First off, great site Tom !! 
Recently, 2 weeks now, my tank seems to have gone into some type of nutrient inbalance and I cannot figure it out.
First off, this a four year old plus, well established 65 G tank.
Parameters:
Lighting 220 W
2x Eheim 2026
UV 18 Watts
AM 1000 reactor
Pressurized CO2.
Kh = 4~5
Ph: 6.7
Gh = 5
NO3 = 20 ppm
PO4 = 2 ppm (maybe higher)
I am getting indications of algae, but I think the weekly 50% changes and the UV light are masking the "truth". Algae is very minor. Some diatoms and BGA. Very little.
I am not dosing anything else but K and TMG. 10 ml of K every other day and 5 ml TMG every other day. I do not dare introduce any KNO3 or PO4 given my high numbers.
My plants seem to have stopped growing and some are melting away. Much yellowing on the leaves.
Fish load is light. 2 ottos, 1 busy nose placo, 4 Blue rams, 5 Amano shrimp, 1 clown loach (small), 1 gurammi.
I have introduced Phosguard into the filter and now my PO4 is at 1ppm and going down. Nitrates however are staying at 20 ppm.
My Kh and Gh are buffered up from the tap which normally has Kh = 2 and GH = 2~3.
I have thought of increasing the light to 330 W because of the fact that my tank is 24" deep, but I don't want to do this since the tank has done fine for over four years now !
Am I looking at a calcium uptake problem ?
I really do not know what to look for here, since nothing seems out of place.
The high Nitrate values seem to be from my KNO3 dosing which before all this was 1/2 teaspoon on the day of the water change, then 1/4 teaspoon every other day, followed by a 50% water change on the 7th day. TMG was introdued at 10 ml at the day after the water change, followed by 5 ml every other day after that. K was introduced at 10 ml along with the TMG.
Lights are on for 12 hrs / day.
What am I missing ?
Recently, 2 weeks now, my tank seems to have gone into some type of nutrient inbalance and I cannot figure it out.
First off, this a four year old plus, well established 65 G tank.
Parameters:
Lighting 220 W
2x Eheim 2026
UV 18 Watts
AM 1000 reactor
Pressurized CO2.
Kh = 4~5
Ph: 6.7
Gh = 5
NO3 = 20 ppm
PO4 = 2 ppm (maybe higher)
I am getting indications of algae, but I think the weekly 50% changes and the UV light are masking the "truth". Algae is very minor. Some diatoms and BGA. Very little.
I am not dosing anything else but K and TMG. 10 ml of K every other day and 5 ml TMG every other day. I do not dare introduce any KNO3 or PO4 given my high numbers.
My plants seem to have stopped growing and some are melting away. Much yellowing on the leaves.
Fish load is light. 2 ottos, 1 busy nose placo, 4 Blue rams, 5 Amano shrimp, 1 clown loach (small), 1 gurammi.
I have introduced Phosguard into the filter and now my PO4 is at 1ppm and going down. Nitrates however are staying at 20 ppm.
My Kh and Gh are buffered up from the tap which normally has Kh = 2 and GH = 2~3.
I have thought of increasing the light to 330 W because of the fact that my tank is 24" deep, but I don't want to do this since the tank has done fine for over four years now !
Am I looking at a calcium uptake problem ?
I really do not know what to look for here, since nothing seems out of place.
The high Nitrate values seem to be from my KNO3 dosing which before all this was 1/2 teaspoon on the day of the water change, then 1/4 teaspoon every other day, followed by a 50% water change on the 7th day. TMG was introdued at 10 ml at the day after the water change, followed by 5 ml every other day after that. K was introduced at 10 ml along with the TMG.
Lights are on for 12 hrs / day.
What am I missing ?
