Frequently Asked Questions

It all depends on the fertilizing formula. For All In One Soil, All In One Golden and Carbo, to benefit entirely of the elements inside, it's best if you dose them during the lighting period (5-10 minutes before or shortly after the lights turn ON).

For MasterLine I, II and All In One, it doesn't matter. In fact, these can even be dosed weekly.
Aquariums that have a clean filter and substrate can do very well with 30% water change weekly. However, aquariums that have a dirty filter and/or substrate, doing 50% water change weekly is better.

By doing larger water changes, you remove the dirty water that contains dissolved organics which can create biofilm, the growth medium for some algae types.
My personal favorite is having a continuous lighting period. This helps the plants to continue the photosynthesis process and keep the oxygen levels high.

The pearling effect is improved and the plants use their energy more efficiently. having a break, has no effect on the algae development.
You should never neglect your filter, no matter the volume of filter media that it holds. Once every 2 months, is a good time to clean the filter, the hoses, the adaptors, the rotor and all the accessories that the water passes thru.

This will help in keeping the water cleaner (less particles in the water column) and less problems with the algae.
When the substrate gets too dirty, it can suffocate the plant's roots. It can also melt the older parts of the plants. It can cause cyanobacteria GSA and GDA. It's a good practice to vacuum the substrate every 3-4 months and when it gets too dirty.

By using a vacuum cleaner, you should insert it 3-4 cm in the substrate, if for example the thickness is 5 cm, and siphon the dirt out of the substrate.
I would recommend at least 30 ppm CO2. You can increase slowly to 40-50 ppm depending on the light intensity and plant types in your aquarium. The best way to determine the CO2 concentration is by using a drop checker.

The color of the liquid inside it should be green for around 30 ppm CO2 and lime green for 40-50 ppm. Try not to go on the yellow or blue side. Green to blue color means not enough CO2 while yellow means too much.