# balance in my tank



## galdadi (Mar 25, 2015)

Hi Guys
Need some help with my High Tech Tank
First Parameters-
Tank- 120 cm*50cm*50cm. about 79 GAL
GH 7-8 (sometimes 7 sometimes 8)
KH 4-5 
Nitrate 20 PPm
Phosphate 1.8
PH 6.5
Lightning- 4*54V T5 6500 Calvin+ fugeray planted plus 2*24"
CO2 injection- External Reactor
Filtration- Fluval 306+ Atman EF4
Gravel- Regular Quartz, No Ferts
Water Change- 30% RO water, every week.
Fertilization- I make My own Stock solution. Now I dose according to PMDD+P - http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/PMDD.htm, for 3 weeks.
Before I was dosing according to EI Method, but decided to change because of large water change was required.

For Microelements, I dose Plantex.

I have several algae problems:
1. Fuzz algae all over my plants
2. BBA on old leaves
3. Slow Growth of delicate plants. Growth is sparse, and not bushy.
4. I want to lower the frequency and amount of water change. Can I do it, Now I'm dosing PMDD method?
Do You have any thoughts?
If there is information missing, tell me
Thanks!


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

A picture of your tank might help and is it a new tank?


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Just two T5HO bulbs are enough light for that size planted tank, and two pairs of those bulbs separated so the whole substrate gets good light is also good. Adding a LED light is very much more than you can expect to use without really serious algae problems.

You need to verify that you have adequate CO2 in the water for the light you have. You can do this by comparing the pH of a sample of the tank water after a day sitting out in the air, to the pH of the tank water a few hours after the CO2 is turned on. The amount of CO2 in the water will be approximately 3 times 10 raised to the drop in pH power. So, if the pH is 1.0 lower in the tank water, than in the sample of tank water, you have about 3 times 10 to the first power, or 30 ppm of CO2.


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## galdadi (Mar 25, 2015)

mistergreen said:


> A picture of your tank might help and is it a new tank?


How do I post images?
it's an old tank that i ran on EI method, and was fine but because of large water change I decided to go to PMDD+P dosing method


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## galdadi (Mar 25, 2015)

hoppycalif said:


> Just two T5HO bulbs are enough light for that size planted tank, and two pairs of those bulbs separated so the whole substrate gets good light is also good. Adding a LED light is very much more than you can expect to use without really serious algae problems.


***according to my calc- I have 300 liter- 5*54V= 220V+ the leds, I'm getting close to 1 watt per liter ratio, which is recommended in high tech tank right?



hoppycalif said:


> You need to verify that you have adequate CO2 in the water for the light you have. You can do this by comparing the pH of a sample of the tank water after a day sitting out in the air, to the pH of the tank water a few hours after the CO2 is turned on. The amount of CO2 in the water will be approximately 3 times 10 raised to the drop in pH power. So, if the pH is 1.0 lower in the tank water, than in the sample of tank water, you have about 3 times 10 to the first power, or 30 ppm of CO2.


** I have a drop checker which shows greenish-yellowish colour which I assume is enough CO2, maybe too much..
I have milwaukee PH controller which I calibrate every month. Plus, if I try to lower My PH, fish are heavilly gasping. So I assume that's enough CO2.
I added wave maker to add circulation for My tank
I can't find what is wrong...


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Light is not measured in watts per unit of volume. It is measured in lux or PAR units. PAR, photosynthetically active radiation, is the best for planted aquariums. It takes a PAR meter to determine your light intensity, or if you have data for very similar lights, you can figure out about how intense your specific lighting is. This: https://www.plantedtank.net/forums/10-lighting/184368-lighting-aquarium-par-instead-watts.html might help you in estimating how much light you have.

Are you using 4 dKH water (distilled water with just enough sodium bicarbonate in it to raise the KH to 4.0 ddKH)? You can't use water from your aquarium, or tap water. if you are, you probably have close to enough CO2 in the water.


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

It looks pretty healthy except it does look overstocked. Tanks with algae issues are mostly overstocked. Algae loves fish waste.


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## DutchMuch (Apr 12, 2017)

hella overstocked


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