Mmiller2001

You mentioned that you premix water. After this dose and going forward, you just use the gallons of your storage and add the amount to raise the premixed water to the totals you want. If you want 3ppm in your tank. Make the premix water to 3ppm.

https://rotalabutterfly.com/nutrient-calculator.php I'm assuming the 40B has about 35 gallons in it. Try adding 1ppm to start. Adding 1ppm to 35 gallons looks like this. Adding 33.1 ml will bring the tank to 3ppm.

Personally, I would dose. Through my reading and learning I came across a common consensus that tank generated nutrients never do quite as well as those who add nutrients via fertilizer. The why and how wasn't clear, but many folk agree with this statement. It probably has to do with limitations that might pop up between testing and dosing eliminates that possiblity.

Not to change it or heal it, but for plants to actually consume the amount of nutrients we have pumped into the systems. They may have said 100 years, but I swear it was 1000. But don't quote me! 😁

KH is just a measure of carbonates and bicarbonates in the water and act to "buffer" pH. Basically, KH will hold a range of pH's or return a pH back into a range in relation to KH. If KH rises, pH should rise, if KH is lowered then pH should lower. If there's no KH, then the pH is free to move in any direction from other sources of acids or bases. If you sample water from a spigot, this should be pre softener water and may solve your lower GH and alleviate adding calcium and magnesium (GH).

The water shouldn't have a foul odor. I would do a water change.

I would bypass the water softener and see how that water tests. But to answer the question, adding a constant acid source would temporarily lower pH but over time it lowers KH.

Good catch. I was thinking it was much more.

Our aquariums will not be near the magnitude that's dumped into our natural systems. I don't know if this is completely true but I read that it would take a thousand years for the earth to consume the amount of fertilizer we put into our natural systems.

Yes, but you may need a 10 or 5 ml syringe.

You will need to dose the water column and make sure you have enough CO2. Read all of this, it will help alot. https://www.2hraquarist.com/blogs/choosing-co2-why https://www.2hraquarist.com/blogs/fertilize-planted-tank

According to Tom Barr (and others), fertilizers do not cause algae. Many test have been done to confirm this. People have also dosed 10x EI dosing and the only thing they reported was that plants grew faster.

What's your GH and KH and what are you dosing for fertilizers and how much? How are you measuring CO2 levels.

There's no hard set number. Plants love PO4 though. If I see GSA, I raise PO4, this usually does the trick. I've been as high as 10ppm.

I keep my tanks at 145 TDS and my source water is 85 TDS. That's a 4.5 GH @ 3:1 Ca:Mg. I'm sot sure if there's a set Ideal range. I've read others going lower.

I will, thank you again!

I'm real bad about doing this. I plunge that sucker in there. I will cease this practice immediately. It's a 40 breeder with a Chihiros WRGB2 running at about 45% for 8 hours. Unfortunately, I have no device for measuring PAR. Thank you Roy, for taking this time to help me. I forgot to ask, do I do a complete blackout or is ambient light okay? There's diffuse light in this room.

Those tanks look great!

I thought this was nice so posting it for those who have shrimp.

If this was me, I'd stop root tabs going forward and I would dose 2 to 3 pumps per 10 gallons of Easy Green. Example, using a 40 gallon tank (about 35 actual gallons) 7 to 9 pumps per week. I would also change 50% of my water weekly. If I did less water changes, I'd reduce pumps accordingly. I would then dose about an additional .1 to .3 Fe from DTPA or Ferrous Gluconate. This is likely the problem.

Okay, sometimes the stems can get pinched and rot right at the substrate. It's possible iron is low as EG is EDTA chelated and after a pH 6.8, little Fe is getting to the plants. I don't use root tabs, so I can't speak to what form/ if any chelates are used in them, but with a pH of 7.6, I'd look to DTPA chelated iron. This will make it more available at your pH zone. Another alternative is Ferrous Gluconate, Seachem Iron comes in this form. It's more expensive, but easy to use. There are also dry versions, which I use, but require a bit more measuring input from the user. How much Easy Green are you dosing?

Okay, I might increase that to .4 Fe as proxy. Numbers wise, everything else looks in range after lowering NO3. See if you can boost flow a bit to grab up the settling particulates. I'd also do some mild gravel vacuuming just to tidy up a bit.

You could just add buffer to the water. There are several commercial KH boosters out there or you could add things like baking soda, potassium carbonate and potassium bicarbonate.

What is the KH and pH of the tank? Has the sand filled in the gaps of the Eco Complete?