120 gallon Dutch Planted something or another

[Tom Barr]

Have you seen any algae?
I have not.

Yes, as long as the GH is well balanced, eg, some Ca and some Mg, not just all Ca like many tap water sources.

GH booster I dose adds about 3ppm Ca+ and 0.7ppm of Mg along with my tap which is about 1-2 GH.
I add GH booster 2x a week. This has absolutely NOTHING to do with algae presence. Low, high, it does not matter. If anyone that says that is does matter regarding algae, I'd look for advice elsewhere real fast.


The success and the plant growth has virtually nothing to do with some specific dosing routine.
I can dose more/less and still have the same result. I can dose 2-5x more of most any nutrients without any adverse effect. I can likely dose less for a few weeks be okay also.


What is the trick? Simple: good care.

Light and CO2
Shrimps
Water changes
Keeping things clean regularly

In this respect ADA is no different, they do the same thing there.

[adeptmarine]

I'm not saying you have algae in your tank, but sometimes pictures doesn't show reality. We all know you're a plant guru, that is why I ask.
The condition of the plant, as always, perfect in your tanks. But most of pictures look like they were made just after water changes?
Do all plants can withstand such a low KH and GH?
What do You mean ''GH well balanced?'' The ratio of Ca to Mg?
I've seen a lot of tanks on a substrate kept on EI, with good filters, light of about 1 W / L, CO2, about 50-80ppm, + additional circulators, water changes once a week for 50% of RO + GH booster with many problems with algae.
Is it always a problem of deficiency? Do excesses are possible if tests show what else?
Does adding doses of 150% -200% weekly EI can eliminate completely deficiency / algae?
Is this CSM+B correct acc. to EI?;
(Fe) - 7,80 %
(Mn) - 2,20 %
(Cu) - 0,10 %
(Zn) - 0,40 %
(B) - 1,40 %
(Mo) - 0,06 %
E 202
E 300
And the last one, is this http://calc.petalphile.com/ calc. reliable?

[Tom Barr]

Well, I keep getting folks asking the wrong questions not just here, but many places I've shown this tank, everyone wants to know about the ferts, and hardly many ask about the filter other than to suggets Wet/drys are bad, and few bother to ask CO2/light questions, which..is where 90% of the issues lie. Maybe 95%.

Ferts are a minor aspect, while important, they are still minor.
If I miss a few days or do not dose etc, no big deal.

CMS is just one brand I have used for 20 some odd years almost now, it's just a standard we started using in the USA and CAN.
In soft KH tap water, most cannot tell any difference between this and any brand name stuff.
If the KH is higher, then adding some DTPA Fe to the mix etc will help.

Low GH is fine......as long as neither Ca and Mg never run out.
The ratio does not matter, what matters is the absolute amounts of EACH Ca and Mg. since they are both part of GH.
Many tap waters might be high in Ca, but low or absent in Mg, this leads many to think they have plenty of Mg, when they might not have enough.
GH booster adds a known amount of each Ca/Mg, so it's a known balance.

1 W/liter is too much light for most people.
Measuring CO2 is difficult and often the root of many measurement and algae issues.
I've never seen anyone add excess to the point where they harm fish or kill plants or include algae, other than maybe NH4. CO2 obviously is the most lethal thing that planted hobbyist add.

I really doubt ANY tank requires more than EI suggest. 99.5% require less.

I dose about 40ppm NO3, 15 ppm PO4 and maybe 1.5 ppm of Fe to this tank per week.

[Tom Barr]

Wet's Calculator is pretty much the standard calculator these days.

[Tom Barr]

Still waiting for some red stem plants to try out on the Left side there, the green plant(ACMELLA REPENS) I will use somewhat like old school Dutch use Lizard tail.......but need to allow the plant to grow out more before making a zigzag line of it.

The Downoi will be replaced by Erio Kimberly likely or some similar darker Erio rossette like plant.

I allowed the E triandra on the Right side to fill back into the the other rows more than this pic shows.
I will add some more Rotala sunset and L senegalensis to see how they fit in the open section there.

I just uprooted so it's murky water.




Here's some shrimp attacking a fresh piece of moss wood I added.

[Tom Barr]

Gerry, there's some of the Downoi you'll be getting, no whining!

[Gilles]

What are your estimates on your NO3 / PO4 levels?

Since a week i went from KH 6 / GH 8 to KH 2 / GH 2 (and i upped my GH again to 6)
I have a lot of stunting pantanal now... I suspect it is the fluctuating GH and CO2 levels.

NO3 was 20
PO4 was 0.68 which i upped a bit to 1.2

[dutchy]

I don't understand that maticulous measuring. I just dose more than enough. The actual levels in the tank? I don't have a clue. Yet everything grows like weeds.

[Gilles]

Well, i normally don't measure at all, just make sure there is enough is also for me the regime. However, i noticed that my KH was to high and noticed it by looking at the plants.
Therefore i decided to measure the rest also, to further improve my auto dosing regime. That was the reason of the maticulous measuring

[Tom Barr]

What are your estimates on your NO3 / PO4 levels?

Since a week i went from KH 6 / GH 8 to KH 2 / GH 2 (and i upped my GH again to 6)
I have a lot of stunting pantanal now... I suspect it is the fluctuating GH and CO2 levels.

NO3 was 20
PO4 was 0.68 which i upped a bit to 1.2

I dose 5 ppm each time PO4, (2-3x a week)
15ppm-20ppm or so KNO3 3x a week or so.