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Low KH, high TDS ?

Anyway Eminor, its good that you are still looking into your CO2 as UKAPS says this is the cause of 90% of plant growth problems.

While measuring a 20ppm TDS increase every day with no obvious cause is an interesting mystery, it may not be the cause of your plant problems. Anyway, keep measuring to confirm whether its increasing by 20ppm everyday? (measure at the same time each day to eliminate any "CO2 effects" (if any))
 
Anyway Eminor, its good that you are still looking into your CO2 as UKAPS says this is the cause of 90% of plant growth problems.

While measuring a 20ppm TDS increase every day with no obvious cause is an interesting mystery, it may not be the cause of your plant problems. Anyway, keep measuring to confirm whether its increasing by 20ppm everyday? (measure at the same time each day to eliminate any "CO2 effects" (if any))
Day 3 : 205 ppm, still don't know where the 5 ppm come from, could be plant poop ?

Yes Co2 is insanely hard to manage
 
My TDS is surprisingly stable so far. It increases 5ppm after dosing which is within expectations (I dosed about 3.8ppm plus whatever waste is generated by plants/shrimp). I started 600ml daily water topup with spare bottles of RO drinking water but mathematically, 600ml will have an insignificant impact on TDS

______________
After WC before dosing - 120-125 (can't remember exactly)
after dosing: didn't record

day 2
after dosing: 130

day 3 (changed 5 litres of water before measruement)
before dosing 125
after dosing 130

day 4
before dosing 131
after dosing, end of photoperiod 136

day 5
before dosing 135
 
Your substrate is inert ... I reckon you've added root tabs.

If they are seachem, you will have massive TDS increase because they are not balanced due to**.

If you added a non-tropica/miracle gro variety that has lots of **Ca/Mg in it, the same will happen.

Regular root tabs in that substrate will also cause it to creep.
 
Your substrate is inert ... I reckon you've added root tabs.

If they are seachem, you will have massive TDS increase because they are not balanced due to**.

If you added a non-tropica/miracle gro variety that has lots of **Ca/Mg in it, the same will happen.

Regular root tabs in that substrate will also cause it to creep.
I think that was the mistake i made, added 6 roots tab months ago, it's non-tropica thing, i forgot it...

There's aquabasis plus in the bottom, lots of it, could that be the roots tab that cause poor grow ?

I want to try tropica soil, sand seems bad, i don't know if it's really possible to grow difficult plant in sand.

How long until the root tabs decompose ?

sorry for my english
 
1 week TDS profile. Start 120-125ppm, end 139ppm
Daily top up 700ml of 0ppm water.

Eminor, have you kept up your daily monitoring of TDS? Whats your total weekly increase?
___________________
day 1 - 120-125 (can't remember exactly)
day 2: 130
day 3 (5l WC, 70ppm): 125, 130
day 4 131, 136
day 5 135
day 6 139 (after adding 10x Starxcote root tabs - looks like no leakage into the water), 143
 
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Hi, i changed my soil, from sand to fluval stratum, some plants like pinnatifada or myriophyllum refused to grow well, it's been 3 days since i switched, it seems so good...

But there is a question, i know that active soil do not like hard water, and i use rain water, EI, problem is i don't have any calcium ferts powder, so i'm afraid that if i use 100% rain water there will be some calcium deficiency ? right

my tap have plenty of it but i want the soil to last long :/ can i dose ei without calcium using 100% rain water ? thx
 
Hi, i changed my soil, from sand to fluval stratum, some plants like pinnatifada or myriophyllum refused to grow well, it's been 3 days since i switched, it seems so good...

But there is a question, i know that active soil do not like hard water, and i use rain water, EI, problem is i don't have any calcium ferts powder, so i'm afraid that if i use 100% rain water there will be some calcium deficiency ? right

my tap have plenty of it but i want the soil to last long :/ can i dose ei without calcium using 100% rain water ? thx

dsc00871-cinereum-jpg.jpg


I don't think you have to be too worked up about extending the lifespan of your aquasoil. The soil in my tank is a relatively inert Gex aquasoil most of which is 10 years old - I just kept pouring fresh soil onto the top (and ended up with a 12cm deep substrate - maybe I have anaeorbic bacteria under all that soil :cool:)

As the photo shows, a lot of the soil has crumbled into dust. I don't have Aquabasis or power sand at the bottom, its just straightforward Gex soil with some lava chips. Of course, recently I've been adding root tabs/pellets.

Do not underestimate the importance of tank stability. If you are constantly changing water parameters (tweaking your rainwater/tapwater mix, tweaking your fertilisation, changing substrate, etc), your plants don't have a chance to adjust.

Sort out one issue at the time, like if you add 5ppm of Fert, why does your TDS go up by 50ppm... that was the purpose of this thread.
 
dsc00871-cinereum-jpg.jpg


I don't think you have to be too worked up about extending the lifespan of your aquasoil. The soil in my tank is a relatively inert Gex aquasoil most of which is 10 years old - I just kept pouring fresh soil onto the top (and ended up with a 12cm deep substrate - maybe I have anaeorbic bacteria under all that soil :cool:)

As the photo shows, a lot of the soil has crumbled into dust. I don't have Aquabasis or power sand at the bottom, its just straightforward Gex soil with some lava chips. Of course, recently I've been adding root tabs/pellets.

Do not underestimate the importance of tank stability. If you are constantly changing water parameters (tweaking your rainwater/tapwater mix, tweaking your fertilisation, changing substrate, etc), your plants don't have a chance to adjust.

Sort out one issue at the time, like if you add 5ppm of Fert, why does your TDS go up by 50ppm... that was the purpose of this thread.
yes i stay with 2/3 rain water + 1/3 tap water, ppm is stable now
 
Hello, just a question, is Nitrates en Nitrogen related, if there is no3 there is nitrogen ?
 
Hi all,
is Nitrates en Nitrogen related, if there is no3 there is nitrogen ?
Yes, is the <"short answer">.
Because NO3 has three oxygen atoms you need to use a conversion factor to go from mg L-1 (ppm) N to ppm NO3 (and vice versa). The RMM of NO3 is 14 (RAM N) +(3*16 (RAM O)) = 62 and the %N 14/62 = 22.6%.

To convert nitrate-NO3 (mg L-1) to nitrogen (N) (mg L-1): N (mg L-1) = 0.2259 x nitrate-NO3 (mg L-1)
and
to convert N (mg L-1) to Nitrate-NO3 (mg L-1): Nitrate-NO3 (mg L-1) = 4.4268 x N (mg L-1).

Potassium nitrate (KNO3) is highly soluble, so when you add it to water you get NO3- and K+ ions. To work out the proportion of both it is back to the RMM. The RAM of potassium is 39, so you have 39 + 14 + (3*16) = 101 and ~14% N, ~ 62% NO3 and 39% K.

Nitrogen (N) gas (N2) is pretty much inert, this because of the <"triple bond between the nitrogen atoms">. Once you have a free nitrogen atom it is highly reactive, which is why we refer to biologically active compounds, like ammonia (NH3) and nitrate (NO3) as <"fixed nitrogen">. You have three oxygen (O) etc. atoms because of the triple bond.

cheers Darrel
 
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