Phosphates too low

[Mmiller2001]

I also like 3:1 and 4:1. 2:1 just didn't quite seem right. Can't explain it though.

[Tommy Vercetti]

Well API test strips won't work to test gh for my hard water. I maxed them at 180 ppm 

[Tommy Vercetti]

tap water should be about 325 ppm GH 

My tank Measured:

dKH 7 / kh 125ppm

Calcium 80 ppm

GH unknown >180 ppm

TDS 564

Can anyone recommend a GH test that can read up to the 300 to 400 ppm range?

The best that i can measure at this time is to make a 1:1 ratio of tank water and distilled water, then double the GH reading on the API test strip.

Tested: 2.5 ml of tank water diluted with 2.5 ml of distilled water, yields a reading of 150.  (150 x 2= 300 ppm)

(300 - (2.5 x 80)) / 4.1 = Mg ppm
(300 - 200) / 4.1 = Mg ppm
100 / 4.1  = 24 ppm Magnesium

80/24=3.33
Ca : Mg  = 3.33 : 1

 

 

 

Edited March 11, 2022 by Tommy Vercetti

[Tommy Vercetti]

Water change today. I tested water, cleaned filter, trimmed plants.

The results of the tests were unexpected. 

Ammonia 0 ppm (maybe not quit yellow on API test but not enough to call more than 0).

Nitrite 0 ppm

Nitrates 40 ppm

Ph 7.2 

Phosphates 0.25 ppm

 

I have started to double dose Seachem Excel, to see if I can kill the lingering staghorn algae. 

 

Edited March 13, 2022 by Tommy Vercetti

[Tommy Vercetti]

Edited March 13, 2022 by Tommy Vercetti

[Tommy Vercetti]

I just wanted to give an update this thread.

The algae is slowly losing this fight. I have been trimming affected plants. I have bumped the co2 higher and the plants have responded well. I have also purchased and installed a dosing pump to make things easier for me. I did end up modifying my EI recipe (I hope that is okay, @Mmiller2001)

 

The new formula and Sunday test results are as follows;

3x week: 2ppm NO3, 3ppm PO4, 5ppm K2SO4 and 0.133 Fe (as a proxy for micros).

 

Sunday after 3 weeks:

Ammonia 0

Nitrite 0

Nitrate 30ppm

PH 7.2 (before Co2)

PO4 1.0ppm

 

So far this has been a frustrating roller coaster that had me contemplating giving up on this tank. But I have been reading and learning so much. As a result I have, as of now, arrived at the following hypothesis, when fighting algae in a high tech tank:

I feel that the nutrients (fertilizers) should be supplied in a more-than-needed fashion and that excess nutrients are not contributing to algae growth but are helping plants grow significantly faster. I feel that Co2 introduction is limited by the fish's health. That only leaves the light intensity and duration as my last knobs to spin for adjustment. This does simplify things for me and so far I feel like I am getting much closer to the target of balance. Using this as my guiding principle has resulted in an explosion of plant growth and diminished algae. 

 

Thank you @Mmiller2001 for your help! I will post some pictures when the lights come on later. 

 

Edited April 10, 2022 by Tommy Vercetti

[Guppysnail]

I hope you don’t mind me asking. What is the red plant bottom left?

[Tommy Vercetti]

On 4/10/2022 at 11:36 AM, Guppysnail said:

I hope you don’t mind me asking. What is the red plant bottom left?

That is Alternanthera Reineckii

[JoeQ]

I probably can't offer much to this thread other than a suggestion on a phosphate test kit. Evidently the drop type phosphate kits are notoriously inaccurate. The Hana test kit was recommended by one of my sources. 

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=hana+phosphate+test+kit&crid=1FUJ3EUXZYUTB&sprefix=Hana+pho%2Caps%2C128&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_3_8

As for optimal range in a planted tank im inclined to listen to @Mmiller2001s advice. My original source mentioned some insanely low number of (.06ppm)

[Mmiller2001]

I like around 8ppm in my CO2 tanks and 4ppm in non CO2 tanks. I go 8ppm with inert substrate and 5 to 6ppm with my aqua soil.

Edited April 10, 2022 by Mmiller2001

[Tommy Vercetti]

@Mmiller2001 do you think that I might want to try to increase the Po4 in my recipe? 

[Mmiller2001]

On 4/10/2022 at 4:45 PM, Tommy Vercetti said:

@Mmiller2001 do you think that I might want to try to increase the Po4 in my recipe? 

What are your dosing totals for the week?

Edited April 10, 2022 by Mmiller2001

[Mmiller2001]

On 4/10/2022 at 2:18 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

I like around 8ppm in my CO2 tanks and 4ppm in non CO2 tanks. I go 8ppm with inert substrate and 5 to 6ppm with my aqua soil.

I have a terrible habit of not explaining things completely; so let me correct the above.

I dose 4ppm weekly, targeting an 8ppm accumulation total for my CO2 tank.

For the aqua soil, I dose 2.5 to 3ppm for an accumulation total of 5 to 6ppm.

Sorry for any confusion.

[Tommy Vercetti]

On 4/10/2022 at 4:08 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

What are your dosing totals for the week?

9ppm PO4 total dose per week. Measured 1ppm after 4 weeks of dosing.

[Mmiller2001]

On 4/10/2022 at 8:33 PM, Tommy Vercetti said:

9ppm PO4 total dose per week. Measured 1ppm after 4 weeks of dosing.

What's your substrate?

[Tommy Vercetti]

On 4/10/2022 at 8:04 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

What's your substrate?

Fluval Statum 

[Mmiller2001]

I would back it down to 2 to 4ppm a week (let that soil do some work). I'd imagine the Stratum is pulling it out of the water column and holding it for the plants to absorb through the roots. Which why you are testing 1ppm at weeks end. My aqua soil has a high affinity for PO4.

See how it goes for 3 weeks.

What's your micro dose weekly?

[Tommy Vercetti]

On 4/10/2022 at 8:12 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

I would back it down to 2 to 4ppm a week (let that soil do some work). I'd imagine the Stratum is pulling it out of the water column and holding it for the plants to absorb through the roots. Which why you are testing 1ppm at weeks end. My aqua soil has a high affinity for PO4.

See how it goes for 3 weeks.

What's your micro dose weekly?

Dosing a total 4ppm Fe, as a proxy, per week.  but I have no way to test it as Fe test here in Las Vegas are not available at the moment.

[Mmiller2001]

4 or .4?

[Tommy Vercetti]

0.4  sorry about that. 

[Mmiller2001]

Looks good there, I float between .4 and .6. I even like .4 csmb and .2 Fe 11% DPTA.

[Tommy Vercetti]

[Tommy Vercetti]

I want to update this post for the sake of posterity. 

 

I did beat the algae. I hesitate to admit that after months of fighting the algae I finally decided to go with the nuclear option and directly apply seachem excel, using a pipette, with the filters off for 10 minutes, daily. I used 7.5ml per day. 

Using the above method, the algae was eradicated in about 3 weeks.