PPS Pro - APE - Aquatic Plant Enthusiasts

sajata · 03-08-2010, 11:16 PM

Link to PPS-Pro recipes.
Home (Perpetual Preservation System)
I want to try it in my new tank, doing the 50% water changes once a week for EI would be difficult because of where it it located.

The question i have is GH/KH, PPS-Pro make a big deal about not testing. I would think that over time the GH/KH would build up and you would need to do a water change. So to find when that would be it would be necessary to test the harness periodically.

comments?

ukamikazu · 03-09-2010, 04:56 AM

I've been using this system since October. Much cheaper and more practical sine I have enough large tanks that weekly 50% water changes just weren't practical anymore.

What I have noticed is that slowly, over time, the GH & KH tend to get lower, but very slowly so that at the beginning of the month I start out at 18 & 10, respectively, but by water change day it is more like 10 and 5. It happens so slowly that it isn't a big deal for my animals and I still get good, lush plant growth. Usually a major pruning only has to be done monthly, which is nice and part of the appeal for me for PPS; Everything growing stably and evenly and not too aggressively. It really has saved me a lot of time, trouble, effort and expense. Even the algae is no longer an issue.

It was O who actually turned me on to it.

sajata · 03-09-2010, 06:39 AM

out of the tap i have 32ppm for both GH/KH and a PH of 5.7, tons of dissolved CO2. I take my water for the tanks before my KCO3 water softener.
So you say your GH/KH drops?
How much water do you add in a week, due to evaporation?
You do monthly 50% water changes?

But in general I will have the same problem you have, i have a 10g, 55g and i am adding a 60cm cube [64g] and a 60x34x34 new display tank in the family room [~160g] and i have a well so i would rather not dump that much water in the winter months. In the summer i use it water the plants, it works quite will for that.

i have several grow out tubs int he ones i am just holding plants i will use PPS-Pro but in the tubs that i am trying to propagate in i will stick with EI...

sajata · 03-09-2010, 06:55 AM

ukamikazu when you say you have a GH/KH of 5/10 what are the units dKH/dGH or PPM?

ukamikazu · 03-09-2010, 06:55 AM

Except for 2, all my tanks are covered so I don't have to do top offs.

The 2 open topped tanks get topped up about 3 times a week and find that those two tend to stabilize at 10 & 7, GH & KH. As you may be aware my water is pretty hard to begin with and I too soften my water.

Every month I do more like an 80% water change. I like things tidy and the influx of calcium ions is a good thing for the plants. Calcium is probably the least considered macronutrient probably because it is so abundant. Which is why people get surprised when their plants start exhibiting a deficiency for it and they haven't changed their water in forever.

I do the same thing with my houseplants in the warm months. Miracle Gro just can't compare to old fish water

.

sajata · 03-09-2010, 06:57 AM

here is an article about GH/KH/PH that i found
Calcium, KH, GH, pH, Electrolytes & Magnesium in Aquariums; Mineral Ions, Cations

ukamikazu · 03-09-2010, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sajata

ukamikazu when you say you have a GH/KH of 5/10 what are the units dKH/dGH or PPM?

Sorry, I use the German measurements for KH & GH. I really should get away from that and use metric and PPM's.

03-08-2010, 11:16 PM	#1 (permalink)
sajata Planted Tank Guru Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Chester Springs PA Posts: 344	PPS Pro Link to PPS-Pro recipes. Home (Perpetual Preservation System) I want to try it in my new tank, doing the 50% water changes once a week for EI would be difficult because of where it it located. The question i have is GH/KH, PPS-Pro make a big deal about not testing. I would think that over time the GH/KH would build up and you would need to do a water change. So to find when that would be it would be necessary to test the harness periodically. comments?

03-09-2010, 04:56 AM	#2 (permalink)
ukamikazu Moderator Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Austin, Texas, USA Posts: 620	I've been using this system since October. Much cheaper and more practical sine I have enough large tanks that weekly 50% water changes just weren't practical anymore. What I have noticed is that slowly, over time, the GH & KH tend to get lower, but very slowly so that at the beginning of the month I start out at 18 & 10, respectively, but by water change day it is more like 10 and 5. It happens so slowly that it isn't a big deal for my animals and I still get good, lush plant growth. Usually a major pruning only has to be done monthly, which is nice and part of the appeal for me for PPS; Everything growing stably and evenly and not too aggressively. It really has saved me a lot of time, trouble, effort and expense. Even the algae is no longer an issue. It was O who actually turned me on to it. Last edited by ukamikazu; 03-09-2010 at 06:50 AM.

03-09-2010, 06:39 AM	#3 (permalink)
sajata Planted Tank Guru Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Chester Springs PA Posts: 344	out of the tap i have 32ppm for both GH/KH and a PH of 5.7, tons of dissolved CO2. I take my water for the tanks before my KCO3 water softener. So you say your GH/KH drops? How much water do you add in a week, due to evaporation? You do monthly 50% water changes? But in general I will have the same problem you have, i have a 10g, 55g and i am adding a 60cm cube [64g] and a 60x34x34 new display tank in the family room [~160g] and i have a well so i would rather not dump that much water in the winter months. In the summer i use it water the plants, it works quite will for that. i have several grow out tubs int he ones i am just holding plants i will use PPS-Pro but in the tubs that i am trying to propagate in i will stick with EI... Last edited by sajata; 03-09-2010 at 06:43 AM.

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03-09-2010, 06:55 AM	#4 (permalink)
sajata Planted Tank Guru Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Chester Springs PA Posts: 344	ukamikazu when you say you have a GH/KH of 5/10 what are the units dKH/dGH or PPM?

03-09-2010, 06:55 AM	#5 (permalink)
ukamikazu Moderator Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Austin, Texas, USA Posts: 620	Except for 2, all my tanks are covered so I don't have to do top offs. The 2 open topped tanks get topped up about 3 times a week and find that those two tend to stabilize at 10 & 7, GH & KH. As you may be aware my water is pretty hard to begin with and I too soften my water. Every month I do more like an 80% water change. I like things tidy and the influx of calcium ions is a good thing for the plants. Calcium is probably the least considered macronutrient probably because it is so abundant. Which is why people get surprised when their plants start exhibiting a deficiency for it and they haven't changed their water in forever. I do the same thing with my houseplants in the warm months. Miracle Gro just can't compare to old fish water .

03-09-2010, 06:57 AM	#6 (permalink)
sajata Planted Tank Guru Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Chester Springs PA Posts: 344	here is an article about GH/KH/PH that i found Calcium, KH, GH, pH, Electrolytes & Magnesium in Aquariums; Mineral Ions, Cations