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Lighting/parameters question

1167 Views 11 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  Valo, 
V
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Hello everyone, I am having an issue and I can't seem to find a solution (I tried asking on the general forum, but I figured here I would get more help). I have a 55g low tech tank. My tank was doing pretty good, I had most of my plants where growing steadily and everything was okay. But the thing is my plants where never really lush, some of my plants that get tall get holes in their leaves, and for a while i struggled with GSA. Right now my setup is a 48"current LED + light (on a 8 hour timer), I have a wet dry for a filter, no CO2, and I dose micros &macros once a week (I use the 3 lb of N, 1 lb of P, 1 lb of K and 1 lb of CSM+B. mixed in two separate jugs for micros and macros each from nilocg).

What can I do to in order to get rid of the holes in the leaves? Is my light too weak to make the plants grow lush? should I dose more often?

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K
It's often from a potassium deficiency. I can't figure out what you're dosing from your original post. (the actual amount you are adding to the tank each week). Is that Saf-T-sorb you're using for the substrate?
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Kubla said:
It's often from a potassium deficiency. I can't figure out what you're dosing from your original post. (the actual amount you are adding to the tank each week). Is that Saf-T-sorb you're using for the substrate?
Click to expand...
I dose KNO3, KH2PO4, K2SO4 & CSM+B once a week. I mixed all macros and micros in separate 1 gallon jugs and I usually dose KNO3, KH2PO4, K2SO4 on Mondays and CSM+B on Tuesdays. Do you think I should dose more often?

and do you think my light is okay? or should I go with something stronger?

Oh and my substrate is Fluorite.
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Willcooper
Valo said:
I dose KNO3, KH2PO4, K2SO4 & CSM+B once a week. I mixed all macros and micros in separate 1 gallon jugs and I usually dose KNO3, KH2PO4, K2SO4 on Mondays and CSM+B on Tuesdays. Do you think I should dose more often?



and do you think my light is okay? or should I go with something stronger?



Oh and my substrate is Fluorite.
Click to expand...


Tell the person above how much of each nutrient (in grams or teaspoons) you are putting in each gallon and how many milliliters per dose. That will help answer their question and get you the help you are looking for.


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Willcooper said:
Tell the person above how much of each nutrient (in grams or teaspoons) you are putting in each gallon and how many milliliters per dose. That will help answer their question and get you the help you are looking for.


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Click to expand...
I mix: 16 1/4 teaspoons ok KNO3, 2 1/4 teaspoons of KH2PO4 and 5 1/4 teaspoons of K2SO4 in a gallon of distilled water. I dose 15 mL once a week.

On a separate gallon I mix 12 1/4 teaspoons of CSM +B. I also dose 15mL once a week.

Sorry for all the confusion, I am extremely new to all this.
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Willcooper
Valo said:
I mix: 16 1/4 teaspoons ok KNO3, 2 1/4 teaspoons of KH2PO4 and 5 1/4 teaspoons of K2SO4 in a gallon of distilled water. I dose 15 mL once a week.



On a separate gallon I mix 12 1/4 teaspoons of CSM +B. I also dose 15mL once a week.



Sorry for all the confusion, I am extremely new to all this.
Click to expand...


No worries. Through me for a loop trying to learn it as well. I'm sure someone will chime in and help you now that they know your dosing. If no one does, I'll give it a crack later tonight


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V
Awesome! Thank you so much!
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K
You're adding really minute amounts of fertilizer. Where did you come up with the dosing level? 15ml per week means it takes over 250 days to use it all. With only 16.25 tsp of KNO3 that's only about 1/20 tsp per week! I don't have anything set up low tech, but that's a very low level of fertilization. I would think you would be somewhere in the area of 5-10X that amount.
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chale
Not a real scientific guy but I use Tom Barr's method which you're on that path. I use 1/4 TSP of Seachem Equlibrium, 1/8 TSP of KNO3 and 1/32 TSP KH2PO4 per 20 gallons weekly. I stagger each, 1 on Monday, 1 on Wednesday and 1 on Friday. I have a heavy fish load also for fertilizer and this has worked extremely well. My lights are on for 9 hours. If I start to see yellowing plants or other things, I dose a little extra. I'm using T5HO lights too. Plants grow like weeds and I have to trim monthly. Almost forgot that I use oscomote+ root tabs in the substrate. Look up Tom Barr's report on Non-CO2 tanks and read up. Great info. Tom is also on here too.
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V
I used the chart from Dosing Instructions I used the 15ml per week for a 55g. I don't know if that helps? how much should I mix in then?
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K
Ok, glad you included the link. You're mixing with 1 gallon of distilled water and the dosing instructions on that site says to mix the chemicals with 500ml of water. Your solution is way weak. 1 Gallon = 3785.41178 Milliliters so you're dosing less than 1/7 of what you're shooting for.
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V
Oh wow, I never connected the dots! No wonder! When they gave me the instructions they just told me to mix all that in a galon! I will make the conversion and go from there! Thank you!
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