Opinion/help on my water

Hello all,

I just got a glut of test kits in the mail, and have been finally able to
test my water for most of the parameters, and I was wondering if someone
could tell me if any of my values need improvment. For background, I have a
130L (3') tank w/ 2 30W tubes (10,000K and 18,000K), reasonably well planted
(6 out of 10 are quick growers), 4 corys, 2 bristlenoses, and 8 neons (so
far, but will be expanding, prolly some SAE's, corys and dwarf cichlids).
25% water change every 2 weeks, w/ DIY CO2 (yeast)...

pH: 7.2
NO2: 0
kH: 4.48
gH: 7.28 (130ppm)
Fe: ~0.25 ppm
NH4: 0
PO4: off the Seachem chart (above 3). I think this is becasue I initially
used discus buffer when I set up the tank a month ago. - BTW, how long will
it take to drop it with my water changes and fast growing plants?

- Is the gH too much for the intended fish/ plants?

Thanks a bunch! (ha ha... ok. sorry. bad pun.)

- Seweryn

On Thu, 2 Oct 2003 16:59:13 +1000, "Seweryn" wrote:

could tell me if any of my values need improvment. For background, I have a
130L (3') tank w/ 2 30W tubes (10,000K and 18,000K),

Not a particularly high-light tank....

reasonably well planted
(6 out of 10 are quick growers),

Do you have 10 species of plants, or 10 plants? In my mind, a
"reasonably well planted" tank would have at least 50% of the
substrate covered by plants. Many times, people think they have a
well-planted or even heavily planted tank, and they really only
approached my definition of lightly planted.

4 corys, 2 bristlenoses, and 8 neons (so
far, but will be expanding, prolly some SAE's, corys and dwarf cichlids).
25% water change every 2 weeks, w/ DIY CO2 (yeast)...

pH: 7.2
kH: 4.48

CO2 level is kind of low (8ppm by the CO2 chart).

PO4: off the Seachem chart (above 3). I think this is becasue I initially
used discus buffer when I set up the tank a month ago. - BTW, how long will
it take to drop it with my water changes and fast growing plants?

I'd personally just do a few large changes over a day or two and get
rid of most of the phosphate problem....


gH: 7.28 (130ppm)
- Is the gH too much for the intended fish/ plants?

Definitely no problem for the neons, cories, plecos, or saes. Might
be an issue for some dwarf cichlids. And some types of dwarf cichlids
might be a problem for a planted tank (plant ripping, etc).

And plants will definitely not complain about a high GH. That's just
more Calcium and Magnesium available for them....


Chuck Gadd
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua

130L (3') tank w/ 2 30W tubes (10,000K and 18,000K),
Not a particularly high-light tank....

Would another 30W tube help much? ( I just used a standard fluoro light bar,
whacked a frame and a u-shaped al-foil reflector around it and got some
aquarium tubes)

Do you have 10 species of plants, or 10 plants?
Both actually :-) Although I split my novazealandea, and I just got another
3 small crypts in the mail. Right now it's about 34-40% covered, but I try
to leave bare patches open for the corys and aesthetic reasons.

Cheers,
Seweryn