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I think the big issue with the poster is too much light. As is the case, then balancing that is a PITA, start with light, chose less, not more. If you need more growth? Add CO2 next. Then some ferts. If that level/rate of growth is too little for you and you are a master...

These are all 8000K: Regards, Tom Barr

Just toss it and kill it, get something else, it is a terrible weed and should not be used in the hobby, try Egeria najas instead. Regards, Tom Barr

I think the well water is more the issue here. You should pre treat this prior to adding it to the shrimp tank. If the shrimp are high value, eg SSS grade CRS........then use a carbon prefilter for the tap water. Then use Seachem prime and allow the water to sit a day or so in the bucket. Then...

This same topic comes up about once every 3-6 months somewhere and has for the last 15 years I've posted on line. When you add CO2 enrichment, it does NOTHING to the KH, it will change pH but has no effect on fish. I have done massive water changes using the same KH, but the pH is often 1...

In most fully planted tanks with CO2 enrichment, you tend to need more trace elements than any suggestions on commercial labels. I must have several thousand RCS, a few hundred Amanos and I dose very heavily all ferts, KNO3 (45ppm per week of NO3), KH2PO4(15ppm per week), CMS+B+DTPA as Fe as a...

Yep: More fish adds more ferts, but also has no impact on dosing. Adding too little and having fish etc, is more critical however, but EI when done with good CO2, reasonable light intensity.......never should be an issue for fish/shrimp etc. Regards, Tom Barr

Please do not misconstrue my intent, I advocate testing for specific questions and to answer some issues. But..........by and large, folks get nutrocentric, then lose sight of the light and CO2. Happens all the time on the forums unfortunately. They end up wasting their effort and motivation...

BTW, the Tropica artilce really shows how the different methods with CO2/non CO2 enrichment still both grow plants.....but at different rates. We add CO2 to reduce CO2 competition between species and also to enhance the light use efficacy. Plants still grow without adding CO2 gas, just much...

You need not not assume that EI requires 50% water change a week, I do once a month of 2 of my tanks, none on the non CO2 tank and weekly on some of my tanks. Depends. For management of growth rates/work etc, you start where growth starts....sort of obvious ain't it? I suggest you use less...

If you have plenty of current and water flow, then O2 is never low............and this allows more wiggle room for CO2 enrichment if you use that, and also more for Excel etc. So why not add more current and keep the fish happier with higher O2 exchange? You might get away without much if you...

+1 on using Excel to prevent mold etc, gets the stuff out of the refrig where beer and food belong. I use 2table spoons per 500mls, then spike with some DTPA(I add about 2 tsp). This allows longer time in the water column for Fe in both high and lower KH's. ETDA is cheap.........but DTPA is...

They still sell those infernal things? Spend the $ on a gas tank and regulator. Regards, Tom Barr

I'll take the dual sponge filter Regards, Tom Barr

pH is not the issue, CO2 is. High light, not enough CO2, nutrients etc = algae. Cut the light way down(1/2 this amount- run 2x 65W for 5 hours, then the other 2 for 5 hours with no overlap), consider adding CO2 etc. Stop messing with pH buffers, use tap water, measure the KH and GH of the...

Balancing the tank is best approached with each type of dosing and then decide which method will allow you to get to the goal you want. So........ http://www.tropica.com/advising/technical-articles/biology-of-aquatic-plants/co2-and-light.aspx CO2 will help the plants use the light much more...

Sounds like it was mostly a Mg++ issue if they greened up again. I've long used GH booster which takes care of Mg, Ca and K+, kills 3 birds with one stone. Regards, Tom Barr

You get the water from the lakes on Mt Tam and Russian river water. Gh is fine. It has plenty of Ca++ but is a little low on the Mg. I lived in SR, Novato, Larkspur, SA for about 15 years, I'm not sure they pie the Russian river water down that far, I sort of doubt it, you can call MMWD and...

The sword is a fast growing weed. The vals can use KH as a carbon source much better than the swords, but they can use KH as well, they prefer CO2(both/all plants do over KH). This book is incorrect. The issue has nothing to do with dilution. Plants, all of them, are very good at controlling...

This is true. As well as better for the fish that are there to begin with. Regards, Tom Barr