ok parameters?

[cyris69]

Looking for the proper parameters for my planted tank.

I just tested the tank
Nitrate:0
Nitrite:0
Ammonia: 0.0-0.25
Ph: 7.6-8.0


I just notice there is ammonia, I'm running a whisper 40, Rena smart filter 55, and a aqua clear 70. All in a 40B, it is fairy over stocked but with the filtration and heavily planted I feel safe?

I do 50-75% weekly water changes. Should I cut back on feeding for a day or two to lower the ammonia? I use a tablespoon of tetramin pro tropical crisps once a day. Also daily dry ferts and diy co2.

I have a large school of neons ~32, 2 angels, 3 corys, 3 zebra Danios, 4 saepae tetras, 3 black Mollies, 1 lemon tetra, 7 mystery snails, and some ghost shrimp.

 

[Rivercats]

That is a ton of food! I have a 220g with :

10 Veil and Super Veil Angelfish (3 juvenille, 1 pair, 1 male with his 4 female harem)
21 Rummy nose tetras
12 Diamond tetras
5 German Blue Rams
4 Electric Blue Rams
2 Gold Rams
3 YoYo loaches
4 Corydoras sterbai
4 Corydoras panda
1 Corydoras agassizi
8 Threadfin Rainbow Fish
18 Otocinclus Catfish
3 Whiptail Cats (Farlowella gracilis)
1 Longfin Albino Bristlenose Pleco

And I don't use even a teaspoon! That could be your ammonia spike. Another thing is neons have never small mouths and need small food. For my little mouth fish I use New Life spectrum Small fish formula. Its tiny and you don't need tons. Even my angels eat it. I also use the regular size with the small size. Those crisps are way too large unless you crush some up, I know I use them in a different tank. Try cutting your food way back and see if the ammonia goes down. In the mean time a WC wouldn't hurt.

 

[cyris69]

Sorry meant teaspoon lol just thought about it when you said that. I do crush up half of the food. I'm going to measure it out this time.

I'm going to cut back on the feeding a bit going to skip feeding tomorrow.

Thanks for your reply now I know to hold back some on the food.

 

[Rivercats]

You know it took me a couple weeks to get how much food to feed. You don't want the poor baby's to go hungry so it's easy to feed heavy handed I bet I feed about an 1/8th of a teaspoon. It doesn't sound like alot but you'd be surprized how far that goes. When I add peas a couple times a week I count out 6 to soften and mush. I'm stingy but my tank loves me for it (just don't ask the fish what they think of it)!

 

[aqua_chem]

That nitrate 0 is a problem. You want a constant non-zero level in planted tanks. I suspect it's a user error if you're dosing dry ferts. Are you shaking the nitrate tests VERY well before using them?

 

[cyris69]

Yes let me do another test now and take a picture

 

[cyris69]

Ugh, I wish they made these api color chart colors more distinguishable...

I went ahead and did 2 tests one the uninstructed way and one following the instructions to a "T".

Lazy test is 0, correct test is between 5-20ppm since 5, 10, and 20 ppm look the same to me to be honest. I'd say its closer to 10 but not more than 20ppm.

 

[cyris69]

Thanks river for your post, I wll try and do a pinch. If you've use the pro tetramin you know they are larger than the normal tetra circles. So if you had to count them in my shoes how many would you add?

Also thanks aqua for pointing this out! I need to take the tests more instructively and actually read the test manual from now on.

As for my the ferts I use this is it: Planted Aquarium Fertilizer - Dry Fertilizers, Dry Fertilizers, , , Planted Aquarium Fertilizer - Macro Micro Nutrient Mix, Macro Micro Nutrient Mix,

I was using 3.5ml per day but i know you can slowly increase and I have now started on 7ml per day this is the second day. The max stated on doesing is 4 drops per gallon which would equal 8ml in my case. I might drop it down to 3 drops or 6ml a day.

I also use seachem root tabs there are 8 tabs in my bottom layer which is fluorite, then there are 10 in my top sand layer.

 

[cyris69]

Should I go the ProPPS route with ferts?

Can get 1 lb of each
K2SO4
KNO3
KH2PO4
MgSO4
Plantex CSM + Boron ( I'm assuming this is the Trace Element mix)
for 33$ total

and follow the 1l mix instructions here https://sites.google.com/site/aquaticplantfertilizer/home/pps-pro

 

[Rivercats]

That is what I use, except I don't add the 41 grams of MgSO4 in my Macro mix. I have it but dose seperate if needed. And on the Micro mix I add 5ml Flourish Excel per 250ml
of Micro mix to keep mix from growing mold. Otherwise that is the formula I use. l also order the Micro & Macro | Aquarium Fertilizer | Green Leaf Aquariums so you get all you need in one package. I also would order the 1 liter dosing bottles as they make storing and dosing so much easier. Then just dose each the micro and macro 1ml per 10 gallons of water in the morning. Then if you watch you nitrates and phosphates and see they are alittle high or low you can adjust your dose accordingly. And be sure to dose macro's in at one end of the tank and the micros in at the other end of the tank. That's it. Oh, about the food cut down to 1/4 of what you would normally feed. Is that enough, if so your good, if not just add a pinch more daily until you figure out how much they actually need. Hope this helps.

 

[cyris69]

The over feeding makes me wonder if that's the cause of the algae battle I've been having. I know they aren't used to the less amount the a begging hard lol.

 

[Rivercats]

It most certainly helps it along by adding alot of excess nutrients in the water. You might find your whole tank benefits from your feeding less.