Doozer999
Member
- Joined
- 1 Sep 2015
- Messages
- 47
Hi all...
I had my water tested at the LFS and everything was ok, parameters wise; except the phosphates reading was "off the chart"...
Well...i 'say' the parameters were/are all ok... The tank looks healthy, fish are healthy...
Rio 125, internal and external filters. UK UP Aqua gravel/substrate. RO/tap water mixed to 250 tds. Ph approx 7.2
Kh 5
Gh 4
NH4 just greater than zero
NO2. Ditto
NO3. 5
Phosphate greater than their scale, "beyond 1.8".
Pressurised CO2 at 2bps
EI dosing
T5 lamps and reflectors on for 9 hrs. CO2 on 1.5 hrs before lights on and then CO2 off about the same before lights off.
10% wc per week.
Plants are low maintenance java fern, Anubis, some crypts. All generally ok and growing strong (some browning flecks on java leaves, but trimmed off and ok).
Livestock are cardinal tetras, moonlight gouramis, khuli loaches. Some shrimp and snails.
So...the question is.... Do i need to be concerned about the phosphates? My limited knowledge is that i may have an algae issue - but i don't. Very little in fact!!
Should i up the CO2 or lightning to boost growth even more to then use up phosphate? Or simply not worry as all looks lush? And fish ok?
I have been doubling up the phosphates in the ei mix, as i was advised this would have helped some leaf browning i had a few months ago. Should i just drop it back to correct dosage perhaps?
Any thoughts? Many thanks.
https://imageshack.us/i/plXh4m02j
I had my water tested at the LFS and everything was ok, parameters wise; except the phosphates reading was "off the chart"...
Well...i 'say' the parameters were/are all ok... The tank looks healthy, fish are healthy...
Rio 125, internal and external filters. UK UP Aqua gravel/substrate. RO/tap water mixed to 250 tds. Ph approx 7.2
Kh 5
Gh 4
NH4 just greater than zero
NO2. Ditto
NO3. 5
Phosphate greater than their scale, "beyond 1.8".
Pressurised CO2 at 2bps
EI dosing
T5 lamps and reflectors on for 9 hrs. CO2 on 1.5 hrs before lights on and then CO2 off about the same before lights off.
10% wc per week.
Plants are low maintenance java fern, Anubis, some crypts. All generally ok and growing strong (some browning flecks on java leaves, but trimmed off and ok).
Livestock are cardinal tetras, moonlight gouramis, khuli loaches. Some shrimp and snails.
So...the question is.... Do i need to be concerned about the phosphates? My limited knowledge is that i may have an algae issue - but i don't. Very little in fact!!
Should i up the CO2 or lightning to boost growth even more to then use up phosphate? Or simply not worry as all looks lush? And fish ok?
I have been doubling up the phosphates in the ei mix, as i was advised this would have helped some leaf browning i had a few months ago. Should i just drop it back to correct dosage perhaps?
Any thoughts? Many thanks.
https://imageshack.us/i/plXh4m02j
Last edited: