SkaleyAquatics

So a few changes happened "officially" this week with the water change. I removed the Bacopa Myrophylloides and Cyrpt Undulatus 'Red' and added Rotala Wallichii, (in order from L-R) Buce Hellfire, Buce Hades, Buce Brownie Boyan (buce all grown emersed waiting for them to convert). In addition to this I have started dosing individual nutrients N,P,K, and Micromix DTPA + EDTA. I actually started these mid last week but I was not dosing the micromix by accident and was dosing I believe to be KH2PO4 instead, I realized this yesterday when measuring them for the next 2 weeks. As the Micromix is not a white substance. I decided to start my target weekly ppm's to be 22,4,24 N,P,K. I currently am dosing each of these 3x a week, every other day and alternating days between macros and micros. Though I may dose the Macro's upfront in the future. I am using Gregg Zydeck ferts file to track for a reference to my future self as proof to help prevent the same mistakes. At some point along with the above changes, I have increased lighting to ~80% You can see the current light intensities in the above image. The rotala blood red, bacopa salzmanii sg, and rotala wallichii, are all "brown/green" instead of a deep red. I have been trying to find the cause for this but struggling to find the cause thought it was light intensity being too low but not sure now. The wallichii was a beautiful pink when it was added a week ago. The rotala blood red's new growth is really bright green on the good stems I have. I am borrowing a par meter to check my par throughout the tank and will be curious to see those results. Overall, this tank has been quite the journey and have fallen in love with the AR mini, it has colored up nicely. Another positive for me is the Hygrophila Siamensis 53B, it is such a vibrant shade of green.

What are your current settings for the light?

I bought weekly pillboxes and put my salts in there for each day. Saves me time and reminds me to throw it in. Awesome! Can't wait to see these grow out. I have Carland Creek, in my low tech 40.

So you are front loading macros? Also what a steal on those rhads, did they have a collection location with them?

I've read this somewhere this week about the Iron, both that it isn't harmful to overdose and it supposedly can breakdown to the more useful Fe.

Lucky you! I can barely get my girlfriend to fed her betta. Next year we are hoping to move into a house and I have been try to figure out how many tanks I want and how big. I want at least a 75 that is high energy but would like to go bigger than that and a least 1 other high energy tank probably in the 40 - 75 range.

How have you found it to be keeping up with maintenance on 2 high energy tanks?

This is how I feel in my low tech tanks.

I thought they were also the same but chelated has both Fe as EDTA + DPTA in the breakdown of elements while Micro Mix only has Fe as EDTA

Nevermind its chelated. Seen it once I tried both

@Mmiller2001 On rotalabutterfly there are 2 different plant-prod, Should i use micro mix or chelated?

Thanks!

@Mmiller2001 what are you using to attach the moss to? Let me rephrase, what is the moss attached to?

I did water changes on my 2 low tech tanks, then helped my buddy, partially setup a 55g just to convince him to buy a 90g which is now partially setup as well 😉

Thank you for the kind words. I actually still have some h'ra I threw it in my 6g cube and it's doing alright. Not super red but it's growing hahaha. I have some more things coming down the pipeline. As the bacopa Myrophylloides is not winning me over and I unfortunately think the cyrpt needs to find a new home in my low tech 40g breeder. I'm looking for a particular color that not too many species of plants throw. So be on the lookout for that.

Nothing wrong with a "free" meal for the turtle.

Okay, I'll calculate the numbers sometime this week and confirm I am doing it right.

Thanks! Just to clarify I would does EDTA + DPTA micro mix to what the CSM + B would be?

@Mmiller2001 I am giving in and am going to start EI dosing. But here comes the problem, I am completely lost on where to get the baseline for dosing and what to order. Any advice on this?

Thanks Roy, I will investigate those suggestions and fill in everyone when I come to a conclusion. I feel like I keep getting closer and closer to dosing individual salts, instead of all in ones.

Roy, Checked the degassed pH and it was 7.4

Did you do a blackout?

I will let you know!

Thank you! For the little time I spent on it I am quite pleased with the results.

I finally received the rest of the plants I ordered from a local guy today. Super excited about the lotus plants.