Setting up a new 125 gallon tank with mineralized top soil

[wiseguy127]

Well I started with Discus and my 55 gallon isn't going to last that long .So I'm in the hunt for a 125. I really can't afford to use ADA soil so from what I have read that MTS is the next best thing. The only worry that I have is that I like to have soft water plants like Syngonanthus sp.“Belém” and Eriocaulaceae type 3. Will that soil be ok with the plants. Here is my shopping list

(6) 55 watt ah supply lights 28 inches off the bottom
(2) Eheim 2075 with the spray bars on each side with Atomic Diffusers with there own dedicated needle valve.
RO/DI water with Greenleaf Ultimate GH Booster so the water gets it's nutrients back in.
(2) Hydro 300watt heaters
(2) Co2 checkers on each side of the tank.

 

[Tom Barr]

You just split and mix say 50% RO with the tap to get the desired KH, then top off with GH booster.
I think you'd be fine with a little less light, I'd bend the A&H reflectors outward so they spread the light better.

I used rock hard Davis Tap with about 50-60% RO mix, the KH is 17, GH about the same.

Grew plenty of S belem and a dozen other so called hard plants.
Do not trust the DC's or the CO2 too much, these plants will teach you that if they are doing poorly.

A good needle valve is well worth the cost, eg Ideal with a micrometer handle. This is something you should not go cheap on.
Some folks can nab a cheaper Nupro/Swagelok on ebay for 30-50$ also.

 

[wiseguy127]

You think you have rock hard water. I can walk on my water it is so hard. My 5 micron filter gets red after a cpl days making water and my PH is off the charts. I have well water not tap water. As for the lights I'm working with what I have. I bought the (6) lights off a guy who broke down his 125. Do you think they should be mounted higher cause I can. I'm mounting the lights with conduit over the tank so height isn't a issue. I was gonna try out the new Fabco needle valves since they made the input bigger then the 10/32 thread which I have all ready broke a cpl adapters cause there so delicate. So you don't see or have had any issue with those plants with the mts? I also plane ob dosing EI when the tank first stars up to make sure there is plenty of nutrients in the water. Also how long do you thing it would take the tank to cycle with all new water and 2 cycled filters?