Got a new light - Wow

[Flutter]

We got a new light yesterday because the high light plants are prettier than the low light ones. Later found out that some of the higher light plants that we had had gone brownish due to a lack of light. I thought it was a lack of iron.

So, after the light has been on about 6 hours (a couple hours yesterday night then 4 today) we've seen some plant growth and the three plants which had gone brownish now have leaves that are turning pinkish/reddish or the new ones that have grown are pinkish/reddish.

It's so exciting We now have 3.2W/gal and have already seen changes. I hope the new plants do well! Fingers crossed Now to sell the old light bar (which is excellent but not as good for this tank).

[marksrush]

Cool, so exactly what is it that you got? I'm thinking of upgrading the lighting on one of my freshwater tanks and I'm curious what you have since it seems you're pretty satisfied with it.

[Flutter]

It's a 36" Hagen Glo T5HO double and we put two 6700k plant bulbs in it.

[Flutter]

We got the CO2 up and running tonight. Currently a 2L bottle and we'll add another one in a few weeks. We've got about 5 plant species producing streams of oxygen bubbles

We're picking up nitrogen tomorrow because there isn't any in the tank Need more fish

[J-P]

Keep a close eye on that KH level... too much CO2 and you'll have a PH crash

[Flutter]

I hope not. We don't have a test kit. We have it set up so that whenever the lights are on the bubbler is off. When the lights are off the bubbler goes on. It's pretty powerful so we're hoping that it'll do a decent job at controlling the CO2 level. The water's also very hard and I think that helps. Fingers crossed.

[J-P]

you mean the reactor goes off? The CO2 would still enter unless stopped at the source no?

http://csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_co2chart.htm

VERY useful and Chuck is highly regarded by RTR

BTW ... why shut of CO2 during lights on? I run mine 24/7.

[Flutter]

The CO2 is on 24/7 but we have an air disc in there as well (which puts out a lot of air/bubbles). That is what goes on and off. We tried to find a CO2 test kit but they were only available online. We'll read that link in a few minutes and maybe pick up one of those test kits tomorrow as we have to go back to the store anyways.

[J-P]

CO2 is read by your KH and PH levels and a calculator. Phosphates screw up that reading.

[Flutter]

We dose with Flourish phosphorus (which is a potassium phosphate), do you know how that will effect the results?

[Flutter]

From some reading done our belief is that the phosphorus will screw up the results. We're going to test tomorrow as it'll be the longest amount of time after the phosphorus was dosed and we'll compare it to tap water as well. Our biggest worry is that we wouldn't get enough as we have a high amount of surface agitation and water flow at the surface.

Until then I've looked up warning signs and everything appears to be perfectly fine. The plants are working very hard

[J-P]

that are no real side effects ... it just throws your CO2 count off. How it does that I have no idea.

[Nick]

I generally stick to Flourish Excel in my higher light planted tanks, rather than homebrew or pressurized CO2. That stuff is just a little too far in a direction I don't want to go in.

[doraemon]

I know its off topic but congrats on your new irrubesco's flutter
Any pics and news on how they are doing?

[Flutter]

No pictures yet. They're the same colour of my substrate I went away last night and just recently got back and with a flashlight I found the large male alone and then the other male and females together. The females were curled up asleep on the substrate and the male appeared to be half awake. They looked like they were doing just fine. Their bellies didn't look as sunken in as when I got them even without eating today so it looks like the medication is already working. I have my windows open because the place reeks of Melafix and it's like 3C out

They're so adorable and tiny (about an inch not including tails), I want a hundred more I'm so tempted to add a third pair when I can find them.