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Just started to get some BBA and tiny bit of hair algae. I have gradually been increasing light intensity and TNC complete dosing. Slowly going from 3ml/day 70% lighting to currently 8ml/day up to 95% lighting. I'll begin spot doing this Friday on the affected rocks. I've also lowered the lighting intensity to 85% and reduce ferts to 5ml/day.

Any other advice?

Current maintenance
Weekly 70% water changes
Wave detritus off plants weekly
Sand vac the assessable areas of sand weekly
Clean out filter sponge in old tank water every 3-4 weeks
 
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Just started to get some BBA and tiny bit of hair algae. I have gradually been increasing light intensity and TNC complete dosing. Slowly going from 3ml/day 70% lighting to currently 8ml/day up to 95% lighting. I'll begin spot doing this Friday on the affected rocks. I've also lowered the lighting intensity to 85% and reduce ferts to 5ml/day.

Any other advice?

Current maintenance
Weekly 70% water changes
Wave detritus off plants weekly
Sand vac the assessable areas of sand weekly
Clean out filter sponge in old tank water every 3-4 weeks
Hmm co2 or nutrients too low?Maintenance wise seems ok.Plants are healthy right?
 
CO2 has been light lime green and nutrients have been increasing all the time. Growth has been fast. Almost too fast if I'm honest, which is why I'm lowering light intensity a bit.

CO2 has been my constant , I've been increasing light intensity and nutrients to try to find the balance.
 
CO2 has been light lime green and nutrients have been increasing all the time. Growth has been fast. Almost too fast if I'm honest, which is why I'm lowering light intensity a bit.

CO2 has been my constant , I've been increasing light intensity and nutrients to try to find the balance.
Co2 always lime green?hmm maybe too much ferts
 
Last 2 weeks I've also been adding 10g of Epson Salts into my 100-120L water change barrel. As my London tap water Mg is low and with RO 60% /tap 40%, Mg is only around 2ppm.

Also I have a dirted tank with both Moss Peat and Aquatic Compost, so not sure if this means I can get away with less ferts or not.
 
Yes, while lights are on anyway. CO2 comes on 1.5+hr before lights on and goes off about 45-60min before lights out. Bubble rate is around 4 bubbles/sec.
When u turn off co2 it doesnt change to a lighter colour?
 
Last 2 weeks I've also been adding 10g of Epson Salts into my 100-120L water change barrel. As my London tap water Mg is low and with RO 60% /tap 40%, Mg is only around 2ppm.

Also I have a dirted tank with both Moss Peat and Aquatic Compost, so not sure if this means I can get away with less ferts or not.
Yes at least for approx 1-2 years.Moss peat is a non renewable resource though.
 
Update, blasted some of this stuff with hydrogen peroxide before my water change today! I’ll see how it is in a few days.

I think I need to start monitoring TDS, my previous 4 to 5 weeks water changes which have been around 60 to 70% range and have had a TDS of approximately 135.

TDS before today’s water change 275. I did a pure RO water change today and the tank is now sitting at a TDS of 165.

have I been using too much fertiliser? Only five mil a day of TNC complete the past week.
 

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still not quite sure what to do, conflicting advice everywhere for example low or excessive nutrients can cause issues. However with BBA people say do not reduce your ferts! But when I was dozing 3ml ferts and light on around 80% I didn’t have any issues.

TDS

Yesterday after water change 168, by the evening no fertiliser or food provided 173.

Today fertilisers added 177, by this evening after feeding 186 (one hour after feeding).

so I am 20 ppm up within 24 hours with only one small fertilising dose and one small feeding. Is this normal? Or is the wood, rock or dirty bottom still releasing organics/Minerals?

To clean up the water I am also going to change to 100% RO, remineralise with seachem equilibrium. I’ve also got a second 100g purigen on its way with some liquid carbon.

I know people on here don’t like the chemical approach, but I like to attack things from all angles.
 
yes 20 ppm in itself Isn’t much but if this continues, by the end of the week the TDS could have risen by over 140. My community tank rises by just a few PPM in a week.

I’ll try to monitor the planted tank over the next week and see what happens.
 
Hi all,
have I been using too much fertiliser?
by the end of the week the TDS could have risen by over 140.
Yes, that is it, if the TDS keeps rising, you can either add less fertiliser or change more water.

If you are happy with plant growth and health then changing more water is probably your starting point.

cheers Darrel
 
The rising TDS is also due to evaporation - the salts stay in the water. Some TDS rise is therefore unavoidable


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