Faile
Aquarium Advice Regular
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The Pygmy Cories are an awesome little fish. I'm really looking forward to adding them to my aquarium a few weeks down the road.
Ziggy's Corner Planter
- Thread starter Ziggy953
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Jason7894561230
Aquarium Advice Addict
They are cute Faile
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Ziggy953
Aquarium Advice Addict
Ok...so this hair algae....what do I do? This is out of my element because in SW you eliminate the nutrients but I can't do that with plants in there.
neilanh
Sliced Bread
Hair algae is usually excess iron. You're not dosing any ferts yet, right? Test your nitrAtes, I'll bet they're at 0.
Greater Washington Aquatic Plant Association » Algae in the Planted Aquarium
Greater Washington Aquatic Plant Association » Algae in the Planted Aquarium
Jason7894561230
Aquarium Advice Addict
+1 for Neilanh
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Ziggy953
Aquarium Advice Addict
I am not dosing anything at this point. What do you suggest. Nitrates are barely detectable.
Jason7894561230
Aquarium Advice Addict
Start dosing ferts i think, but Neilanh will tell you in more descrption
neilanh
Sliced Bread
yeah, if you're bottoming out on nitrAtes, you're probably bottoming out on other elements too. When this happens, it allows for things to get out of balance and cause things like hair algae, GSA, BBA, etc.
See any pinholes in your leaves anywhere? That'll likely come next, and is a symptom of low potassium.
It probably is time to get a fert regime started to at least keep stuff in balance.
Lots of folks use and like EI, I prefer PPS-Pro. Look at this thread. The thread isn't 100% relevant to your situation, but I typed up a lot of info that some may be helpful.
Have you ever determined your CO2 level? You'll want to do that too and keep it at 30-35ppm. The higher CO2 levels help your plants to thrive, meaning they'll consume the nutrients faster than the algae can.
See any pinholes in your leaves anywhere? That'll likely come next, and is a symptom of low potassium.
It probably is time to get a fert regime started to at least keep stuff in balance.
Lots of folks use and like EI, I prefer PPS-Pro. Look at this thread. The thread isn't 100% relevant to your situation, but I typed up a lot of info that some may be helpful.
Have you ever determined your CO2 level? You'll want to do that too and keep it at 30-35ppm. The higher CO2 levels help your plants to thrive, meaning they'll consume the nutrients faster than the algae can.
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Ziggy953
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thanks for the information Neilan!
I have not tested my CO2 level and am not sure how to do that.
I read through the information in the thread you suggested and think I agree with using the PPS Pro method. Former reef guy I'm not afraid of daily tinkering. I'd like to find the ferts I need locally at least to get me going on them and then order online. Suggestions would be great, or do you have a liquid option to get me through until I can get all I need to set up a daily dosing?? Kinda leaning towards an automated system similar to what you had set up for the 125.
I have not tested my CO2 level and am not sure how to do that.
I read through the information in the thread you suggested and think I agree with using the PPS Pro method. Former reef guy I'm not afraid of daily tinkering. I'd like to find the ferts I need locally at least to get me going on them and then order online. Suggestions would be great, or do you have a liquid option to get me through until I can get all I need to set up a daily dosing?? Kinda leaning towards an automated system similar to what you had set up for the 125.
Faile
Aquarium Advice Regular
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Here is the formula to calculate your CO2 based on pH and KH (it presumes no other buffers other than KH): CO2 (in PPM) = 3 * dKH * 10^( 7-pH ). You can convert KH to dKH by dividing KH by 17.8. That formula is what the various charts that you will find for CO2 are based on.
The drop checker is a way to have a continuous check on the CO2 levels. Since the pH kit is green for 4 dKH when you have 30ppm of CO2, you fill the drop checker with a solution of 4dKH water (made using RO or distilled water to ensure no other buffers are present). If it turns blue you know your CO2 level is too low and if it is yellow your CO2 level is too high.
neilanh
Sliced Bread
I don't know of a place to buy dry ferts locally. You can get liquids (seachems, etc), but if you intend to change over to dry mix your own (which I recommend) then you'll just be starting over again when that happens.
I have some ferts here you can have, however. The price is right, I just don't deliver. We can talk about the hardware when you come.
I setup a spreadsheet for calculating the mixtures for PPS-Pro I can share with you, soon as I find it. Input tank volume and it spits out the mix. Then you can tweak (by %) if you want to go up or down on an individual element.
I have some ferts here you can have, however. The price is right, I just don't deliver. We can talk about the hardware when you come.
I setup a spreadsheet for calculating the mixtures for PPS-Pro I can share with you, soon as I find it. Input tank volume and it spits out the mix. Then you can tweak (by %) if you want to go up or down on an individual element.
Jason7894561230
Aquarium Advice Addict
Hows the tank Zig?
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Ziggy953
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thanks for the information Faile! I was just reading about online. According to that equation my CO2 level is at 12.75ppm so I need to increase it. Unfortunately I don't think I'm going to be able to get much over 20ppm with the DIY method.
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Ziggy953
Aquarium Advice Addict
I am in the process of doing a PWC right now. I siphoned off a bunch of the algae and it looks a lot better. My NitrAtes are at 0 right now so you were spot on with that assumption. I need to get with you Neilan about your offer. I start my new job on the 13th so I have a week to figure things out.
neilanh
Sliced Bread
Found it. Here's how it works.
PPS-Pro Solution Calculator
At the top, put in your tank size.
For dosage size, this is how much solution you'll dose each day (to determine the concentration). I had my autodosers on a timer that would only operate in 1 minute increments, so for 1 minute they put out 100ml, for instance.
In the "mixing?" area, put in how much solution you'll mix at a time. my 2L containers held 1.8L by the time the pump was in there too.
Ignore everything that's grey'd out. That's the base solution for PPS-Pro used in my calculations.
In the green Adjustments column, you can increase or decrease an individual supplement should you need to later on. For now, start everything at 0%, that matches the recommended daily dose to start with.
Use a kitchen scale to measure out the amount of each supplement in grams. All of the macros go into 1 solution, and the traces in the other. I used cupcake papers to dump the ferts into for measuring.
Use RODI water if you have, or just DI water from the store. It's easier to get everything to dissolve with pure water.
Let me know if you have questions.
PPS-Pro Solution Calculator
At the top, put in your tank size.
For dosage size, this is how much solution you'll dose each day (to determine the concentration). I had my autodosers on a timer that would only operate in 1 minute increments, so for 1 minute they put out 100ml, for instance.
In the "mixing?" area, put in how much solution you'll mix at a time. my 2L containers held 1.8L by the time the pump was in there too.
Ignore everything that's grey'd out. That's the base solution for PPS-Pro used in my calculations.
In the green Adjustments column, you can increase or decrease an individual supplement should you need to later on. For now, start everything at 0%, that matches the recommended daily dose to start with.
Use a kitchen scale to measure out the amount of each supplement in grams. All of the macros go into 1 solution, and the traces in the other. I used cupcake papers to dump the ferts into for measuring.
Use RODI water if you have, or just DI water from the store. It's easier to get everything to dissolve with pure water.
Let me know if you have questions.
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Ziggy953
Aquarium Advice Addict
Were you going to email me the spreadsheet?
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Ziggy953
Aquarium Advice Addict
I added 3 more pygmy cory's to the tank today along with 5 Golden White Clouds.
neilanh
Sliced Bread
LOL
I forgot AA won't accept .xls attachments. I edited my post above, there's a link now to download it. Sorry about that.
I forgot AA won't accept .xls attachments. I edited my post above, there's a link now to download it. Sorry about that.
mom2reds
Aquarium Advice Addict
WOW what a thread. Your tank makes me jealous it is beautiful. Congrats!!!
Please keep posting pics.
Please keep posting pics.
Faile
Aquarium Advice Regular
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2010
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- 92
Actually you probably could, you'd just need to add several more bottles. You'd want one 2L bottle for every 10 gallons in your aquarium. Considering the size of your aquarium, you could also just switch up to three 1 Gallon containers.
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