2 is up. I wanted to know why myself, the plant grows extremely well and never gets blackened with good CO2, even under a MH. If you have less light...

It can be added to most external reactors such as the Aqua medics, the other DIY designs etc, just an "add on" really. BTW, www.aquaticeco.com sells the clear PVC pipe, nice stuff. Regards, Tom Barr

The venturi would be added to the output from the canister filter hose(you'd have to drill and secure a leak proof seal here). This way under highest pressure, the draw for the suction would be the highest and will suck the Gas out. Personally, for an in line set up, it's smarter to use a...

Hi, I use to make CO2 reactors commercially back in 2000-2002. I do not like selling things retail:) I'd rather have a large massive price difference between the commercial makers and the DIY design. This helps the hobbyists which is ultimately my goal. If it does not help them a lot and save...

Well, Hades froze over, I finally made some pics of the bugger: http://www.barrreport.com/articles/3444-dual-venturi-diy-external-co2-reactor.html This is a highly effective design, every bit as much as the internal design and then some, it's out of the tank. And at 10-20$ and 10 minutes to...

Well, it can mean either. I suggest being proactive and staying on top of things. I've routinely had tanks without algae(eye visible) using several methods(CO2, non CO2 etc). However, we all mess things up, or do not do something or another at some point. No big deal, you take care of the algae...

Tonia's really do not like low light, I'll agree to that. I think it's funny, sometimes I've heard folks say that blue light produces bushier growth and more compact growth etc, yet if you use a blue light specific bulb, the observations (years of them for many), suggest otherwise. Ugly...

Why would you use only the Atinic blubs? I'd predict poor growth as well. The other issues are spread and angle of the light. If I use 150w MH's on a 60 gallon cube tank and switch it to 70 w, the pattern would be close, the point source/spread/angle is similar. If I used 6x 24w T5 lights, and...

Some like to make a solution and this works well for more precise dosing, if that is your goal. Some like to dose daily, this makes things easier if you want "more control and precision". This might be something you desire as a more experienced grower perhaps........but it should never make or...

Egeria is only 2 cells thick, so those leaves, while fast growing, are fragile. I use Excel to kill Egeria in ponds as well as Hydrilla. Cost more, but does no harm to other plants and fish/inverts etc. Excel cross links the CO2 uptake mechanism we think for those plants, but not other...

Just keep in mine that this is a T5 light, these are quite powerful and effiicent, so you get the most from the watts/cost to run them and least heat and bulkiness. normal FL's without a reflector/mirrored will not have as much. Still, I've grown these same plants with NO FL's and a reflector...

That's perhaps some of the best advice you can give a newbie also. Newbies need a good chance for success otherwise they get mad and leave this hobby. Yes, swords can suck out everything if given a chance. They removal is also an issue, as wll as the scape being over taken by this huge weed...

It's sitting at AF as is. No special stuff here. Rotlala green, hair grass etc. More fish in there than you might suspect. 2x54 W T5 Archea fixture, AF sells and imports them. They dose ferts etc. The point is less the dose, CO2, because you need much less with any method, the poiunt of the...

Some have suggeswted that low light is bad or you cannot grow nice tanks without high light. You have far less demand for CO2 and nutrients, thus have far more wiggle room with any method using less light: here's 1.5 /gal on a 70 gallon tank, 2x 54w T5's. Less heat, less cost both short and...

Just a note, I'll try to get the new micro nutrients to Alan sometime late this month, or early next month. Like Tropica and SeaChem combined + several other more bioavailable goodies. I based the formula off of 54 aquatic plant species for the ratio. Then I took the best two trace mixes...

Try adding CO2 mist to the plant. It grows fine. At lower light, you do not need some much CO2 to keep good growth rates going. I'm not sure you folks are aware of this, but most of Europe's and Asia's tanks are relatively low light, 1.5-2.5w/gal. And most any tank pre 10-15 years ago was...

Do fish do better if you do a 50% weekly water change or do they do better if you do say 25% every 2 weeks or so? Regardless of plants or not? Now apply the plants and good healthy growing plants which remove NH4 directly from the fish waste? Are you more apt to do a water change or use a test...

The tank is 120 that was 24" depth, the 110 gal you have with these same lights will be fine as I mentioned to Dave's success, less light will make things more manageable. 220 w is plenty, this might seem like little... it's not. Those lights are more intense than you think. Some folks hee haw...

Dave, it's not your light, it's the CO2, I dose 2 ppm 3x a week with 300 Rummy noses, we have not restocked nor seen any decline in health in 3 years. Thus one may conclude that it cannot be due directly to KH2PO4 dosing. There is also no research evidence of any sort that high levels, we are...

Tap water is also a possible added source, but..............before changing anything, are your plants fine? Do you or anyone for that matter honestly believe and can rationally assume that there is a an algal, fish health or otherwise any issue between say 2ppm of PO4 and 5 ppm? I challenge...

Most potassium phosphate is the KH2PO4, it's the cheapest. You can use the other just fine as well. Regards, Tom Barr

I'd just remove it entirely. You will need a pair of pliers and work it off. then add something like www.Aquacave.com needle valve. They sell a black ribbed handle one that's nice, 21$, much better than clippard and just a few $ more. The 1/8" mpt is teflon tapes right into most regulators. So...

I'd just go 1/2 the suggested dosings you listed, and no need to add K2SO4 as well, maybe a GH booster, which tends to have K2SO4 anyway as well as Mg/Ca, say 1 teaspoon after the water once a week. That's about it. Focus on CO2 etc. Do routine, dose, water change, prune etc It's not meant to...

Try your math again, that should be about 8-9ppm per dose X 3 a week. Or about 25-30ppm given a bit of dosing error with a teaspoon. It's not liely with 1.5/w gal you will use that much. The other larger issue: are you using a test kit to base your dosing on? Are you calibrating this test...