[Django]

Yeah, I user a timer like that too. And I like the way it's set up with those little switches all the way around and you don't have the little colored plastic things that you push in where you want them, that can be lost.

I have one dome clamped to a tripod and the other clamped to a floor lamp. 10W seems good for me and I have 13Ws if I have to go up. They're about 4-6" above the top of the tank now, so I can go down a ways.

 

[kidgrave]

I have only been dosing Flourish Comprehensive and Root Tabs. My plants stopped growing and I had problems with algae. Now my substrate is MGOCPM and I'll have unlimited ferts for a couple of years.

I think there are at least a few fert methods. You could google "fert method comparison" or just "fert methods."

I just decided to forget about the ferts and go with MGOCPM to dirt my tank. I have been doing research about how long the nutrients last with MGOCPM and I keep finding mixed information. Some people say MGOCPM will run out of nutrients, and others say that it will not run out since the fish poop and debris will replenish it's minerals. How long do you think that soil will last? Did you use red clay on your dirt?

 

[Django]

I heard something like 3 years, but the idea of fish poop increading the time, especially in a small tank, is encouraging.

No, I didn't use red clay on top - I used good ol' Petco black sand, but what I bought wasn't enough, so I ended up having a lot of dirt going into the water, enough to darken it considerably. So I bought another bag and put some more in the front. I'm going to trim the Swords' roots I have two that are together - one was an offshoot of the original plant. So while I'm doing that I'll put more sand there and on the rest of the back.