A new start - Fluval F90 - 129L (33G) - Iwagumi

Coasters13

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slipfinger

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Personally I think you're focusing way too much on your test kits and the results you are getting from them. In your case I'd only be focused on testing gh and kh because of RO water.

I can see the need to get a little more involved with nutrient levels and dosing if your tank was caulked full of demanding stem plants. I even have to question the statement I just made, @TomBarr has high light, rich CO2, aquasoil tanks full of demanding stem plants in his garage, he does very little in the way of maintenance and dosing. I can't speak for certain but I'm sure he is not testing Fe or P levels in any of these tanks.

Link to above reference and pic.

ADA has spent years and a wack load of cash perfecting it's system for exactly your style of tank. Everything including aquasoil was designed around simple and easy. I don't think testing tank water for nutrients and worrying about the results was ever really apart of the approach, does not sound simply and easy to me.

Moderate light, good Co2, squirt some ferts into the tank a couple times a week and sit back and enjoy the view. Now that sound simple!

Now, if only I could follow this advice.
 
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slipfinger

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the basis of EI dosing is just to give enough nutriments in the water column to be focus on CO2 and lighting
but if PO4 is missing, I cannot be focus on CO2 and lighting because plants are starving
I would like that everything is simple and easy but it's not the case and if something is going wrong I have to learn and correct it :)

Are your plants actually telling you P is missing and they are starving or is it your test kit telling you this? Based on the last photo you posted your tank looks pretty good if you ask me. Take a look at the first picture you post in this journal, now look your tank today, it has not even been a month and there is quite a difference. If the plants are missing something, the pictures are not showing it.

Don't get me wrong, I love the science behind the why, what, where, when and how. But we really only need to start looking for answers when the plants tell us to start looking for them.
 
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Dale Hazey

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Very interesting findings! I have had some bubbles ontop of my water now and wasn't sure where they came from. However I am testing positive for PO4.
Makes me want to test the bubbly water...

Well we know that Phosphate reacts with iron in the water column right? The substrate I dont know.
Rajkm was talking about how the substrate could be absorbing some of that PO4...

Doesn't that substrate have everything your plants need for a long time? The tank is only a month old.

Slipfinger is right, the grass is growing and looks good. The substrate should have everything you need.
If Pikez was here, he would tell you that PO4 and NO3 testing is a waste of time.
 

Coasters13

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Yes you are right

I have to stop dosing so often PO4

I'll dose consistently and be patient
Are your plants actually telling you P is missing and they are starving or is it your test kit telling you this? Based on the last photo you posted your tank looks pretty good if you ask me. Take a look at the first picture you post in this journal, now look your tank today, it has not even been a month and there is quite a difference. If the plants are missing something, the pictures are not showing it.

Don't get me wrong, I love the science behind the why, what, where, when and how. But we really only need to start looking for answers when the plants tell us to start looking for them.

thanks for your help
 

Coasters13

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Hi all,

here are some news of my tank

it's the week 5, I'm still fighting again green algaes but it's ok it's not yet a disaster

it's mainly on the hardscape

I did a big WC the week end to reset everything


20170827_131833.jpg

20170827_131841.jpg




20170827_131905.jpg
 
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Christophe

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That's filling in nicely!

Got shrimp? A couple dozen cherry shrimp could clean up that algae in no time at all, they wouldn't even require feeding beyond that. It's a self-replicating cleanup crew!
 

Coasters13

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Thanks Christophe,

I added 5 amano shrimp

only 5 to see if all is ok because in previous tanks they go out of the tanks or directly in the filter ...

it seems that my amano shrimps are still alive so that I will buy other 5

I'll also add otto's

and maybe cherry shrimp I'll see :)
 

bshenanagins

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I'm not sure what your par is on this tank, but if you do some research on ADA tanks, you'll come to find out that most of those tanks are around 30 PAR and some higher. Not high light by any means and closer to the lower end. Constantly testing nutrients is going to cause more confusion and frustration than anything. If you must test, then as others have said, GH and KH. Otherwise EI for all macros and micros. Everyone's water is different so yeah, some plants thrive for some people and some don't. Good co2 and plenty of nutrients are key, the only variable left to control is lighting. Plants will adapt to lighting MUCH easier when the other two are plentiful.
 
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Coasters13

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Hi all,

it's a very long time since I posted a picture

I had a really really bad algaes bloom and very hard time to fight against them

look a these pictures ! oh my god I cannot trust were I come from, you will see my aquarium now.

20171130_141633.jpg


20171130_141641.jpg


20171130_141659.jpg
 

Coasters13

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you can see BBA which is still stick on my rock, impossible for me to remove it.

I didn't restart it ! I kept fighting against algaes.

I didn't post anything because .... sorry Tom Barr ..... but I simply switched from EI dosing to ADA products ....

In my case it has changed everything. No algae any more

2hours of maintenance and 50% water change per month !!!

Yes ! every 30 days I do 50% water change, no more ! really creasy I cannot trust it.

I really hesitated to post my message because it's a EI forum but I have to share my experience.

I learn really a LOT on this forum and I would like to thanks Tom barr for all this informations ! I keep learning and I'm now trying to change the really expensive ADA product by EI products.

So even if in my case ADA system works better it is only in my case and I can only invite you to try and experience and keep fighting.

Juste keep confidence and do not get discouraged
 
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