Jim's 60 Gallon High-tech Planted Journal

[Themuleous]

Looking good, is that flourite I can see under the gravel?

Sam

 

[George Farmer]

Hooray Jim! Great to see some water and plants at long last.

Bear in mind that the Dennerle book assumes you only have low lighting. Read the tank specs next to each aquascape, the majority of tanks are only lit with 2 T8s. Your lighting level is far higher and therefore you will require a completely different approach to fertilisation.

Set your pH controller so that your CO2 is stable at 30ppm. Your bubble rate will need to be at around 2 BPS. 20 per minute is no way near enough.

Over time you will definitely see nutrient deficiencies (NPK) if you rely on your Dennerle ferts alone. I recommend EI. Here's a great EI overview.

Use your Dennerle ferts as trace until they run out, they are very good (if a little expensive). If you do follow EI then you will be changing 50% water weekly. This will result in you having to dose your trace in higher quantities and frequencies. Let me know if you do take the EI route and I'll figure out what Dennerle ferts you need to add and when. I was there too remember.

Why am I saying all this? Because I was there with my Dennerle book and equipment and wondering why I had algae issues, even though my NO3 and PO4 were undetectable. We should all know by now that high light, high growth tanks need plenty of nutrients to be algae free. Unfortunately I learnt the hard way and had to search US forums for the relevant advice.

Thankfully it is here now.

 

[oldwhitewood]

There is a much higher lighting level because Jim has a MH luminare with I think two T8s attached also. It's a great setup if I had the money I would go for one of those lights, but subsitute the bulbs for ADA ones at the 8000k mark, that would I think be pretty expensive though.

ADA's grand solar luminare uses one 150w MH tube and two power compact T5s, which is a lot of light. I think Jim has a setup quite close to this.

 

[George Farmer]

There is a much higher lighting level because Jim has a MH luminare with I think two T8s attached also.

150W 4000K MH with 2 x 18W T8 Arcadia Freshwater 7500K I beleive.

 

[oldwhitewood]

That's a really nice lighting rig, I'm jealous )

 

[jimboliana]

Thanks Guys, only i have a new problem i need sorting out quick, I cant seem to get my pH level below 7.49. I have measured my RO water which has a pH of 7.7 and my tap water is the same. I have just measured the TDS which is 304ppm i am getting that down with the RO water and aiming for about half of that 120-130ppm.

My bubble rate was 1bpm but i am now going to increase this to 2bpm

As we speak from my dip test my pH is 7.5ish, KH is abou 6 and GH is about 14!

How do go about sorting that little problem out?

Now i'm away again tomorrow until friday so is there also any thing anyone can suggest that might help stop the plants disolving? turn lights down etc.

Lights are set at the moment to fluros 6:00-11:00am and 15:00-22:00, MH is 6:30-10:30 and 15:30-21:30

Need any other info let me know, i'm also out tonight for the girlfriends B/day tonight so time is limited DOH

 

[simonbrown403]

Have you measured the TDS of your r/o water, the membrane might be buggered.

To much surface irigation in the sump driving out co2?

Any pics yet mate

Simon

 

[jimboliana]

The TDS of the water coming out the RO is 009ppm so thats fine, i had mixed it with tap water but got to much so i am slowly diluting it.

As of now TDS in tank is 268ppm i have added E15, TR7 and FB7 as instructed by Dennerle book

I have increasted the bubble rate to just 2bps and pH has now dropped to 7.17 and still going down which is great.

Water turn over of tank is just shy of 200lph and i think this is just right.

I have also just ordered a diffuser (http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=77_154&products_id=502) like Georges from Aqua Essentials so that should diffuse the CO2 better i hope and i also just got the ADA cat. will look at that in a bit, had a flick through and looks pretty cool!

 

[George Farmer]

A bit late mate. Sorry. How is it now?

 

[jimboliana]

Pants, just got in and i have a thread algae problem i couldn't get my algae eaters last week as the pH was too high so i will get them tomorrow and hope they do something

Another thing is am i right in saying that if i bring the TDS of the water in the tank down to say 100/150ppm then the KH will be lower 2/4 and a lower amount of CO2 will need to be disolved in the water to get the required pH? does that make sence?

 

[Themuleous]

Yes you are right in a way. Cant remember what pH you're running at now, but the KH value only determins the start pH and not the amount the ph will change. Have you read this? It explains it better than I ever could!

One point though, if this is a planted tank then you're going to need a stable CO2 of 30ppm. So rather than saying now much CO2 do i need to get a ph of... it will probably turn out more like, once i have a CO2 of 30ppm then my pH will be...

I think what Im trying to say is, let the CO2 determin the pH and not the pH determining the CO2, because you want CO2 at 30ppm whatever the pH value that might bring. Does that make sense?

Sam

 

[bennett]

any news? it's been nearly a month since i've seen jim online

 

[Puffer punk]

Howz this tank coming along?

looking realy good

 

[Puffer punk]

comon up-date

 

[Puffer punk]

bump up date