Re: [AGA-Member] Low-light tanks & CO2

[Heather J Gladney <hgladney@comcast.net>]

S. Hieber wrote:

> It sounds like your nitrates are high but don't error on
> the other side of caution and get them too low.
>
> I would try to keep the nitrates around about 10 ppm and
> the phosphate around 1 -2 ppm. For potassium, I'd aim for
> about 10 but if the potassium is high, it doesn't seem to
> present problems. If you dose with potassium phosphate and
> potatssium nitrate, you probably have enough potassium.
>
> You can add plants (see previous note on floating water
> sprite)
Yes, water sprite sounds like a good idea.  I remember someone on list 
mentioned an idicator plant they liked to show iron/traces were low, 
can't remember now what it was.  (Don't think that's the problem in this 
tank, unles my test kit is wonky.)
Sometimes stem plants will just take off, get huge & happy, and then 
fall apart.  There for awhile Shinnersia was going nuts, and Bacopa 
before that, and then they start to deteriorate.  They don't like trying 
to grow back from foot-long cuttings from the bottom.  I do have a 
surface hog--forgot to mention the happy red-leaf water lily.  Didn't 
think that was the problem, as I got the same results in winter (when 
red tiger was dormant) vs. now, when it's trying to hog the entire water 
surface (and could be shading things out) and I whack off 6-7 floating 
leaves every water change.  For awhile, I dosed fairly strongly with 
majors and traces, thinking that it might be chewing up too *much* of 
the nutrients, and with those test numbers, then I was hoping that would 
soak up some nutrients--maybe it *is*!
I had talked to someone quite awhile ago about using vallisneria in back 
areas as another nutrient sponge.  Simply have not been out in search of 
new plants since then!

> to help suck up excess nutrients. Or do more or
> larger water changes to hold down the nitrate levels.
>
> In trying to push down your nitrates, you might depress
> your phosphates also, so keep an eye on the phosphate
> levels and dose if you need.
>  
Will do--thanks!

> As for light and depth. there are only two ways to easily
> get more light to the bottom, add more lights or narrow the
> angle of the reflectors. The latter has only limited
> utility because, you can only go so far and fluorescents
> tend to scatter light a lot anyway.
>
> Don't worry about whether you are figuring 2 wpg based on
> nominal or actual water volume. 2wpg for a medium level of
> light is just a rule of thumb not a precise recipe. There
> is no precise recipe since each tank can be set up and
> behave a bit diff than another -- what plants you have,
> which might be shading which, nutrient levels, CO2 etc. can all impact the overall activity of your plants. Wpg rulesare just a guide but now that you have your tank set up you
> can watch how the plants that you grow in that tank behave
> and adjust accordingly, either with more lights or
> adjusting the lighting period for some or all of the
> lights.
>
> sh
>  
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