I'm Peter.
(This is starting to sound like the start of one of those very dodgy, very low budget TV gameshows ;-)
I live in North East Dorset and have been managing a tank for my 5 year old since her birthday in February.
Basic plants and probably too many fish in a Juwel Rekord 800. Gravel substrate, standard (2 x 18W) T8 lights, pressurised CO2 and my own take on EI (to account for high nitrate tap water).
All was growing well for the first few months (without CO2 or EI), then I went on a two week business trip and it all went to rot. Lots of staghorn algae and things just stopped growing. I've replaced a lot of the plants, but am still fighting that bl**dy aglae and the plants just aren't shifting at the moment. CO2 went in at the end of July and the EI has started this week. I have components for a DIY LED light array on order and will post on how I get on with this as and when I get on with it ;-)
My big problem is that when I decide to do something new (like grow a well planted tank), I get obsessed with it - I have to learn how to do it perfectly. If I can't do it perfectly I get both annoyed with myself and even more obsessed with working out what's wrong. Combine the aforesaid, my scientific/engineering background and an interest that includes things like 'ppm of KH2NO3' and I'm headed for a train-crash!
Currently looking to improve the range of plants (including looking for that elusive low-light foreground carpet plant), but the stockists around here are rather poor at labelling, stocking or maintaining plants :-(
P
(This is starting to sound like the start of one of those very dodgy, very low budget TV gameshows ;-)
I live in North East Dorset and have been managing a tank for my 5 year old since her birthday in February.
Basic plants and probably too many fish in a Juwel Rekord 800. Gravel substrate, standard (2 x 18W) T8 lights, pressurised CO2 and my own take on EI (to account for high nitrate tap water).
All was growing well for the first few months (without CO2 or EI), then I went on a two week business trip and it all went to rot. Lots of staghorn algae and things just stopped growing. I've replaced a lot of the plants, but am still fighting that bl**dy aglae and the plants just aren't shifting at the moment. CO2 went in at the end of July and the EI has started this week. I have components for a DIY LED light array on order and will post on how I get on with this as and when I get on with it ;-)
My big problem is that when I decide to do something new (like grow a well planted tank), I get obsessed with it - I have to learn how to do it perfectly. If I can't do it perfectly I get both annoyed with myself and even more obsessed with working out what's wrong. Combine the aforesaid, my scientific/engineering background and an interest that includes things like 'ppm of KH2NO3' and I'm headed for a train-crash!
Currently looking to improve the range of plants (including looking for that elusive low-light foreground carpet plant), but the stockists around here are rather poor at labelling, stocking or maintaining plants :-(
P
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