Best Way To Achieve Balance

[Super_Blueberry]

Now my 55g it took me forever to get the balance right (if at all) and I'm wondering what is the best way you have found to balance your tank now that I've got the 100g up and running. Lighting is the easiest to adjust, but I can never tell if I have them on too long, or not long enough. I can test the phosphate levels, and I don't need to add nitrates, but what about the other fert levels? And the flora/fauna stock. Most of the time is consistent, but plants grow larger and multiply, and fish come and go over periods of time. There are just so many variables to take into account .... It's hard to know where to start? What have you found that worked to balance your tank?

 

[Old Scales]

That is a VERY complicated question. lol
By what I see, you are an experienced aquarist but like me are always looking for better info/ideas. In my meager opinion, first decide what plants you want to grow. Research them all and set up for the most demanding of them. Strong enough light with the right spectrum. A good plant friendly substrate. A good dry fert system like PPS-Pro where you can dose nitrate separate from the phosphorus/potash and a separate traces. Test and adjust ferts to at least 10ppm NO3, 3-4ppm PO4. Dose traces as recommended. Add root tabs to root feeder plants. Match temperature to best range for most of the chosen plants. Absolutely need extra carbon. Either Glut or pressurized CO2. Helps even easy plants.
Then set lights on timer for consistency. Start lights at 8 hours daily. Watch for algae. If you see some lower light period by 30 min each time until you see no more algae growing.
I've found that the fish stocking level doesn't really affect keeping my plants "balanced" that much. For my tank, consistency of light and dosing of ferts is most important.
I'm not sure if this is the answer you were looking for and you probably already know all this but I wanted to help out if I could. OS.

 

[aqua_chem]

Estimative Index. It's the 'set it and forget' for all non-carbon nutrients. It simplifies everything to CO2 or light, which for most people comes down to "do you have enough CO2 (or Excel)"?

 

[Old Scales]

HI Aqua, I was hoping you'd come in and help out here. +1 on EI as a good way also. I forgot about that. Hope you are well. OS.

 

[Super_Blueberry]

I just set up the tank, miracle gro organic garden soil, white sand cap. Pressurized co2 dosed to "the yellower side of green", and I've been doing pps pro daily with very little kno3 needed. Lights are 240 watts of t12no 24" above the substrate. Lights are on a split timer roughly 4 on, 5 off, 5 on, 10 off. The 100g tank is only a couple weeks old, but the 55g was 2 years. Stag horn and bba would seem to randomly come and go, and I would spot treat with Excel as needed in the 55. I've had to treat a few spots with excel in the new tank, but appears to be just transferred algae that survived the hydrogen peroxide dip as no noticeable new growth as shown up as of yet.

Plants are for the most part easy. Swords, java ferns, anubias, sag, crypts, hygro....a few others.... Nothing really overly complicated or sensitive.