Set-up Advice

[rabbut]

Hi there,

I am currently setting up a 4ft planted discus aquarium. I am now at a point where I am looking for lighting and the chemicals required for EI dosing.

What type of spectrum am I looking at as being the best for a planted tank?

Also, can anyone confirm that there are no limits or restrictions on the purchase of the chemicals required for the EI mix, in the UK, as I am 17, but without proof of ID, hence I wish to be cirtain that I am not going to be refused sale of these essentials when I go to purchase them.

Thanks in advance for any advice given

Rabbut

 

[Themuleous]

Get full spectrum lighting often called tri or even quad phosphor lighting

As far as I know there aren't any restrictions on the purchase of the chemicals, most you can get in garden centers!

Sam

 

[nicklfire]

because your going to house a discus tank they require super clean water, so your going to be making more then just the one water change a week keep in mind. your going to want to change around your ei dosing a bit to suit the increased water changes. I looked into discus..with my planted tank, changed my mind lol.

 

[rabbut]

because your going to house a discus tank they require super clean water, so your going to be making more then just the one water change a week keep in mind. your going to want to change around your ei dosing a bit to suit the increased water changes. I looked into discus..with my planted tank, changed my mind lol.

Yee, discus are demaning on waterchanges. I was planning on doing arround 15-20% every other day, so as to hopefuly maintain waterquality, but keep conditions stable. Do you think this is too much or too little, i.e keeping the discus happy but not upsetting the E.I too much. Was going to dose the micro and macro mutrients on the same day as the waterchange, and leave the tank the day after, in readyness for the next change. Again, any opinions on this?

Thanks for your input so far
rabbut

 

[Themuleous]

Discus will be fine with normal EI and just one 50% water change a week. Loads of people keep discus in EI tanks.

What people forget is that in a fully functioning EI tanks the plants keep the water super clean for you by sucking in all the nasty heavy metals, etc and using up and free NH2 and NO2, the 50% water change is really to stop PO4 and NO3 getting to high.

Sam

 

[rabbut]

Discus will be fine with normal EI and just one 50% water change a week. Loads of people keep discus in EI tanks.

What people forget is that in a fully functioning EI tanks the plants keep the water super clean for you by sucking in all the nasty heavy metals, etc and using up and free NH2 and NO2, the 50% water change is really to stop PO4 and NO3 getting to high.

Sam

Thanks, that cleared things up

rabbut

 

[plantbrain]

If you increase the frequency and/or the % volume changed, your build up potential will be less, so you will just have tighter control and ranges for EI dosing.
If you changed 100% of the water each day and added ferts right after, then it's like adding a standard reference solution every day.

Over time or with less %, you have more deviation, but not that much unless you make serious dosing mistakes like switch PO4 and NO3, or neglect etc.
Most discus keepers modify EI to suit their own routines with feeding, they may not add as much KNO3, and keep the rest the same. Namely due to the food type they use and how much they feed.
Folks in general should modify EI to suit their own needs anyway, but it just gives a relative starting place for non limiting plant nutrients.


Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[rabbut]

If you increase the frequency and/or the % volume changed, your build up potential will be less, so you will just have tighter control and ranges for EI dosing.
If you changed 100% of the water each day and added ferts right after, then it's like adding a standard reference solution every day.

Over time or with less %, you have more deviation, but not that much unless you make serious dosing mistakes like switch PO4 and NO3, or neglect etc.
Most discus keepers modify EI to suit their own routines with feeding, they may not add as much KNO3, and keep the rest the same. Namely due to the food type they use and how much they feed.
Folks in general should modify EI to suit their own needs anyway, but it just gives a relative starting place for non limiting plant nutrients.


Regards,
Tom Barr

Thanks Tom,

With that in mind, I may well be making changes to my EI rutien, before and during the first few months of dosing. Will have a few months to perfect the dosage before getting the discus anyway, as I do not intend to add them untill I have got all the values stable. Thanks again to all, your advise is taken on-board. If you're interested, but have not seen it yet, heres my set-up gournal, hopefuly you will be able to see the relivant advise in action [topic="210635"]link[/topic]

rabbut