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"Dave M. Picklyk" wrote in message
news:uEtxc.556$Dr.465@edtnps84...
The N is my problem, I cut it out after seeing algae appearing on some
stuff. Then I did a test and it was insanely high...the test kits sux...it
was saying like 30ppm or so....maybe who knows the colors were all messed
up
(Nutrafin). Anyhoo, after getting rid of some fish I now I'm measure
around
5 ppm which is supposed to be the ideal range...but I'm not sure if it's
under 5 ppm like say 2 or 1 ppm...because the test kit sucks so much.

Dave, maybe its just me and you, but due to events like living in a third
world country I simply do not have access to all those groovy test kits I
hear all of you talking about. Either they're non-existant or have simply
been sitting on the shelf too long and are rendered useless. Test kits are
highly overpriced here and as you say can sometimes be very difficult to
read!

Anyhow, I've given up on test kits and just use ranges. Here's what I do:
Sunday: 50-70% water change on a 10 gallon.
You can safely assume that with this w/c the nutrients have been reset to
"very low". Lets consider them all zero. If you take my nutrient dosing from
the post above I would dose a good 4ml's sometimes more depending on how I
feel the plants are doing. 5ppm N is way too low (IME) and I try to push it
up to between 15-20ppm N. I dose fleet enema (4-6 drops) and then dose
traces (locally manufactured and cheap) 3-5ml. Mix up a new batch of co2 (I
have 2 2litre coke bottles fed into the intake of an AC filter on a 10
gallon tank), new bottle bi-weekly. Ferts are dosed again on Wednesday night
at lights out and again on Friday at lights out. This pretty much keeps my
tank in top notch condition, sometimes I slip and don't change the bottle
only to have small outbreaks of BBA. Otherwise the tank is pristine . I
have 2 15watt cool white clip on desk lamps which work like a bomb. Every
Sunday I do some vigorous pruning and then only have 1 of the lights on till
say Thursday, by that time my Sessiflora has reached the top and is trailing
over the water surface blocking light to the plants below (Windelov,
anubias, crypts, java fern & Monnieri) this is when I switch on the 2nd
light and blast 3wpg until the next Sunday water change.


I can't afford the Lamotte kits ($156 CAN each plus ~$175 hazardous goods
freight charge to bring accross the border) but I've heard of Salifert and
some others that are much better than what I have. I think once I have the
higher light cranked I need much more accurate measuring of nutrients in
my
aquarium. Everything becomes more difficult

Actually you're making it difficult for yourself. The Nutrients can only be
in an optimum range, you don't HAVE to be spot on, this indeed would be
difficult. Ditch the test kits, they'll only give you grey hair and make
your eyes squint. With 4wpg you would probably need to dose 4 times a week
instead of 3 etc. Nutrient dosing is not cast in stone, there are only
guidelines, it all depends on fishload, plant varieties and light & co2.
Every aquarist is different. Be discerning and watch your plants relating to
your dosing schedule, if they seem a bit frail at the end of the week then
feed more, if they look good then maybe a tad less until you find 'your
tank's' optimum schedule. As Einstein said: "Its all relative" HTH. Happy
gardening mate.