Non-CO2 Low Light Works...
It’s been two weeks now since I turned off the CO2 & reverted to Excel — BBA is probably about 80% reduced from what it was. In three to four days in, the thicker areas of BBA had all turned red, those areas were clean after the first week, thanks to a dozen shrimp. They wouldn’t touch the BBA when it was healthy, but once you damage it, you just can sit and watch them completely strip an area in a few minutes. They should have the whole tank clear in another few weeks.
The plants seem to be holding up. The stauro is dropping a few leaves here and there, but it’s not a huge melt. The Cabomba I used to have to cut in half and replant weekly will probably go a month at a time before that’s necessary. It still looks healthy.
I haven’t changed lighting at all for this. I’m running a Current LED+ which, by their claims, gives a PAR of about 30umol at substrate for my system. I run it on a DIY Arduino controller, 6 hour photoperiod with about 1 hour ramps up/down. I think I picked up most of my BBA issue between variable CO2 levels (as I figured out how to work it) and longer photoperiods with 2 hour ramp times.
As for ferts I’m maintaining the levels I had before, the dosing to get there is reduced. Once the fish are fed, I don’t need to add nitrate, the tank’s still 10-20ppm. I add a tiny bit of PO4 (seem to need to stay above 2ppm to keep GSA at bay) and about 8ppm of K per week. The CO2 is what has made all the difference. If things stabilize well, I might look into cutting back the Excel as well, just to see if the plants I’ve got will hold up purely on ambient CO2 without losing all my plant mass.
- - - Updated - - -
Non-CO2 Low Light Works...
It’s been two weeks now since I turned off the CO2 & reverted to Excel — BBA is probably about 80% reduced from what it was. In three to four days in, the thicker areas of BBA had all turned red, those areas were clean after the first week, thanks to a dozen shrimp. They wouldn’t touch the BBA when it was healthy, but once you damage it, you just can sit and watch them completely strip an area in a few minutes. They should have the whole tank clear in another few weeks.
The plants seem to be holding up. The stauro is dropping a few leaves here and there, but it’s not a huge melt. The Cabomba I used to have to cut in half and replant weekly will probably go a month at a time before that’s necessary. It still looks healthy.
I haven’t changed lighting at all for this. I’m running a Current LED+ which, by their claims, gives a PAR of about 30umol at substrate for my system. I run it on a DIY Arduino controller, 6 hour photoperiod with about 1 hour ramps up/down. I think I picked up most of my BBA issue between variable CO2 levels (as I figured out how to work it) and longer photoperiods with 2 hour ramp times.
As for ferts I’m maintaining the levels I had before, the dosing to get there is reduced. Once the fish are fed, I don’t need to add nitrate, the tank’s still 10-20ppm. I add a tiny bit of PO4 (seem to need to stay above 2ppm to keep GSA at bay) and about 8ppm of K per week. The CO2 is what has made all the difference. If things stabilize well, I might look into cutting back the Excel as well, just to see if the plants I’ve got will hold up purely on ambient CO2 without losing all my plant mass.
It’s been two weeks now since I turned off the CO2 & reverted to Excel — BBA is probably about 80% reduced from what it was. In three to four days in, the thicker areas of BBA had all turned red, those areas were clean after the first week, thanks to a dozen shrimp. They wouldn’t touch the BBA when it was healthy, but once you damage it, you just can sit and watch them completely strip an area in a few minutes. They should have the whole tank clear in another few weeks.
The plants seem to be holding up. The stauro is dropping a few leaves here and there, but it’s not a huge melt. The Cabomba I used to have to cut in half and replant weekly will probably go a month at a time before that’s necessary. It still looks healthy.
I haven’t changed lighting at all for this. I’m running a Current LED+ which, by their claims, gives a PAR of about 30umol at substrate for my system. I run it on a DIY Arduino controller, 6 hour photoperiod with about 1 hour ramps up/down. I think I picked up most of my BBA issue between variable CO2 levels (as I figured out how to work it) and longer photoperiods with 2 hour ramp times.
As for ferts I’m maintaining the levels I had before, the dosing to get there is reduced. Once the fish are fed, I don’t need to add nitrate, the tank’s still 10-20ppm. I add a tiny bit of PO4 (seem to need to stay above 2ppm to keep GSA at bay) and about 8ppm of K per week. The CO2 is what has made all the difference. If things stabilize well, I might look into cutting back the Excel as well, just to see if the plants I’ve got will hold up purely on ambient CO2 without losing all my plant mass.
- - - Updated - - -
Non-CO2 Low Light Works...
It’s been two weeks now since I turned off the CO2 & reverted to Excel — BBA is probably about 80% reduced from what it was. In three to four days in, the thicker areas of BBA had all turned red, those areas were clean after the first week, thanks to a dozen shrimp. They wouldn’t touch the BBA when it was healthy, but once you damage it, you just can sit and watch them completely strip an area in a few minutes. They should have the whole tank clear in another few weeks.
The plants seem to be holding up. The stauro is dropping a few leaves here and there, but it’s not a huge melt. The Cabomba I used to have to cut in half and replant weekly will probably go a month at a time before that’s necessary. It still looks healthy.
I haven’t changed lighting at all for this. I’m running a Current LED+ which, by their claims, gives a PAR of about 30umol at substrate for my system. I run it on a DIY Arduino controller, 6 hour photoperiod with about 1 hour ramps up/down. I think I picked up most of my BBA issue between variable CO2 levels (as I figured out how to work it) and longer photoperiods with 2 hour ramp times.
As for ferts I’m maintaining the levels I had before, the dosing to get there is reduced. Once the fish are fed, I don’t need to add nitrate, the tank’s still 10-20ppm. I add a tiny bit of PO4 (seem to need to stay above 2ppm to keep GSA at bay) and about 8ppm of K per week. The CO2 is what has made all the difference. If things stabilize well, I might look into cutting back the Excel as well, just to see if the plants I’ve got will hold up purely on ambient CO2 without losing all my plant mass.