I was hoping you're going to answer this post...

Thanks for the info. I'm going to start dosing immediately.

Also... I have 260 watts of PC over my 75 gal. tank (48" long). I
currently have the light fixture suspended about 21" above the substrate.
If I put the fixture directly on top of the tank... it would be about 18"
above the substrate. What would you recommend given the amount of lighting
I have.

Thanks Again Tom for the advice!

--
Craig Brye
University of Phoenix Online

" wrote in message
m...
"Craig Brye" wrote in message
...
I just set-up my 75 gal. tank for plants. I have fluorite substrate,
3+watts/gallon, and the temperature is a constant 74-75 degrees. I have
pressurized CO2 (KH 3, pH around 6.6-6.7).

the swords seem to be growing at a rate I would expect. I used
substrate fertilizer to begin with, but no water fertilizers per Chuck's
plan.

I plan on using PMDD, as I'm accustomed to this method. I have,
however, always had a rough time in the first two months of keeping
plants in other tanks due to algae. This is why I'm trying Chuck's
method.

Anyone else have experience with this plan? I imagine things will start
to take off, but I wanted anyone else's insight. I'm not used to seeing
growth this slow.

Thank you,

You need more CO2, drop the pH to 6.5 and keep it there using only CO2
gas to do it.

If you want a tank that has no trouble from set up on............use
the peat and mulm method I have told folks to do.

This adds precisely what is missing from an old established tank and
there is no down time when you set up a new tank.

Too many folks do not add the mulm...........this is the best thing
you can add to a new tank!

I add fertilizers to the water column, not the substrate.
Plants prefer and will take nutrients from the water column first if
the nutrients are present there.

That's why the swords will do better, they will go after the nutrients
in the substrate since there are none in the water column. What choice
do they have if there are none in the water column?

I add about 1/2 dosings the first week. 3/4 by the 2nd week and full
by the 3rd
week.

I add:
KNO3
KH2PO4
Traces(Flourish or TMG)

GH/KH if needed

Crank the CO2!

Regards,
Tom Barr