jms1971
Seedling
Hi, Im new here. Well kind of new, been a guest for a long while.
Im new to the hobby as well so my knowledge is haphazard, but I would like to share my experience with BGA.
For about 12 months or so over a year ago I started in the hobby, and everything went fine. No problems, couldnt see what the fuss was all about. Then for the last year, I had nothing but problems. BGA mostly. Following advice I duly upped the KNO3 dosing. The problem got worse. Much worse. BGA typically grew back in about 12-24 hours. Leaves, substrate (above and below).
Im BGA free now, (sounds like a BGA Anonymous meeting), and I cant believe how stupid I am. It took me 12 months to see the obvious. I'm blaming the trouble free start.
My KNO3 dosing was actually very low. Not a miscalculation but simply not accounting for all the extra water changes that were going on, it turned into a vicious circle of massive water changes and filter clean outs, which my dosing regime wasn't accounting for. Its counter intuitive I think too dose so heavily as well and I was a bit scared to do so.
Now, I'm doing large water changes daily (its a small tank) and dosing a weeks supply all in one go, about 40 ppm N, 3ppm P(that level seems to work best for me though its not particularly high), about 30 ppm K, 10ppm Mag.
All the BGA vanished about a month ago without a blackout, even below the water line and hasn't made an appearance since. Plant growth is unchanged but plants look healthier.
I really thought I was dosing a lot but levels of N probably never went above 10ppm.
Im going to scale back the wc's soon but i'm kinda addicted to them!
Thanks
Excellent site, Best forum, if Carlsberg made forums they wouldn't be this good.
Im new to the hobby as well so my knowledge is haphazard, but I would like to share my experience with BGA.
For about 12 months or so over a year ago I started in the hobby, and everything went fine. No problems, couldnt see what the fuss was all about. Then for the last year, I had nothing but problems. BGA mostly. Following advice I duly upped the KNO3 dosing. The problem got worse. Much worse. BGA typically grew back in about 12-24 hours. Leaves, substrate (above and below).
Im BGA free now, (sounds like a BGA Anonymous meeting), and I cant believe how stupid I am. It took me 12 months to see the obvious. I'm blaming the trouble free start.
My KNO3 dosing was actually very low. Not a miscalculation but simply not accounting for all the extra water changes that were going on, it turned into a vicious circle of massive water changes and filter clean outs, which my dosing regime wasn't accounting for. Its counter intuitive I think too dose so heavily as well and I was a bit scared to do so.
Now, I'm doing large water changes daily (its a small tank) and dosing a weeks supply all in one go, about 40 ppm N, 3ppm P(that level seems to work best for me though its not particularly high), about 30 ppm K, 10ppm Mag.
All the BGA vanished about a month ago without a blackout, even below the water line and hasn't made an appearance since. Plant growth is unchanged but plants look healthier.
I really thought I was dosing a lot but levels of N probably never went above 10ppm.
Im going to scale back the wc's soon but i'm kinda addicted to them!
Thanks
Excellent site, Best forum, if Carlsberg made forums they wouldn't be this good.
