No CO2, how?

[Justikanz]

Won't that harden the water unnecessarily?

[ranmasatome]

its not much.. just relatively little..not like a big handful or cups of it.

[GaspingGurami]

Justikanz,

I've been running 2x24w T5 HO in my 2ft lowtech for the past 1 month. (Used to be 18W FL)

I've lapis sand, JBL basefert and supplemented with an occassional Ferka Rosetta. 5ml of LGA twice weekly, and 2ml Excel daily (This is twice what I used during the 18W days). Temp is 25 degrees, 1 degree lower from the FL days.

My Hottonia seem to always get uprooted since the beginning, so I've grown them floating instead of planting. Now with this amount of light, the leaves start to brown when NO3 is lower, so gotta watch out for that.

The cladophora start to grow on the rocks as the first sign that NO3 running out. I was happy to be able to cultivate this algae as it makes the petrified wood look natural... then, I realise it's not a good idea to run the tank this way after all, when the Hottonia start to brown.

If your snowflakes don't have roots to draw nutrients from the basefert, I'd recommend supplementary water column ferts.

[anttz]

Justikanz,

Come join the dark side. This is what I have done for my 4ft non co2 planted tank:

4 x 36w PL
10 drops Lush Grow Aqua (2 x per month)
KP2PO4 – approx 1/8 tea spoon
Seachem Equilibrium – approx 1/8 tea spoon
No water change, only top up water for evaporation

I dose slightly more because of higher lighting and I don’t feed my fish daily.

[bclee]

You can read my post on the other thread:
http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...2&postcount=10

BC

[Justikanz]

So, can I say it is like balancing an equation. If you have more lights, increase CO2 and fertilization. If there are no CO2, drop or lower the rest. If lights are fixed, try to use Excel for CO2 and dose. If still no CO2 and no Excel, decrease dosing or dose to balance the equation. Or supplement dosing by increasing fish feed.

Also, by dosing, I assume, you guys mean the more important NO3 and PO4. Supplements like K, Fe, Mg etc can be added, using Florapride, Flourish, once in a while in a minute amount. Right? Also, if possible, use some coral chips for Ca supplement.

I like the NO water change idea very much. Heh heh...

Question: if the bioload is high or if I feed live food and the worms etc are allowed to stay in the substrate/water, would that mean less dosing of ferts are needed?

[bclee]

It is more like this:

In CO2-enriched tanks, the plant growth likely to be light-limiting (less those that lit with mega-watts of lights ), ie the growth rate is limited by light.

In non-CO2 enriched tanks, the plant growth is CO2-limiting. They can sometimes take higher light level than you expect.

In either cases, providing the plants needed nutrients is the key to healthy and algae free tank. The difference is CO2. In CO2-enriched tank, both algae and plants are boosted by CO2. You got to maintain a good level of CO2 throughout. If you inject CO2 but at a not-good-enough level, you gonna benefit the algae, and yet the plants is not getting enough CO2. Results: algae bloom. In non-CO2, it is simpler. Both algae and plants grow slow.

BC

[Justikanz]

And so, because of the slower growth, one dose ferts less or not at all to (further) discourage algae?

[bclee]

And so, because of the slower growth, one dose ferts less or not at all to (further) discourage algae?

Algae needs very little to thrive.

We do not dose so much just because the plants do not consume so much. Accumulation of nutrients is no good and can stiffle plant growth, particularly where one do not change water so frequently.

BC

[Justikanz]

Ok. Learnt a lot!

Anyway, but can I add Excel regularly to supplement the carbon? Or will it not be necessary once I have enough bioload?

[anttz]

Have lots of plant from the beginning.

Doesn't mean no water change but less. Maybe once every three or six months to remove excess mulm and dirt.

Can also consider SeaChem Equilibrium which has Fe, Mn, Ca, K and Mg.

[ranmasatome]

actually if you leave the rotting leaves in the tank your trace will be enough..but of course quite ugly lah..

[Plantbrain]

Justikanz,

Come join the dark side. This is what I have done for my 4ft non co2 planted tank:

4 x 36w PL
10 drops Lush Grow Aqua (2 x per month)
KP2PO4 – approx 1/8 tea spoon
Seachem Equilibrium – approx 1/8 tea spoon
No water change, only top up water for evaporation

I dose slightly more because of higher lighting and I don’t feed my fish daily.

This is pretty much the routine I suggest for maximizing the non CO2 method.
Now you can grow with soil/sand mixes and not dose other than fish feeding.

But you will ahve less algae issues, better plant health/growth, be able to keep and maintain and much wider species selection by dosing, but it's not tough, just dose once a week and stop doing water changes.

So you freed yourself of the water changes, now just feed fish and dose once a week.

If you do weekly or too many changes, the algae will grow and the plants will be confused switch between bicarbonate and CO2.

You can add Dolomite for Mg, Ca and KH(the bicarbonate) if you wish, but adding CaSO4/MgSO2, K2SO4, once a week helps and traces 1-2x a week.

Top off the water for evaportation and keep the same surface movement/tank water level.

ADA soil will worjk quite well as will soil for getting the growth filled in, but you can also dose the water column once a week etc and have even better results.

That way the nutrint levels are consistent over time, soil and any substrate fertilizer declines with time.

Regards,
Tom Barr

www.BarrReport.com

[Justikanz]

Thanks! Will keep in mind when the project starts...