[AGA Member] Soft water management (shift from newbie with some quesitons)

[June Olberding <jdolb1@attbi.com>]

on 5/15/03 12:12 AM, AGA Member - Digest at
owner-aga-member-digest@thekrib.com wrote:

Hello Denis,
I just expect that the city will dump stuff in the water. We get high pH
with the soft water due to addition of Sodium Hydroxide (reduces risk of
lead etc leeching into water from old pipes systems).
I end up using Dolomite in tanks with only powerheads and crushed coral in
tanks with canister filters. I have couple dozen tanks and I find this more
cost effective. I rely on Amquel to treat the water for additatives.
> Date: Wed, 14 May 2003 00:23:52 -0700
> From: "Dennis Sheridan" <dilvish@pacbell.net>
> Subject: Re: [AGA Member] Re: newbie here with some questions...
>I use DI almost exclusively, adding Seachem's Equilibrium to that water in
> changes once or twice a month.
>I  haven't much faith in the chemical tests.
I do use tests to spot check, especially the KH and pH so I can tell how
much CO2 I am running. I also test for Nitrate and Phosphate, but usually
only if plants are saying strange things or I can't quite make out what they
are saying. When I test I generally am looking for imbalance between Nitrate
and Phosphate. That imbalance will limit plant growth. Eg. if you have lots
of Nitrates and no Phosphate, the plants can't make good use of the Nitrate
and  won't grow as well as if there was more Phosphate which allows the
plants to use all the Nitrate. Then the plants take off and algae doesn't do
so well.
I aim to change water weekly but we all know how that goes. If I let it go
more than couple weeks in higher light tanks, Crypts tend to melt.
> I have 2 x 65watt PC flors (10k) over a 50gal and about 4" overall
> of the florabase/flourite substrate. Lights are on 10 hrs. per day.
> Temperature at 76.  Fluval 404 cannister.
NICE set up. Are you running any CO2? (forgive me if you already shared all
this. After awhile I get confused of who said/has what on list)
What plants are you growing? and are you adding any nutrients?
Regards
June

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