Fertilizer Help Please

[Dj-damo]

Hi All

I have a 240 liter tank. about 53 or 63 gallons depending if metric or imperial.

I have had a hard time trying to get any of my aqaurium plans to flourish.

this is the test i did this morning, i did a 50 liter water change on thursday.

Ammonia - 0,003 mg/l
Nitrite - 0.000 mg/l
Nitrate - 5mg/l
PH - 6.5 - 7.0
Phospate - 0.1 mg/l
KH - 4dkh
GH - 8 dgh
Iron - 0.05 mg/l
Copper 0.000 mg/l


Stocking wise i have
19 neon tetras
19 Harlequin rasboras
15 guppies (young)
4 Japonica shrimps
7 Red cherry Shrimp.

I have been dosing
5 ml daily easy life easy carbo
25 ml tropica aqua care weekly.

i have had a few algea issues but this is now under control.

i have canister co2 injection. drop checker is showing green.

i have eco complete substrate.

i really dont know what else to do. the tank does not look the way i want it to so i am now getting very depressed about it.

i have been looking up dry ferts but not sure which way to go with this.

on a seperate note, i have covered both my intakes with fish net netting as i brought some shrimp ages ago, and they got sucked up the filter or into the power head (which i have now removed). the problem is that it is clogging up bad is there something else i can use.

I would really appreciate any help i coud get. but if my thinking is correct i am not dosing enough in the way of nutrients. but i need to be carefull what to use due to my shrimps.

Thank you

Damien


i would like to get more shrimp!!


pics below


http/img207.images...3/photo1dub.jpg

http/img138.images...54/photo2hp.jpg

http/img96.imagesh...4/photo3tzb.jpg

http/img204.images...93/photo4ge.jpg

http/img267.images...1/photo5acc.jpg

 

[daz4321]

How much and what lights are on this tank?

 

[Dj-damo]

i am using 2 x t5 light tubes at 39 watts each. 1 is a 10000 kevin rating and the other is 6500 kelvin rating

 

[daz4321]

only thing i notice is a low phosphate compared to your nitrate.
also what is blocking the nets crud or plant waste?

 

[Dj-damo]

its a bit of both, crud and plant waste, i have been taking out the large bits.

Also the nitrate on my test sheet the lowest it goes is 10mg / and as there was hardly any colour i would probably say it was less. the nutrient i am dosing does have phospate and nitrate in it.

so maybe i should dose daily rather than weekly ?? just that it cost quite a bit so was thinking of using dry ferts?

I also use ro water aswell!

 

[daz4321]

do you buffer the ro? if so what with?
daily dosing does help to keep levels stable.
dry ferts is often the cheapest way to go.

 

[Dj-damo]

I used to but i dont anymore, sometimes i will add some tap water but that depends on my GH and KH levels.

Cheap ferts is good but as long as they are good ferts!

I have found this online and i am not sure if this is macro and micro. if i get this will i have to dose anything else?

http/www.aquariumplantfood.co.uk/ei-starter-kit.html

Thanks
Damien

 

[daz4321]

That is macro and micro , so apart from keeping your gh and kh in check and adding co2 either gas or liquid carbon you will be set.

 

[Dj-damo]

That is macro and micro , so apart from keeping your gh and kh in check and adding co2 either gas or liquid carbon you will be set.

cool, is my GH and KH at the right levels?


Thanks

 

[daz4321]

I would say yes

 

[Dj-damo]

Ok cool.

I will try the dry ferts and see how i get on. many thanks for your help its really appreciated.

Damien

 

[daz4321]

no problem glad to help