# is there a 1/2 way point?



## murdocmason (Aug 17, 2009)

Ok heres my question .. is there a midway point to being high and low tech ? like good light persay 2.6 wpg with CF also with a DIY Co2 average of 17 ppm, only dosing seachem trace with substrate tabs+heavy bioload, which includes heavy feeding which adds your phosphates? please correct me if im wrong im in the learning phase still =) algae control is mainly amano shrimp and 1 SAE with of course alot of plants to help keep ammonia and nitrite parameters managable for fish, filtration is a HoB whisper 400 its overkill in my opinion for the tank but its what i had, so please tell me if this is midway or if i just need to push it all the way or back down a bit? as in full high tech or low tech thx ahead of time

 doc


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## snooze (Apr 10, 2008)

Yeah, I think there is a whole spectrum for the techiness of a tank. After a couple years of strictly low-tech NPTs, I added DIY CO2 and a little bit more light to my tanks to increase plant growth, but not to the point of a high-tech tank (I can't handle that much trimming). I feel that I've found the method that works best for me. I think every method should be viewed as a starting point that you can learn from and adjust as necessary to suit your own personal needs. This is a hobby for personal enjoyment after all... no one is going to stone you for dosing a bit of ferts or running DIY CO2 on a soil-based tank.


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

Ditto snooze: make small changes and see how the plants (and algae) respond. Alter things a little more based on those responses. 
Each tank, each set up is different. I am sure you can find some level that works for you. 

The basic idea is to keep all the nutrients and needs in balance, but exactly where that balance point is for your style of aquarium keeping is really up to you to work out. 
Light, CO2, ferts... Try small changes of each to see what happens. Then compare those results with what others have posted. Maybe your tank suddenly grows a certain kind of algae, and research seems to show lack of carbon triggers that sort, then you would know to bump up the CO2 a little more.


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

Light wise I'd scale back to somewhere around 2wpg of average lighting source. If it's a T5/T5HO with fancy individual reflectors, I'd drop it down to more like 1-1.25wpg. 

HoB's defeat CO2 pretty badly (suck water up, lay it on the surface, CO2 gasses off), especially DIY. Try for a canister if you can.

You're going to want some K+ added in, even if your PO4 and NO3 are taken care of through bioload. Calibrate your test kits, then test your column just before a water change. If the bioload isn't cutting it, you'll want some KNO3 and KH2PO4 on top of the K2SO4. That or you can use a premix like equilibrium.

-Philosophos


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## armedbiggiet (May 6, 2006)

snooze said:


> Yeah, I think there is a whole spectrum for the techiness of a tank. After a couple years of strictly low-tech NPTs, I added DIY CO2 and a little bit more light to my tanks to increase plant growth, but not to the point of a high-tech tank (I can't handle that much trimming). I feel that I've found the method that works best for me. I think every method should be viewed as a starting point that you can learn from and adjust as necessary to suit your own personal needs. This is a hobby for personal enjoyment after all... no one is going to stone you for dosing a bit of ferts or running DIY CO2 on a soil-based tank.


doing high tect CO2 are not just for the speed of growing but creating a more constant water chemistry.


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## murdocmason (Aug 17, 2009)

wow thx you guys you answered me perfectly problem solved =)


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

murdoc - There are too many different ways that people can construct their tanks and grow plants, so what you are planning is fine. I've got several hybrid systems that combine a few different methods that seem to be doing rather well.

Anyway, since you are new to this site and didn't mention what substrate you were using I'm not sure if you know that "El Natural" means having a low light, no CO2, soil-substrate (no ferts added). It is a minimalist approach to growing plants that requires the least amount of tinkering/care.


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## murdocmason (Aug 17, 2009)

ahh yea sry about that zapins I'm just using inert river sand,but yea I think the El natural method is a little to slow for my liking , I'm a pretty finicky person and I love to trim and move stuff around so I think soil wouldnt be a good combo for me =) I have a hard enough time with the sand lol but yea I think my brain broke sometime around midnight last wednesday lol Ive been reading posts and looking at others photos and problems soo much I think it overloaded lol but now I'm stuck as to which style of dosing I want to go for not really into the whole dry ferts scene plus I have the spare money to dose a 25 gallon with the seachem line maybe when I get my 75 gallon going Ill try dry ferts but until then I'm still trying to understand the whole balance system for dosing correctly.

xXDOCXx


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Hehe ok, just thought I'd mention it since you posted in the "El Natural" forum haha.


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## murdocmason (Aug 17, 2009)

lol oops wrong forum guess i should have been in general my bad =)


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