[tylergvolk]

12long
36" satellite+
Iwagumi HC carpet

Recently I had a minor algae bloom in my tank due to too much light and I missed an EI micro dose day maybe 2. I immediately decreased the light duration and intensity and the algae stopped. Now it's a matter of erraticatting the established algae and getting the HC to outcompete.

My question is... How should I go about increasing the light again without triggering an algae bloom?

I know I need to increase the co2 and frets along with the light but I'm already blasting co2, dosing frets, and daily excell dosing. I feel like the HC need more light to really take off and flourish.

 

[greaser84]

I would add more light time very slowly. Don't go from 6 hours to 9 hours in one day. Maybe 30 minute increments over the course of several days maybe longer.

 

[tylergvolk]

I would add more light time very slowly. Don't go from 6 hours to 9 hours in one day. Maybe 30 minute increments over the course of several days maybe longer.

Okay, I can do that.

I can visually see how the plants respond as I gradually increase the light and make adjustments if need be.

Thanks for your advice.

 

[greaser84]

No prob. Eventually you'll be able to add more co2 and ferts, since you'll be stepping on the gas pedal if you will!

 

[AirstoND]

Raise lights 6 inches

 

[tylergvolk]

Raise lights 6 inches

So your suggesting I decrease the light intensity by suspending the light. Well, this fixture has a dimmer. I can turn the lights down by a push of a button. In fact, I've already done that. It helped with the algae. What I wanna do now is increase the light without triggering an algae bloom again.

 

[Hoppy]

The big "secret" for using more light without getting more algae is CO2. But, before you can get the CO2 concentration high you first need to make sure your tank water is very well oxygenated, so the fish can tolerate more CO2. And, you need to fine tune your tank maintenance skills, so you always have a clean tank, with clean filter and hoses, and no dead or dying plant parts in the tank, and no build-up of debris on the substrate. Only then can you raise the CO2 bubble rate enough to provide the plants with enough carbon so they can grow as fast as the higher light intensity is driving them to. Of course, you will also be making sure the plants growth rate isn't limited by any of the fertilizer nutrients. And, you will be sure you have good water circulation all over the tank, so all plants get CO2 rich water at all times. Finally, you will maintain the same concentration of CO2 in the water every day during the lights on time, day after day.

 

[tylergvolk]

The big "secret" for using more light without getting more algae is CO2. But, before you can get the CO2 concentration high you first need to make sure your tank water is very well oxygenated, so the fish can tolerate more CO2. And, you need to fine tune your tank maintenance skills, so you always have a clean tank, with clean filter and hoses, and no dead or dying plant parts in the tank, and no build-up of debris on the substrate. Only then can you raise the CO2 bubble rate enough to provide the plants with enough carbon so they can grow as fast as the higher light intensity is driving them to. Of course, you will also be making sure the plants growth rate isn't limited by any of the fertilizer nutrients. And, you will be sure you have good water circulation all over the tank, so all plants get CO2 rich water at all times. Finally, you will maintain the same concentration of CO2 in the water every day during the lights on time, day after day.

This is great. Now, I have an objective. I need to fine tune my tank maintenance skills. I need to work on this, I know I can do better. Quick question. If I do more than once a week water changes, then does that mean Day 1 of ferts starts after every water change?

I.e. 50% Water change Sunday; Monday macro; Tuesday micro, Wednesday water change 50% & macro. And so on.

Another question comes to mind. I'll dose EI macro on Monday by the end of the photo period, the same day, the nitrate are super low like 0-5. Should I be dosing more?

 

[riverrat]

Water change Sunday......Macro dose Sunday.
Why wait until Monday night? No wonder your kno3 is low.

 

[tylergvolk]

Water change Sunday......Macro dose Sunday.
Why wait until Monday night? No wonder your kno3 is low.

Got it! I dunno why I thought this way :/

 

[tylergvolk]

Maybe this is why...

 

[Hoppy]

EI dosing isn't mysterious, it isn't complex, it isn't cast in stone. It is just a concept that leads to the dosing tables, but which can be varied quite a bit if you understand the concept and stay within it. In other words, don't consistently double dose, don't skip several days, when you replace half the water, dose right away to get back on schedule, etc. You can also experiment to find what smaller dosages work for your tank, so you can stretch out the days between water changes, or change less than half the water. You can even overdose on purpose if that seems to help, but the more you dose, the more often big water changes are desirable.

 

[tylergvolk]

New dosing regime:

Sunday: 50% water change ; macro
Monday: micro
Tuesday: macro
Wednesday: micro
Thursday: macro
Friday: micro
Saturday: rest

This plan sounds better than my previous plan because the plants don't starve on Sunday after the water change.

Previous dosing regime:

S: 50% w/c; rest
M: macro
T: micro
W. Macro
T: micro
F: macro
S: micro