Natural Plant System

[hj600]

why would you recomend just one light? and i have in there atm one enchinodorus cordiflurus dont know if ive spelt that right coz its off the top of my head lool, one amazon sword that i dont know a bunch of egeria densa doing okay bin in there about a week, and java fern that been in there a year and looks crap and one puple plant no idea on this doing okish my amazons have aglae on them and im not sure how to get it off? thanks for your help

would you recomend this diffuser? http/www.seapets.co.uk/products/aquarium-supplies/aquariums/fluval/fluval-nano-aquariums/fluval-flora-aquatic-plant-kit/fluval-co2-ceramic-diffuser.html

 

[aaronnorth]

When I start mine the first 3 days my co2 is around 40ppm then when it drops to 30ppm I change it. My co2 calculating is not exact but gives you a good idea. You need to know your ph and kh then there are charts and calculators on the intent to help you get the number.

You'll never achieve 30PPM with a yeast kit on a 48 litre tank, I'd be more inclined to use Gluturaldehyde of some form, easy carbo I'd recommend.

esTesT

Yes I do but not for more then a few days it drops pretty fast as fermentaion slows. So I add excel more at the end of the week. The thing with diy mix is it will not last long. That's why I change mine every week. I know ph can be effected by stuff in the tank and so on. I have checked my ph and kh many times during the week. When I first start my co2 it was at about 40ppm acording to my ph and kh readings. By the end of the week it was 20 then 15ppm. I know that's just a ballpark reading but it's an idea. My 10gal tank has 2" of substrate so due to displacment I have less then 10gal of water in the tank.

Never say never.

I wouldn't even call it a a ball park figure, that could be (and 99% chance it is) way out
If your tap water was pH6.6 & KH4 then you cannot just assume you have 30ppm coming out of the tap.

40ppm seems really high for a DIY setup! How many bottles are you running? Out of interest what is the CO2 ppm you are getting if you use the pH/ KH figures out of the tap?

Use a drop checker otherwise you are wasting your time and money, they only cost a few pound - much cheaper & accurate than using pH/ KH test kits all the time.

Thanks, Aaron

 

[hj600]

wow aaron you lost me ahaa, what is a drop checker? and i dont know what ppm im getting i dont know how to work it out sorry im such an idiot new the planting my tanks

 

[StandbySetting]

why would you recomend just one light? and i have in there atm one enchinodorus cordiflurus dont know if ive spelt that right coz its off the top of my head lool, one amazon sword that i dont know a bunch of egeria densa doing okay bin in there about a week, and java fern that been in there a year and looks crap and one puple plant no idea on this doing okish my amazons have aglae on them and im not sure how to get it off? thanks for your help

would you recomend this diffuser? http/www.seapets.co.uk/products/aquarium-supplies/aquariums/fluval/fluval-nano-aquariums/fluval-flora-aquatic-plant-kit/fluval-co2-ceramic-diffuser.html

Look for diffusers on ebay, they're much cheaper, get a nano diffuser. Cut down to one light and your algae should subside, with the plants you're growing there's no real need for both lamps.

wow aaron you lost me ahaa, what is a drop checker? and i dont know what ppm im getting i dont know how to work it out sorry im such an idiot new the planting my tanks

I think Aaron's post was more aimed at Snowflake, but a drop checker is a small glass device that sits in the tank used to calculate the approximate CO2 content of the water (more accurate than the PH/KH relationship chart)

 

[aaronnorth]

Have a look at this guide, it should hopefully answer your questions on drop checkers
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/268972-drop-checkers-how-they-work/

Thanks, Aaron