Tank is a 46g. bow front with 96 watts of AH lighting and pressurized Co2.
1. pH = 7.2 to 7.6. Hard to tell as the color looks to be between these two.

2. Nitrates = 10-20 ppm. Color depends on whether you are holding test tube
against the white
or a little ways away when comparing colors.

3. Phosphates = .1

4. GH= 14dGH

5. KH= 8dKH

6. Co2 = 15.1 to 6.02 Depending on the pH reading.

Tests were done about 2 hrs. after lights on. Fish seem happy and healthy as
the multitude of Trumpet snails, pond snails, and Ramshorn do. There are
several bunches of Rotala Magenta that grow like weeds, this is where the
beard algae likes to grow. Some of the larger broad leafed plants have holes
in the leaves. Fertilization is TMG dosed 2.5mm three times a week, and
plant tabs and some Jobes for palms and ferns.
I know that the best time to check Co2 is right before lights on, but the
lighting at that time of the morning is not good enough for me to match the
colors. So, anyone see anything here they wish to comment on, please do.
Thanks.
--
Paul

"You can make it foolproof, but you can't make it Damned foolproof."

With a pressurized CO2 system, I'm surprised at those wildly different pH
readings. Best time to test for pH is in the morning just before lights on
and in the evening just before lights off. That way you can compare pH
readings before and after the lights have been on. With a pressurized
system I would expect nearly the same reading at both times. If not,
increase your bubble rate or find the leak! Check the test tube against a
white background. Get a friend to look at the color too. I do that with my
kids all the time.

DJay


"Paul O." wrote in message
...
Tank is a 46g. bow front with 96 watts of AH lighting and pressurized Co2.
1. pH = 7.2 to 7.6. Hard to tell as the color looks to be between these
two.

2. Nitrates = 10-20 ppm. Color depends on whether you are holding test
tube
against the white
or a little ways away when comparing colors.

3. Phosphates = .1

4. GH= 14dGH

5. KH= 8dKH

6. Co2 = 15.1 to 6.02 Depending on the pH reading.

Tests were done about 2 hrs. after lights on. Fish seem happy and healthy
as
the multitude of Trumpet snails, pond snails, and Ramshorn do. There are
several bunches of Rotala Magenta that grow like weeds, this is where the
beard algae likes to grow. Some of the larger broad leafed plants have
holes
in the leaves. Fertilization is TMG dosed 2.5mm three times a week, and
plant tabs and some Jobes for palms and ferns.
I know that the best time to check Co2 is right before lights on, but the
lighting at that time of the morning is not good enough for me to match
the
colors. So, anyone see anything here they wish to comment on, please do.
Thanks.
--
Paul

"You can make it foolproof, but you can't make it Damned foolproof."

"Paul O." wrote in message ...
Tank is a 46g. bow front with 96 watts of AH lighting and pressurized Co2.
1. pH = 7.2 to 7.6. Hard to tell as the color looks to be between these two.

To high. Add more CO2!
Keep the pH between 6.9 and 7.0 the whole time the lights are on!
The rest of the nutrients don't mean much if this is not taken care
of.
Test right before the lights go out, not on. If the pH is 7.2 or
higher, you need to add more. I turn my CO2 off at night and crank it
in during the day.

2. Nitrates = 10-20 ppm. Color depends on whether you are holding test tube
against the white
or a little ways away when comparing colors.

A little high but not too confident in the accuracy of your NO3 test
kit either.


3. Phosphates = .1

Too low.


4. GH= 14dGH

5. KH= 8dKH

6. Co2 = 15.1 to 6.02 Depending on the pH reading.

Tests were done about 2 hrs. after lights on. Fish seem happy and healthy as
the multitude of Trumpet snails, pond snails, and Ramshorn do. There are
several bunches of Rotala Magenta that grow like weeds, this is where the
beard algae likes to grow. Some of the larger broad leafed plants have holes
in the leaves. Fertilization is TMG dosed 2.5mm three times a week, and
plant tabs and some Jobes for palms and ferns.

Don't use anymore of the jobes.
Dose 7-8mls of TMG 2-3x a week.

I know that the best time to check Co2 is right before lights on, but the
lighting at that time of the morning is not good enough for me to match the
colors.

It's not the best time. It is good to measure it in the AM and the PM.
This will tell you the CO2 levels for the day and if you need to
modify your CO2 system etc. If you test once a day, test an hour or
two before the lights go OFF.



So, anyone see anything here they wish to comment on, please do.
Thanks.