Mmiller2001

Eheim canisters are as quiet as they come.

I know @Seattle_Aquaristwill get you squared away shortly, but you will want to start water column dosing even with root tab use. From my experience and from following a few journals, roots tabs can't cover everything and require water column dosing. However, water column dosing can cover everything and root tabs can be eliminated. I would start some research into liquid fertilizer (or dry) and start using it. With your pH above 7, I would look for separate NPK and Micro solutions. You'd want the Micro solution to be DTPA chelated or Ferrous Gluconate.

New CO2 reactor is leakin and waiti on a replacement.

Good stuff! Thank you for the help!

There's a lot of room to push higher there.

I did some digging too and couldn't find an answer at all. So I was left wondering, is ferrous Gluconate a good option at higher pH? The articles talked about how the roots created a more acid area around themselves to make ferric iron ferrous/ available. Is it because it's ferrous and available immediately that pH might not keep it from the plants? (If I bought Ferrous Gluconate to use)

At what pH does ferrous Gluconate stop being available?

Yes, that is Ferrous Gluconate. I believe Seachem Iron is. You can also buy Ferrous Gluconate Fe in a dry powder. You could use DPTA, but only about half the iron will be available.

Okay, at a 8.2pH, you are not getting enough Iron and you are under dosing in general as well. I would double your dosing, as a start, and you may need to use even more. I would also look for Fe in a form called Ferrous Gluconate. EG is EDTA chelated. This graph shows different availability at various pH.

What's the pH of the tank and what's the KH and GH? How many gallons is the tank and how many pumps are you using.

I do my water changes at the end of the light cycle. I usually set up 15 minutes before lights off. I would also try having your CO2 come on 2 hours befor your light comes on. That way you are at full saturation once the light comes on. If the fish are gasping at a true .7 drop, improve the gass exchange by improving surface agitation. I'd also look at reducing strong currents while maintaining the high turnover. Follow Seattle's advice, make a few adjustments and you should have it solved.

Not locally, but online I have.

This might not be popular with you, but one thing I do is use small fish for a job. When they get too big, I give them away to a new home. It's not very cost effective but I do enjoy people reacting to free fish.

Excellent write up and insight into maintenance that keeps such lovely tanks.

If I was using this chart. I'd want to push the pH to 6.8 or 6.9. A better way to measure CO2 levels is to take a sample of water from the tank and set it out for 24 to 48 hours. Then you measure the pH, that is your degassed pH. Then, when your tank is under CO2 injection, for at least 2 hours, take another pH. That is your gassed pH. You are looking for a one to 1.5 pH drop. That will put you right around 30 parts per million CO2.

How are you measuring CO2? Fluctuating CO2 can be caused by poor surface agitation or general flow through the tank. You need to get the CO2 pushed down at the substrate. How much water are you changing per week and are you gravel vacuum every water change? Typically, Black Beard algae has an affinity for higher flow areas and fluctuating CO2. So it makes sense to see Blackbeard algae in those areas with higher flow. One thing I do when I have my water level low is to go ahead and mist areas that have black beard algae with hydrogen peroxide. I use a spray bottle that mists really well and I just squirt down the heaters and inlets and outlets that may have a little bit of Black Beard algae. Obviously you can't do that if those plants are under the water so what I would do is spot dose Seachem Excel or some type of glut at the initial dosage. I start my water change, when I've removed the water I then go in and spot dose those areas below the water line, I wait 10 minutes and then refill the tank. My initial guess is that you're not measuring CO2 accurately and you're actually low on co2. Once you get that CO2 dialed in spot dosing should get the rest cleared up.

I've read somewhere they need a minimum of 5 hours of sleep. However that's achieved should suffice.

If that is the pH under CO2, you are low on CO2. You have to account for nitrification adding additional acids into the tank.

What is your pH and KH?

And although difficult to see, I see staghorn algae. This is usually caused by an immature bio filter allowing some ammonia that staghorn can take advantage of.

How are you measuring CO2?

PM the brand to me if you can.

There is. But I'm guessing if it is. Just looks similar.

I use the various methods together. I run 0dKH so I can't use the chart, but I make sure my drop checker is almost yellow and I record my gassed and degassed pH's. If I have a drop of 1 to 1.5pH, I know I'm where I want to be.

It's just a 7.44% difference 😁. You will actually see this alot. Many sellers have various ratios to account for a multitude of different fish loads. Is the bottle volume the same for both? Is the per dose amount the same?