# Dosing PPS Pro - VERY high light tank



## tanksalot (Mar 11, 2006)

I have a very established 55 gal. tank that I recently lit with two hanging pendant 175 watt MH fixtures in my sunroom. The aquarium has pressurized pH control, auto top-off etc. It's been in the same place for 10+ years, but I haven't actively managed it until recently. Since I make 2-channel dosing pumps, I'm using one to put in 5 mL of pps-pro daily (both parts) every morning. The lights are on about 5 hrs. daily. 

I'm thinking of ramping up the daily dose to increase plant growth JUST until algae starts. The growth I'm getting from my plants seems "weak" and thin, and I just tested for NO3 and got nothing. An alternate form of lighting would be very cumbersome.

Suggestions?

Thanks in advance!


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## wet (Nov 24, 2008)

Great username.

I think you're nuts man. I do a 40gallon with 150w MH and plenty of sunlight, and it's demanding when it gets going but is manageable if you're looking for a time-consuming (trimming) hobby. Growing such a tank while expecting slower growth just isn't going to happen. You can mitigate this with some higher mass stems: for example, healthy Rotala indica (aka Ammania sp. 'Bonsai', not R. rotundifolia) tends to get thicker as it gets happy, and can buy you lots of time before the vertical growth gets unwieldy. Blyxa japonica is another one that tends to get thicker.

I'd suggest increasing the dosing rate quickly -- I'll bet if you double or quadruple the dosing it'll still be a while until you see Nitrate show up in your test. Spend your gradual and observation time on moving CO2 up. C and N make up most of plant mass and should be where you start with thin stems. With that kind of light, I can guarantee you'll need to move the other stuff too, so suggest you work backwards (higher dosing you cut down) than the other way. I suggest this while believing any algae you see won't be because of an excess of nutrients, but rather a deficiency. I also suggest this while believing a mature tank will handle such things in a way that makes stability less important, but that your move to 2x175MH wrecks any stability you already had. 

(I'd also suggest just running one of those lights. Maybe alternate them with some overlap -- the "noon-burst" method -- if you *really* want insane light and a farm/growth rate that's hard to maintain a scape in.)


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## tanksalot (Mar 11, 2006)

Thanks for the feedback!

You aren't the first person to think I'm nuts.. I've been wondering about that for years. I'll just ramp up the fertilizer and trim. From the setup I have, it's either do that (fertilize and trim) or take it all down. 

Want some plants? 

Tanksalot

Stan F.


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## tanksalot (Mar 11, 2006)

The reason for all the light is that the sunroom has a cathedral ceiling, and I already have the hanging pendant lights over the 55 with a drilled overflow and automatic water-changing system. If I could find 75 or 100 watt MH bulbs I'd use them.

I've cranked up the pps-pro to 15 mL of each component daily at 10 a.m.. Then, as long as the pH flow is adequate, I'll adjust the fertilizer depending on presence/absence of algae.

Thanks....a lot!


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## Kathy (Feb 2, 2003)

Or shade the tank. I was reluctant to let my 5' 100 gallon tank get the full 2x150 watt light after a bout of green water so I hung window screen under the lights. That should cut lighting by about 25% or so. Tank stayed clear and I took off the screen and it has stayed clear. Laying the screen on top of the tank would work fine as well.

Or use substrate fertilizing? Would work great if you have crypts and swords.


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