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Journal 78L LED Zeppelin
Foreword
Hello everyone! I have been following the forum quietly for a while now, and this is my first post. I have kept aquariums for most of my life, gradually moving from simple setups to more advanced planted tanks. You can see about 2–3 years of that journey below.
Over time, I developed a peculiar interest in understanding lighting for planted tanks – even writing an article on BarrReport a few years ago. My most recent tank was in 2020, but due to other commitments and life events, I have been without a tank since then. Now, I am excited to return to the hobby with a new project focused on creating an organized, high-tech tank that conceals as much equipment as possible while leaving room for experimentation.
In this journal, I will be sharing my plans and progress along the way.
Disclaimer
This tank will not be an exercise in efficiency. Many of the choices and approaches I take in this journal may not make much sense, financially, practically, or in terms of time and effort. And you’d be absolutely right to think so! But that is not the kind of feedback I am after here.
This project is more of a holistic journey for me. I am excited to get back into planted tanks, but I am also using this opportunity to experiment with ideas I have not explored before, and especially to improve my woodworking, plumbing, and electrical work skills.
I am also well aware that none of this guarantees that the tank will do well, let alone that it will measure up to some of the incredible tanks shared here. But that is part of the fun and the challenge that I am embracing.
Tank
UNS 60U 60x36x36 cm, optiwhite glass.
Cabinet
DIY build – 60 × 36 × 80 cm, likely from MDF or particle board. Neither is ideal when it comes to moisture (especially the latter), but where I come from, this is what 95% of people use. It is also what I have always used in the past.
With proper edge sealing and a bit of care, it should hold up just fine. The idea is to organize tubing, piping, and cables as neatly as possible. I am planning to add adjustable heavy-duty feet, a drawer for the filter, and another drawer to hide all the electrical outlets and the control center for operating electronics.
Filtration
Not much to say here. I will go with either a Fluval 207, Aquael Ultramax 1000 or Oase Biomaster 250. A flow rate around 700–800 L/h should be sufficient even with extra tubing and plumbing.
In my previous setup, I had issues with air buildup near the pump intake, which I want to avoid this time. I've read that the Biomaster sometimes struggles with this too, and Ultramax seems quite chonky. I was leaning heavily into Fluval 207, but the fixed vertical outlets are a major bummer.
Lighting
Yes, I know. With how good and affordable RGB LED fixtures are these days, it makes zero sense to DIY your own. But this is where my personal obsession kicks in.
I lead a research group in photochemistry, and I am fascinated by light. I have experimented with different lighting setups in the past, and I feel there is still a lot left to explore, especially in terms of spectrum and plant physiology.
The industry focuses almost extensively on the low hanging fruit – 460/525/630 nm trio of LEDs. It is proven and makes a lot of sense from financial point of view. But back in the T5 era, many tubes emitted across a broader spectrum, including wavelengths better suited for transcriptional regulation via cryptochromes and phytochromes. Some recent cool papers explored this, albeit mostly on terrestrial plants.
Hello everyone! I have been following the forum quietly for a while now, and this is my first post. I have kept aquariums for most of my life, gradually moving from simple setups to more advanced planted tanks. You can see about 2–3 years of that journey below.
Over time, I developed a peculiar interest in understanding lighting for planted tanks – even writing an article on BarrReport a few years ago. My most recent tank was in 2020, but due to other commitments and life events, I have been without a tank since then. Now, I am excited to return to the hobby with a new project focused on creating an organized, high-tech tank that conceals as much equipment as possible while leaving room for experimentation.
In this journal, I will be sharing my plans and progress along the way.
Disclaimer
This tank will not be an exercise in efficiency. Many of the choices and approaches I take in this journal may not make much sense, financially, practically, or in terms of time and effort. And you’d be absolutely right to think so! But that is not the kind of feedback I am after here.
This project is more of a holistic journey for me. I am excited to get back into planted tanks, but I am also using this opportunity to experiment with ideas I have not explored before, and especially to improve my woodworking, plumbing, and electrical work skills.
I am also well aware that none of this guarantees that the tank will do well, let alone that it will measure up to some of the incredible tanks shared here. But that is part of the fun and the challenge that I am embracing.
Tank
UNS 60U 60x36x36 cm, optiwhite glass.
Cabinet
DIY build – 60 × 36 × 80 cm, likely from MDF or particle board. Neither is ideal when it comes to moisture (especially the latter), but where I come from, this is what 95% of people use. It is also what I have always used in the past.
With proper edge sealing and a bit of care, it should hold up just fine. The idea is to organize tubing, piping, and cables as neatly as possible. I am planning to add adjustable heavy-duty feet, a drawer for the filter, and another drawer to hide all the electrical outlets and the control center for operating electronics.
Filtration
Not much to say here. I will go with either a Fluval 207, Aquael Ultramax 1000 or Oase Biomaster 250. A flow rate around 700–800 L/h should be sufficient even with extra tubing and plumbing.
In my previous setup, I had issues with air buildup near the pump intake, which I want to avoid this time. I've read that the Biomaster sometimes struggles with this too, and Ultramax seems quite chonky. I was leaning heavily into Fluval 207, but the fixed vertical outlets are a major bummer.
Lighting
Yes, I know. With how good and affordable RGB LED fixtures are these days, it makes zero sense to DIY your own. But this is where my personal obsession kicks in.
I lead a research group in photochemistry, and I am fascinated by light. I have experimented with different lighting setups in the past, and I feel there is still a lot left to explore, especially in terms of spectrum and plant physiology.
The industry focuses almost extensively on the low hanging fruit – 460/525/630 nm trio of LEDs. It is proven and makes a lot of sense from financial point of view. But back in the T5 era, many tubes emitted across a broader spectrum, including wavelengths better suited for transcriptional regulation via cryptochromes and phytochromes. Some recent cool papers explored this, albeit mostly on terrestrial plants.
- Many of the T5 tubes used to emit 660 nm (a deeper shade of red), that is better absorbed by chlorophyll a and phytochrome. We know that in terrestrial plants 660 vs 630 nm induces morphological changes – more compact, bushier growth.
- The intensity of red vs blue light might also be important – it can the plant how deep it is since red light penetrates worse into water due to absorption coefficient of water and light scattering.
- Most of the T5 also had emission bands at 400 and 420 nm. Violet/blue that we can barely see, yet it strongly activates cryptochromes (something a typical 470 nm LED does not do well) – which thought to be responsible for carotenoid/anthocyanine production via HY5 pathway.
- Due to their technology, T5 tubes used to emit traces of UV light (e.g. UVA at 365 nm but also shorter wavelengths). We know that UV light is a stressor that can trigger production of pigments and flavor/fragrant compounds. This is starting to see use in controlled food production industry too.
Besides the scientific curiosity, there is an aesthetic angle too. I prefer my tanks on the dimmer side, avoiding the overly bright "glow" look. Using wavelengths that our eyes are less sensitive to (like 420 or 660 nm) might help maintain lower visual brightness without compromising PAR.
Planned setup: 6 independently controlled PWM channels – 660, 630, 520, 460, 400+420, and 365 nm high-power LEDs. Total power: ~70 W.
CO2
Nothing fancy: a small 500 g bottle and regulator. My last tank (320 L) used a 2 kg bottle every 3 months, so I expect this one to last at least as long, if not longer.
I’m going to use a Yugang reactor. This was not really a thing the last time I had a tank, but I love it already. Hoping it eliminates the microbubble haze I used to hate. I should need about 122 cm² of surface area (60×36/17.7). I’m planning a ~40 cm long PVC tube (OD 40 mm, ID 35 mm), which should land me around 140 cm². CO₂ will be injected via a G1/4" stainless steel check valve into the top inlet of the reactor.
Fertilization
As a chemist, I have always enjoyed experimenting with DIY ferts, and I plan to continue that tradition. I will use four dosing pumps connected inline to the filtration return line via G1/4” check valves. I found some low cracking pressure check valves, so the pumps should manage – let’s see. Salt precipitation is also a concern, but I plan to use more dilute stock solutions to help prevent this. That should also improve dosing accuracy.
Control Center
This is one of the parts I am most excited about. I plan to build the control system around a Raspberry Pi, which gives me a great excuse to learn more about the ecosystem and work on my coding skills.
I will likely start with a RoboTank or ReefPi implementation and then customize from there.
I hopped into Blender and created some quick renders of the setup that I have in mind (and to help with piping planning):
Planned setup: 6 independently controlled PWM channels – 660, 630, 520, 460, 400+420, and 365 nm high-power LEDs. Total power: ~70 W.
CO2
Nothing fancy: a small 500 g bottle and regulator. My last tank (320 L) used a 2 kg bottle every 3 months, so I expect this one to last at least as long, if not longer.
I’m going to use a Yugang reactor. This was not really a thing the last time I had a tank, but I love it already. Hoping it eliminates the microbubble haze I used to hate. I should need about 122 cm² of surface area (60×36/17.7). I’m planning a ~40 cm long PVC tube (OD 40 mm, ID 35 mm), which should land me around 140 cm². CO₂ will be injected via a G1/4" stainless steel check valve into the top inlet of the reactor.
Fertilization
As a chemist, I have always enjoyed experimenting with DIY ferts, and I plan to continue that tradition. I will use four dosing pumps connected inline to the filtration return line via G1/4” check valves. I found some low cracking pressure check valves, so the pumps should manage – let’s see. Salt precipitation is also a concern, but I plan to use more dilute stock solutions to help prevent this. That should also improve dosing accuracy.
Control Center
This is one of the parts I am most excited about. I plan to build the control system around a Raspberry Pi, which gives me a great excuse to learn more about the ecosystem and work on my coding skills.
I will likely start with a RoboTank or ReefPi implementation and then customize from there.
I hopped into Blender and created some quick renders of the setup that I have in mind (and to help with piping planning):
Looking forward to your thoughts, ideas and comments!
Peter
13 Replies
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1479 views
Supporting
I Donated 2026
Rockstar
So I was pondering fish food because, as I've mentioned before, I have no life. I see there was a post a few years back about feeding tetras but only a couple replies.
It seems, since we are primarily an aquatic plant enthusiast community, we tend to keep smaller species of fish. That's not to say some of us don't have big Cichlid tanks we don't discuss here much, but in general I think most of us are keeping fish in the sub 4" range. So what foods do you feed your smaller fish, especially the sub 2" species?
My primary go-to for my tetras, rasboras, dwarf gouramis, and platys, is Xtreme Nano pellets, Once a week I give them some frozen baby brine shrimp and/or daphnia. I do have a baby brine shrimp hatchery kit and have used it a few times, but I don't know that the fish really care if its live or frozen because their reaction to it is the same. I also go with Xtreme Community Peewee pellets occasionally but at sub 2", they seem to take the Nano pellets more easily. The shop I bought my first fish, told me they feed their smaller fish the Xtreme Nano so that's why I initially went with it. I've also tried various flakes including Bug Bites, but my fish don't seem to care for it as much and it just pollutes the tank.
Interested to hear what works well for others as I'd like to experiment and see if there's something else the fish might like even more. I imagine the responses for someone keeping the smaller cichlid species might be much different but interested to hear that as well since I might look into some of those species, like rams or even angelfish, on future larger tanks.
It seems, since we are primarily an aquatic plant enthusiast community, we tend to keep smaller species of fish. That's not to say some of us don't have big Cichlid tanks we don't discuss here much, but in general I think most of us are keeping fish in the sub 4" range. So what foods do you feed your smaller fish, especially the sub 2" species?
My primary go-to for my tetras, rasboras, dwarf gouramis, and platys, is Xtreme Nano pellets, Once a week I give them some frozen baby brine shrimp and/or daphnia. I do have a baby brine shrimp hatchery kit and have used it a few times, but I don't know that the fish really care if its live or frozen because their reaction to it is the same. I also go with Xtreme Community Peewee pellets occasionally but at sub 2", they seem to take the Nano pellets more easily. The shop I bought my first fish, told me they feed their smaller fish the Xtreme Nano so that's why I initially went with it. I've also tried various flakes including Bug Bites, but my fish don't seem to care for it as much and it just pollutes the tank.
Interested to hear what works well for others as I'd like to experiment and see if there's something else the fish might like even more. I imagine the responses for someone keeping the smaller cichlid species might be much different but interested to hear that as well since I might look into some of those species, like rams or even angelfish, on future larger tanks.
14 Replies
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151 views
Staff member
I Donated 2026
Founding Member
The theme for this month's contest is: Shades of Green
Please take a picture of shades of green in your aquarium. Be as artistic and creative as you like.
The rules:
A $25 store credit from BurrAqua thanks to @Burr740!
Good Luck!
Please take a picture of shades of green in your aquarium. Be as artistic and creative as you like.
The rules:
- Submissions are allowed between August 16 and August 23.
- Voting will start on August 23 at 12:01 am Eastern time.
- Voting will end on August 30 at 11:30 pm Eastern time.
A $25 store credit from BurrAqua thanks to @Burr740!
Good Luck!
5 Replies
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261 views
I asked this question in a recent thread but it received no traction, so maybe it deserves its own thread. .........
When planting newly received emersed growth stem plants could it not be beneficial to leave the leaves on the stem of the section to be buried ? Yes these leaves will rot but could this not be possibly providing a useful ammonia source for the newly introduced plant and promote root development etc ? What evidence do we actually have of the pros and cons of doing this ? I must admit that do trim as Naturescapes_Rocco has suggested in another thread, by removing all leaves apart from a small top section but every time I do, it always makes me wonder about this factor.
I can see all the benefits of not leaving any excess emersed growth leaves on the exposed part of the stem but on the actual buried part of the stem could it possibly be even beneficial ??
When planting newly received emersed growth stem plants could it not be beneficial to leave the leaves on the stem of the section to be buried ? Yes these leaves will rot but could this not be possibly providing a useful ammonia source for the newly introduced plant and promote root development etc ? What evidence do we actually have of the pros and cons of doing this ? I must admit that do trim as Naturescapes_Rocco has suggested in another thread, by removing all leaves apart from a small top section but every time I do, it always makes me wonder about this factor.
I can see all the benefits of not leaving any excess emersed growth leaves on the exposed part of the stem but on the actual buried part of the stem could it possibly be even beneficial ??
7 Replies
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138 views
Supporting
I Donated 2026
Rockstar
Edit: Newest tank starts here: Journal - Kwyet’s 125 / now 140G Nature Tank
——
This was one of the first tanks I set back up when we moved into our new house. As such, it was done very quickly so I could get it re-cycled and the fish in ASAP. Surprisingly, even though the filter sponges were just kept damp in plastic bags for 4 days, cycling took less than a week. I was NOT going to try to catch the pictus catfishes again, so I just lowered the water level in their holding tubs and poured them in. These guys are vocal when annoyed, so I assure you that I could hear them cussing at me, lol!
Here’s one of the last pictures of the tank before moving:
And here is what it looked like after the move in August 2024:
It left a lot to be desired, and while the painted blue background looked fine with my blue walls in Florida, it doesn’t look as good here with beige walls. I wasn’t going to move it out and scrape away the paint though, so it is what it is.
At this point I believe it had 1 angelfish (kept because it swims off-kilter), 1 Denison barb (kept because of a small white growth on chin since it was a baby), 2 old bronze Cory cats (because of age), and 3 Spotted Pictus catfish (because they were hard to acquire), 2 Super Red Bristlenose Plecos and 1 Glo-fish Rainbow shark (just because, lol!).
More to come.
——
This was one of the first tanks I set back up when we moved into our new house. As such, it was done very quickly so I could get it re-cycled and the fish in ASAP. Surprisingly, even though the filter sponges were just kept damp in plastic bags for 4 days, cycling took less than a week. I was NOT going to try to catch the pictus catfishes again, so I just lowered the water level in their holding tubs and poured them in. These guys are vocal when annoyed, so I assure you that I could hear them cussing at me, lol!
Here’s one of the last pictures of the tank before moving:
And here is what it looked like after the move in August 2024:
It left a lot to be desired, and while the painted blue background looked fine with my blue walls in Florida, it doesn’t look as good here with beige walls. I wasn’t going to move it out and scrape away the paint though, so it is what it is.
At this point I believe it had 1 angelfish (kept because it swims off-kilter), 1 Denison barb (kept because of a small white growth on chin since it was a baby), 2 old bronze Cory cats (because of age), and 3 Spotted Pictus catfish (because they were hard to acquire), 2 Super Red Bristlenose Plecos and 1 Glo-fish Rainbow shark (just because, lol!).
More to come.
79 Replies
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7454 views
I Donated 2026
Has anyone had much experience with this plant?
A local shop has just received stock of this version of bacopa, and I’m struggling to find many reports of people’s experiences growing it.
schoolofscape.com.au
I’m a bit gun shy when it comes to white variants of plants that seem new to the hobby, and it’s not cheap so hoping to hear from someone whose grown it before I take the plunge!
Does it hold it’s white form? How much more sensitive than regular bacopa is it?
A local shop has just received stock of this version of bacopa, and I’m struggling to find many reports of people’s experiences growing it.
Bacopa Monnieri 'White'
Enhance your aquascape with Bacopa Monnieri ‘White’. A rare and stunning aquatic plant. Delivered anywhere in Australia.
schoolofscape.com.au
Does it hold it’s white form? How much more sensitive than regular bacopa is it?
19 Replies
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936 views
Journal 22 gallon long bookshelf
Time to start a new thread.
I’ll fill in some details later, but I’m working on the hardscape now. Any and all criticism is appreciated. The vision is nothing more, and nothing less, than something appealing to the eye.
90cm x 30cm x 30cm Lifegard Aquatics ultra clear bookshelf tank. Buce and anubias on the hardscape, stems towards the back and center, mid to front carpet with some changes in shade and texture down to a flat grade on the right side of the tank.
Lily pipe inlet and skimmer will be in the back left corner with the outflow in the front left to hopefully achieve circular flow. I’ll be running an in-line diffuser. Light will be the P600 Pro that I regrettably did not upside to 900. Oh well. I’ll mount it high and hopefully it’ll have enough spread.
I have some dragon stone and red lava rock rubble I’ll use at the base to blend into the substrate, as well as some stratum I may or may not cap with.
I’ll fill in some details later, but I’m working on the hardscape now. Any and all criticism is appreciated. The vision is nothing more, and nothing less, than something appealing to the eye.
90cm x 30cm x 30cm Lifegard Aquatics ultra clear bookshelf tank. Buce and anubias on the hardscape, stems towards the back and center, mid to front carpet with some changes in shade and texture down to a flat grade on the right side of the tank.
Lily pipe inlet and skimmer will be in the back left corner with the outflow in the front left to hopefully achieve circular flow. I’ll be running an in-line diffuser. Light will be the P600 Pro that I regrettably did not upside to 900. Oh well. I’ll mount it high and hopefully it’ll have enough spread.
I have some dragon stone and red lava rock rubble I’ll use at the base to blend into the substrate, as well as some stratum I may or may not cap with.
242 Replies
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26687 views
Supporting
I Donated 2026
MTS creeps into your home, one 2 tanks at a time. This one is a UNS 45SA. I don't have firm plans for it yet, but I have some ideas. All the bits have finally arrived. Today is a "where will this fit and let's see how it runs next to the sink in case there is an issue" day.
I have some ideas of where I may want to go. Hillstream Loach / Goby with epiphytes is one direction. Submersed Buce growout idea is floating around in my head, too. Once I figure it out, I'll start a journal that will probably be updated a lot at first, then languish until I get Art's automated reminder email to post.
Hardware
UNS 45SA AIO /w Lid and Intake Screen
Hygger Submersible Heater 50 Watt
FZone Solo Series Nano LED
N-Fill Smart ATO
The ATO has a funny story. I'm using the Tunze Osmolater 3 Nano on the 6 and 10-gallon tanks, but the sensor is large, out of scale for this smaller tank. Plus, the green light is obnoxious at night. A BRS video on the N-Fill Smart ATO popped into my feed. For 70 bucks, I'd give it a try. The ATO arrived with 2 power plugs, no pump. Called BRS, who have real live people in their offices in Minnesota that you can speak to, amazing, I know. The agent had a good laugh. Earlier in the day, they had a caller with 2 pumps, no power plug. They said they'd ship another, keep the one I have. A few days later, an email letting me know it was back-ordered arrived. A quick call to the helpful BRS folks informed that it would be about 2 weeks before a new shipment would arrive. In the meantime, I went on the N-Fill site and saw they had them in stock, with free shipping and 10% signup for email discount. Asked BRS for a refund; the money was back in my account before I hung up. Ordered the ATO from N-Fill and wrote with my tale of woo, asking to purchase a pump. They sent a link to the hidden spare parts page and ordered a pump, $20 shipped. Wrote them back and asked that they make it one shipment. Their support wrote me back, apologizing for the missing pump and refunded the pump price. To be clear, I did tell them that BRS let me keep, at no charge, the unit with all the bits, sans pump. They even sent it with 2-day shipping.
The Blank Slate
A cramped AIO section.
I have some ideas of where I may want to go. Hillstream Loach / Goby with epiphytes is one direction. Submersed Buce growout idea is floating around in my head, too. Once I figure it out, I'll start a journal that will probably be updated a lot at first, then languish until I get Art's automated reminder email to post.
Hardware
UNS 45SA AIO /w Lid and Intake Screen
Hygger Submersible Heater 50 Watt
FZone Solo Series Nano LED
N-Fill Smart ATO
The ATO has a funny story. I'm using the Tunze Osmolater 3 Nano on the 6 and 10-gallon tanks, but the sensor is large, out of scale for this smaller tank. Plus, the green light is obnoxious at night. A BRS video on the N-Fill Smart ATO popped into my feed. For 70 bucks, I'd give it a try. The ATO arrived with 2 power plugs, no pump. Called BRS, who have real live people in their offices in Minnesota that you can speak to, amazing, I know. The agent had a good laugh. Earlier in the day, they had a caller with 2 pumps, no power plug. They said they'd ship another, keep the one I have. A few days later, an email letting me know it was back-ordered arrived. A quick call to the helpful BRS folks informed that it would be about 2 weeks before a new shipment would arrive. In the meantime, I went on the N-Fill site and saw they had them in stock, with free shipping and 10% signup for email discount. Asked BRS for a refund; the money was back in my account before I hung up. Ordered the ATO from N-Fill and wrote with my tale of woo, asking to purchase a pump. They sent a link to the hidden spare parts page and ordered a pump, $20 shipped. Wrote them back and asked that they make it one shipment. Their support wrote me back, apologizing for the missing pump and refunded the pump price. To be clear, I did tell them that BRS let me keep, at no charge, the unit with all the bits, sans pump. They even sent it with 2-day shipping.
The Blank Slate
A cramped AIO section.
11 Replies
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717 views
I’m often out and about working in the field and stumble upon breathtaking examples of often overlooked and under appreciated slices of nature that Florida has to offer.
My neck of the woods is filled with marsh/wetlands ripe with both native and invasive wildlife of all flavors; I want to start a thread where I can document and share.
I’ll update this thread whenever I capture something noteworthy. Much of what catches my eye is aquatic flora, but I try and document anything captivating. I hope you find this as beautiful and fascinating as I do.
My neck of the woods is filled with marsh/wetlands ripe with both native and invasive wildlife of all flavors; I want to start a thread where I can document and share.
I’ll update this thread whenever I capture something noteworthy. Much of what catches my eye is aquatic flora, but I try and document anything captivating. I hope you find this as beautiful and fascinating as I do.
119 Replies
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7977 views
Hello guys what could be the cause of pale new growth?
1 Replies
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72 views
Following @Dennis Wong advise to hold growth variables as steady as possible to avoid transition stress has been my single greatest tool to aquatic plant success.
I am fortunate to have Tap Water that is consistent all season with 6 ppm Ca, 1 ppm Mg day in day out all year. It is consistent because the water utility adds most of the Calcium and Magnesium in it.. the source water is extremely soft. The head of the water department has told me it never gets close to their target. They continually test and adjust the feed to hit target.
It is simple enough for me to just add gypsum and epsom salt to boost it to what I want.
Helping a fellow member here who is starting a 75 gallon tank in an apartment. Ro unit is simply not an option for him in the apartment for now. schlepping bottles of RO for a 75 gallon would also be a hardship. It is a tank just for family enjoyment and not intended to be a competition tank. He will be dosing diy ferts, high light and co2.
His public water supply has an average DGH of 8 with reasonable calcium magnesium balance. But the Seasonal variation is between 4.5 DGH and 11.2 DGH…
In the situation where RO is not currently an option what would peoples responses be?
At 8 DGH steady throughout the year, I would probably just go with it.
It would be easy enough to test tap water DGH before doing a water change. It would be easy enough to create a table to alter how much to-adjust gypsum and epsom salts as tap water hardness decreases with seasonal shifts down to 4.5. But the question is for the times it hops upwards to high end of range.
One could schlepp bottles for those weeks and hope those weeks are outliers…
Or one could simply target a higher DGH all of the time in the interest of stability..
So I understand the potential issues, but not enough of what numbers matter…
Am I overthinking? I know @Dennis Wong has said the Carbonate hardness has a bigger impact on plant health than General Hardness,
Is ranging General Hardness less of a concern?
Water report indicates 3.5 DKH with no report regarding seasonal variation..
I am fortunate to have Tap Water that is consistent all season with 6 ppm Ca, 1 ppm Mg day in day out all year. It is consistent because the water utility adds most of the Calcium and Magnesium in it.. the source water is extremely soft. The head of the water department has told me it never gets close to their target. They continually test and adjust the feed to hit target.
It is simple enough for me to just add gypsum and epsom salt to boost it to what I want.
Helping a fellow member here who is starting a 75 gallon tank in an apartment. Ro unit is simply not an option for him in the apartment for now. schlepping bottles of RO for a 75 gallon would also be a hardship. It is a tank just for family enjoyment and not intended to be a competition tank. He will be dosing diy ferts, high light and co2.
His public water supply has an average DGH of 8 with reasonable calcium magnesium balance. But the Seasonal variation is between 4.5 DGH and 11.2 DGH…
In the situation where RO is not currently an option what would peoples responses be?
At 8 DGH steady throughout the year, I would probably just go with it.
It would be easy enough to test tap water DGH before doing a water change. It would be easy enough to create a table to alter how much to-adjust gypsum and epsom salts as tap water hardness decreases with seasonal shifts down to 4.5. But the question is for the times it hops upwards to high end of range.
One could schlepp bottles for those weeks and hope those weeks are outliers…
Or one could simply target a higher DGH all of the time in the interest of stability..
So I understand the potential issues, but not enough of what numbers matter…
Am I overthinking? I know @Dennis Wong has said the Carbonate hardness has a bigger impact on plant health than General Hardness,
Is ranging General Hardness less of a concern?
Water report indicates 3.5 DKH with no report regarding seasonal variation..
16 Replies
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235 views