So far with my setup, I've found great growth in all my plants (healthy and fast) with 0 algae (except a little bit of GSA on the glass), 0 NH4, and 0 NO2.
It's really been simple so far:
4wpg of Metal Halide
30-40ppm CO2
Aqua Soil of course
6-8mL of Potassium and Trace everyday in the form of Brighty K and Green Brighty Step 1
Absolutely no dosing of N or P
and 20% WC every other day from a well with a pH of 6.8 (*first month, everyday)
I've found no need at all to dose N or P, and I have a strong feeling that the Aquasoil takes care of it for me. All I need to dose is K and Trace.
For me, I think the largest contributor to my extremely low algae is the water changes. For the first month I did 20% WC's EVERYDAY and never saw a hint of algae during the almost non-existent Nitrogen cycle. My NH4 never went past 3ppm's and my NO2 never went past 1ppm. Never saw a hint of Diatoms, BBA, BGA ect ect. The water changes were always done right before or after the photoperiod, with dosings of K and Trace following directly after.
Keep in mind, 4wpg in a 40g 75p is a lot of light, and this is also my first tank... Maybe I got lucky, but I'm not really one to believe or rely on luck, I think this method has some validity to it when compared to Amano's low water column nutrients that were evident in his previous and current scapes. I hope this helps some, IME, a little bit of work goes a long way in this hobby. WC'S!!
Chris Laracy
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