Re: Why harder water = more traces?
You need to analyze trace dosing over a longer time peroids.
3-5 weeks.
Will do. The only nutrient I've always been very reluctant to dose much of is micros, despite your and Claus Christensens advice. I always seem to get a lot of thread-algae when I dose much iron (especially Seachem Iron) or micros, but the same time I've managed to micro-limit the tank from time to time - but before my GH-raising it showed up as very white new growth so it was easily corrected.
Now I will keep the micro-levels higher as you say.
As when I raise the iron levels fast with radically higher dosages and get more thread-algae I've also noticed dust-algae coming as soon as I raise PO4-dosages fast - but the dust-algae only hangs on for a week or two if I keep the high dosages and keeps it steady high.
Will be fun to keep the high micros and see if it's working the same way.
The GH is about 6 from the tap.
I also have GH's at 30ppm from my home tap, I add relatively the same amount of EQ, same response from the same plants.
I have about 22 ppm Ca and 2-3 ppm Mg from tap says my water company, but my Hagen Ca-testkit says about 15 ppm Ca. There should be enough I guess but now with my high CaCl2-dose my L. glandulosa looks good again.
But I will try half the dose.
you might want to redo your substrate in 1/4 sections each week, remove plants, wood from the 1/4 section, deep vacuum and redo the gravel and the slope etc. Clean good.
Yes I do. I usually try a couple of different aquascapes in the tank each year where I redo the substrate. Now I've had hair-grass only for a while so I havn't been able to deep vacuum - I only sweep each section and fluff it so organics get out of there.
And man I pick and prune. A couple of hours each wc. I do it because I manage to keep everything neatlooking despite some trouble with dosing. I check my CO2-bubble-rate and pH each day now that the contest are coming up. Picky with picking really pays of. Every time I'm around the tank I usually remove algae I see.
This should be done each year or two. This will help remove excess organic build up and allow the tank to run better inorganically.
Yes, this I've really noticed. If I get lazy with the vacuuming of the hairgrass or fluffing the plants things get sour rather fast.
Thanks again for all the advice!