important testers???

[fighteryeo]

may i noe which brand of tester is the best???

[Aeon]

Water parameters are very important, depending on the type of plants and fish... optimise the the pH, GH and KH and reduce excessive nutrients especially Phosphates and Nitrates, usually a result of unfinished food or poor water source.

Your aquarium should also be established with a stable colony of nitrifying bactria in your filter, substrate. By improving plant growth and health and limiting what algae likes, everything should be well.

During early stages of your aqua system, planting stem plants or fast growing plants can help stabilise the nutrients cycle in a young aquarium.

Having an algae crew that includes, otocinclus, yamato shrimps, SAEs etc can help too. Yamatos are my favourite, they help keep leaf surfaces free of algae. I have 20+ of them in my 60cm tank.

Do not rely on chemical agents as a primary solution. Most will harm your plants and may not work effectively or at all on some algaes.

[PeterGwee]

Excess nitrate or phosphate causing algae? What do you mean by excess? I'll tell you that as long as the CO2 is good and the rest of the nutrients available along with N and P, you are not going to get algae but good plant growth. Yes, if the algae is already growing in the tank, it will continue to grow as well. The point is once algae has a foot hold on the tank, you will need to remove it and then optimise the conditions for plant growth and not the other way round. You will not kill algae by means of N and P limitation...you will kill plants instead.

Regards
Peter Gwee

[Aeon]

You limit to just enough for the plants. That you can tell by only careful observation and trial and error I think.

And every aquarium will have algae, somehow.

It is still a very complicated science when it comes to plant cultivation, not just N, P, test kits. It's very much of the keen observation and love, then you will start to understand what your plants need, a hard-to-explain natural relationship with the small living creation in the aquarium.

If you theorise too much, it becomes an equation, a logic which is no longer what it's like in nature.

Get the CO2, light, nutrients in check by proven standards and settings and then fine tune through observation.

[PeterGwee]

Nah, I cannot see any algae in my tank at all. I'll tell you that it is a lack of one or multiple nutrients that causes algae issues if the CO2 is high and good. There is simply no need for micro-management of nutrients...plants do well as long as the light, CO2 and nutrients are enough. The problem only starts when you go overboard and dose loads of nutrients without doing water changes of which it can destablize the entire tank condition if for any reason the nutrients buildup due to poor uptake. It ain't rocket science at all...just plain plant food.

Regards
Peter Gwee

[Aeon]

So overdose = excess

[kc]

I hope you don't mind I butt in.

Peter,
So far my tank is doing much better in controlling algae. Thanks for your advice. However, I would like to know whether I need to do 50% change of water, weekly regardless of algae or not?

[PeterGwee]

KC, unless you can get good NO3 kits from Lamotte/Hach, the nutrient dosing is best done the estimative dosing way. In fact, the water changes helps a lot in controlling those unknowns....export of algae spores..organic buildup and many etc. Critters love clean water and would definitely improve their health.

Regards
Peter Gwee

[Aeon]

[quote:0791de2914="kc"]I hope you don't mind I butt in.

Peter,
So far my tank is doing much better in controlling algae. Thanks for your advice. However, I would like to know whether I need to do 50% change of water, weekly regardless of algae or not?[/quote:0791de2914]

50% change weekly is more or less standard.

[Plantbrain]

The large frequent water change in planted tanks arose independently from many places.

The Japanese figured it out, some in the USA and the Dutch and Germans did as well.

All pretty much idependently. My own water changes became larger and larger as the plant growth was always great the day or two after a water change, I have PO4 in my tap. Some had both PO4 and NO3 so all they needed to add?
Some CO2, K+ and traces.

It's useful, takes about the same time as 25%.
It also preforms a good export of any organic waste that you CANNOT test for.
But you can use the large water change to remove any built up excesses or dosing errors and the frequent dosing 3x a week to prevent anything from running out.

This way the plants have a great range of nutrient levels and you don't need to test for NO3, PO4, Fe etc.
CO2 still needs to addressed but that's a matter of testing the pH mainly and that's it.

So it's not hard to do either and it's cheap.
If you want less work, try non CO2 methods.
They work great also.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[fighteryeo]

btw, which brand of testers is the best???