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A reflection - putting it all into one scape

I do test tds just to make sure my doser went off.

Testing in around 130 after ferts.

Came home it’s up to 160. Water change.

Either doser went off -doubt it.

Or - more likely - this soil is more potent than Amazonia lol.

The system probably needs 2/day but I can’t do that so we wait.

No photos atm but plants showing new growth - looks good - old leaves beginning to show minor signs of ammonia burn and a little droop.

Not concerned yet.
 
here is the photo of Minor ammonia burn/adaptation (blast you white leaf things!!😡):
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Definitely isn’t nutrient deficiency 😂😂😂.

Rounding day 4, every day in this direction is a win in my books.

Will water change at some point when I can not picky - and ferts back into targets.
 
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Absolutely see some of myself in these posts lol. Not sure why the hate for Macrandra :[ it's such a beautiful plant! Looks totally different in high light and co2!

Definitely feel the pain with MC
 
Truth be told: I’m getting slightly impatient 😂.

if I was able to be around the tank for about a week I’d be running lights 20 hours and 2x water changes a day just to fill in the scape faster and speed up this process.

But keeping my promise to myself - things staying status quou.

Balance.

Ps: found the purigen yesterday … forgot it in the garage. Moved it to the basement just sitting in dechlorinated water … will add it when I open the canister at some point within the month. Same time I’ll remove the cotton batting.
 
For the past few days, these little guys have been in their shell exclusively.

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TDS 145 … now it is ~ 3 hours earlier than yesterdays check but … maybe we are moving in the right direction.

Water change will be 2-3 hours into photoperiod with a 1-2 minute break at low water level for the plants to get higher PAR (since refraction gone) and more O2 and CO2.

Fresh water in. Ferts back to targets. Co2 just leaving it on the whole time.

Thinking I’ll post a video of the flow/distribution and diffuser to give an idea of what is getting injected and also how the water is moving through the tank.

Also, every plant sprouted leaves within a day (bright green) then zero growth and all old leaves turning pale but not disintegrating. Becoming more sure that roots are growing and nutrients are being redistributed from those gel cup leaves (since they are useless under water) and being used to grow those roots.

Send two leaves out adapted to the environment — best guess based on being submerged - if they live, build those roots and make a home!

Ciao
 
If you could, suspect it would be informative 👍

Hopefully this works! Please let me know:

As you can see in the video ... I still have not used the credit card to clean the front LOL. And, my filter intake needs to be cleaned (despite overflowing the tank last time) - but I think that's as real as it gets.

Will have to do the water change soon.

Some shots:


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Arcuata ... adapting.

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MC ... the jelly ... sigh ...

I think it's incredible and almost certain now after taking these photos that it is mobile nutrients (sent out the leaves to test the environment, environment is good, make some roots) -->
1663437233362.png


You can see the new growth rotala green:
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Hra, macrandra, green
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On Flow/Co2:
I am banking on the fact that when these plants grow in, my co2 is going to be pretty close to safe for fish -- 99% sure we are in excess atm lol ...

On flow, there is a nice cool swoop in every area of the tank except the front right where those cannons are going from ... the fish can just stay away from there (at least that is my hope that once things grow in, it will all be fine).

Oh, last thing -- with 2x heaters, we are hitting 26 celcius at 2PM ~ 2.5 hours after lights on - perfect. And in the AM it is back to low.
 
Neat observation:

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Diurnal behaviour - opening and closing of tips.

Really is not much more to be asking for out of these plants - they’re doing everything as expected.

I don’t think any parameters or functionalities have been missed.

Update on smell - the ammonia smell is fading.

I know it may sound silly but I had this thought of “maybe I didn’t add enough root tabs” 😂.

I was expecting much more chaos than what I’m seeing - knock on wood. It is only rounding week one (day 5/6) but still.
 
cannot recommend this water change system enough - or at least making water change as easy as possible.

Able to run while cooking, etc. (use a camera to watch/hear during refill if on a different floor). Couldn’t run it last night, whipped it off this morning.

The largest pita is dosing seachem safe in powdered form.

Really considering either making Prime or just buying a large bottle of prime and hooking it up to doser.

Anyone made Prime with safe and probably potassium sorbate and ascorbic acid?
 
Anyone made Prime with safe and probably potassium sorbate and ascorbic acid?
Yes I've been mixing safe into a solution, I mix 2 grams with 100ml of water and dose 15mls into the tank (240L) at water change.
No idea if it's required but I keep it in the fridge and use it within 4 weeks, I don't add any preservatives and haven't seen any noticeable difference in critter behaviour when doing said water change.
Obviously this is something you'd have to try for yourself Josh, last thing I want is you knacking your fish on my findings.
 
Yes I've been mixing safe into a solution, I mix 2 grams with 100ml of water and dose 15mls into the tank (240L) at water change.
No idea if it's required but I keep it in the fridge and use it within 4 weeks, I don't add any preservatives and haven't seen any noticeable difference in critter behaviour when doing said water change.
Obviously this is something you'd have to try for yourself Josh, last thing I want is you knacking your fish on my findings.
Appreciate it.

Pretty sure safe is just sodium thiosulfate

Will potassium sorbate and vitamin C cause any issues? Will think on it.
 
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Anyone who knows me will hardly be surprised by what I’ve just done.

Photoperiod up to 20h. Idea is I want those plants 2 hours in before I do the AM water change (schedule for this week will allow the multitask - strike while the iron is hot).

Let’s fill these plants in.

I’m 90% sure if we continue what I’m doing we will have zero issues and probably not see diatoms either … .

Why do it if you know it will succeed? 😝
 
An experiment? Count me in! :thumbup:
I’m actually debating running 24h (I’ve done 20 in a mature system before), but intuition says that dark period gives them a chance to clean up any “issues” : if we just drive growth and never “sleep”, then we are more likely to make a mistake.

But that’s just an intuition. Dark reaction happens all the time as does growing.

Any insights?
 
I have similar thoughts on dark period, but it too is just a feeling. I vote for 20 hours.
 
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