[CalPoly12]

Here is some background:
Lighting:t5 HO 4x39 (using all four bulbs) suspended 31" above the substrate. 10 Hours a day
Substrate: ADA new amazonia with power sand and tourmaline bc.
Filtration: Eheim 2215
Co2: pressurized w/ ph monitor set to activate when ph goes above 6.7.
Ferts: Pferts, not using them at the moment.
Heater: inline set at 80


These are the readings that I am getting BEFORE i do my daily water change...

ph 6.6 according to probe and test.
ammonia 4.0 ppm
nitrite .50 ppm
nitrate 20ppm
Going to be getting KH and GH tomorrow.


So this tank has been set up for a week and I am still doing daily water changes to keep the levels in check. I have been running the lights for 10 hours a day. Everything seems to be doing here is my plant list:

Pogostemon erectus
Mayaca fluviatilis, stream bogmoss
eleocharis parvula,dwarf hairgrass
glossostigma elatinoides
myriophyllum tuberculatum "red"
didplis diandra
echinodorus parviflorus "tropica"
stargrass,heteranthera zosterifolia

So here is my questions/problems

1.Everything is doing good except the glosso which is browning out.

2. My ph only rises above 6.7 a few times a day/night, this means that my co2 is not being administered as often as it seems it should be....

3. How rapid should growth be?

Any other input would be great! the ph is what is worrying me the most....

 

[CalPoly12]

o tank is a 40 g ada rimless

 

[DarkCobra]

It's my understanding the Amazonia lowers PH and KH. And probably does so quite strongly when new, then tapers off.

So you're probably correct on #2, and there's little CO2 in the tank. The KH test will help you determine that. But I'd get a drop checker and 4°KH solution as well, to give you a visual indicator of the CO2 levels. Especially since the KH may continue to change significantly over time at first. Also, PH probes don't last forever, so down the road the drop checker may alert you that the probe needs maintenance.

Growth may be slow for a couple of weeks as plants and parameters settle in.

 

[wendyjo]

Why are you doing water changes?

 

[CalPoly12]

It's my understanding the Amazonia lowers PH and KH. And probably does so quite strongly when new, then tapers off.

So you're probably correct on #2, and there's little CO2 in the tank. The KH test will help you determine that. But I'd get a drop checker and 4°KH solution as well, to give you a visual indicator of the CO2 levels. Especially since the KH may continue to change significantly over time at first. Also, PH probes don't last forever, so down the road the drop checker may alert you that the probe needs maintenance.

Growth may be slow for a couple of weeks as plants and parameters settle in.

Awesome thanks for the info!

Why are you doing water changes?

your supposed to do a water change for the first two weeks with ada substrate...