Need advise on water properties

[hjbyeo]

Tank is doing its cycling now. Into the 2nd week. Reading through the forum and there are lots of suggestions not to dose anything as yet.

Water changes are made every 3 - 4 days. This is already my 2nd water change since the day I started. Each time I use Sera Aquatan (recommended by Mr Chan, NA) to neutralise the chlorine. Not sure what other things it does.

Finding the GH a little on the high side : almost 150ppm! If not more.
Could it be the filter media I used : Mr Aqua Ceramic Rings?
- no rocks
- nothing added to the tank.

KH is about 25ppm to 30ppm.
Should I start adding Sera's KH plus to increase it to about 4 degrees i.e. 70ppm??

CO2 based on the calculator measures almost 40ppm. It's RED in Chuck's calculator. I am also a little suprised cos' the CO2 permanent tester's indicator in the tank leans towards green. Haiz, maybe I color blind?? But when I pick it out of the tank. It leans towards yellow. Spectrum causing me to see that?

Nitrate level is about 10 - 20 ppm.
and Nitrite level is about .5ppm.

Other observations/parameters:
- PL Lights at 3.5W/gal.
- Tank Size = 22 Gal
- Plants photosynthesizing (not very much though)
- Plants growing higher. Mosses have green tips.
- Not much algae growth. Except where the CO2 test is !!! ha ha ha.. some weird looking white color beard.

[Plantbrain]

You can fertilize that same day you start a tank if you add mulm to the gravel and filter intake, add a little peat to the bottom substrate, and most importantly, pack the tank to the gills with plants from the very first day.

All those plants will remove all the NH4.

Then they will want PO4/K, Fe etc.

High GH's are fine.

I'd suggest you pack more plants in there, do 50% weekly water changes, add a bit more KH. Fertilize.

You may be a tad low on the CO2 even though the KH/pH combo gives you a rather high reading. So you may not be color blind




KNO3,
KH2PO4
Trace mix.

Regards,
Tom Barr