Liquid fertilizers to recommend?

[RHX]

Currently I have a 4ft planted tank with crypts, nanas & ferns. Light w/2 x 54w 6500k t5 HO & 2 x 54w 8000K t5 HO running with chiller @ 26.5 degrees. I've been using Ferka Aquatilizer & Balance K for about 2 years & had good results. At one period I've tried to switch to wondergro micro & macro, but the results are not as good.

Now my liquid ferts have just ran out, Midori the usual place where i get the ferka liquid fertilizers has closed. I'm thinking to switch to other liquid fertilizers to try. Is there are other brands of liquid fertilizers to recommend that's suitable & easily availiable? And what will be the recommended dosage amount?

[barmby]

Don't switch. "2 years and had good results". Sometime I don't feel like switching brands because I have to tune accordingly to the plants needs and "watch out' for algae growth. It is not that "z" brand is no good. However, i can take me some time to settle with a right dose. Btw, go to GreenChapter to buy it. They are together with Midori. Green Chapter is at Clementi

[FC]

I have good result using combination of the below:

[o2bubble]

Try Tropica fertiliser although a bit expensive but very good! Other brand I tried and found good is the famous ADA of course.

[Scruffling]

Heard lushgro range is pretty decent too.

[FC]

In my encounters, plant growing require basic combinations of below to do well:
1) Proper maturing of base fertiliser or soil
- For the first 2 weeks no planting. Soak them in fully filled aquarium, water change twice weekly
2) Use good trace elements like above the simple-to-use JBL and carbon supplement like above Seamchem
3) Proper filteration
- Almost all filters' flow rate (vs media volume) are too high. Cutting the propeller shorter (30% shorter) will slow down flow rate.
4) Not too much fishes and feeding to reduce chore of water changing. Ok, it is hard to discipline on this point.
5) Lighting of 8 hrs or more.
6) Keep temp below 29 degree Celius.

[RHX]

Try Tropica fertiliser although a bit expensive but very good! Other brand I tried and found good is the famous ADA of course.

I've heard many good reviews about Tropica, but they are kind of too expensive for me to maintain a 4ft planted tank. I've tried ADA, they have many different stages of fertilizations & are expensive. That's why I switch to Ferka, which is cheaper, easier to dose & produces just as good results. I'm beginning to find it hard to keep up with the fertilizer expenses, as a 4ft planted tank requires lots of fertilizers.

Heard lushgro range is pretty decent too.

Which shop sells them? Currently using EI method for fertilization, any dosing recommendations?

In my encounters, plant growing require basic combinations of below to do well:
1) Proper maturing of base fertiliser or soil
- For the first 2 weeks no planting. Soak them in fully filled aquarium, water change twice weekly

I had power sand special & amazonia II as base & it's been running for over 2 yrs

2) Use good trace elements like above the simple-to-use JBL and carbon supplement like above Seamchem

Might try if it's cheap & produces result.

3) Proper filteration
- Almost all filters' flow rate (vs media volume) are too high. Cutting the propeller shorter (30% shorter) will slow down flow rate.

I've mostly crypts in my tank & they require high flowrate to grow well, thus I can't really cut down on this part.


4) Not too much fishes and feeding to reduce chore of water changing. Ok, it is hard to discipline on this point.

Hummm, if my estimation is correct. I only have about 30+ small fishes in the 4ft. The only one biggest fish is a 10 inch topedo barb, 4 x small size pleco the rest are cardinal & barbs.

5) Lighting of 8 hrs or more.

4 hrs during the morning, & 5 hrs during the night

6) Keep temp below 29 degree Celius.

chiller running at 26.5 degree Celius.

[barmby]

RHX, we are on the same boat. I was actually looking at the big white bottle Taiwan liquid fertilzer at Seaview .. hahah..Anway I am on Lushgro Aqua; buy from Nature

Mine is a 5x2x2

[o2bubble]

Bro RHX, actually, tropica is not as expensive as you think. in terms of dosage, I find that the actual required amount is less than the recomended and also from expert advise from Far East Aquarium (at koven MRT, now closed). this is due to the water is generally harder in UK than in Singapore and so need to dose more. Anyway, I find that with the same recommended dosage comparatively to ADA's, better results can be seem from Tropica ferts.

[RHX]

RHX, we are on the same boat. I was actually looking at the big white bottle Taiwan liquid fertilzer at Seaview .. hahah..Anway I am on Lushgro Aqua; buy from Nature

Mine is a 5x2x2

Are you using EI method to dose? What's the dosage like?

Bro RHX, actually, tropica is not as expensive as you think. in terms of dosage, I find that the actual required amount is less than the recomended and also from expert advise from Far East Aquarium (at koven MRT, now closed). this is due to the water is generally harder in UK than in Singapore and so need to dose more. Anyway, I find that with the same recommended dosage comparatively to ADA's, better results can be seem from Tropica ferts.

Since Far East has closed, where can tropica be found?

[o2bubble]

Can buy from NA or C328.

[barmby]

RHX, I am not on EI. More like my own way. But I always keep an eye on my CO2.

15 ml of Lushgro Aqua 3 times a week.
KH2PO4, 0.5-0.7 ppm 3 times a week

[newtank]

In my encounters, plant growing require basic combinations of below to do well:
1) Proper maturing of base fertiliser or soil
- For the first 2 weeks no planting. Soak them in fully filled aquarium, water change twice weekly
2) Use good trace elements like above the simple-to-use JBL and carbon supplement like above Seamchem
3) Proper filteration
- Almost all filters' flow rate (vs media volume) are too high. Cutting the propeller shorter (30% shorter) will slow down flow rate.
4) Not too much fishes and feeding to reduce chore of water changing. Ok, it is hard to discipline on this point.
5) Lighting of 8 hrs or more.
6) Keep temp below 29 degree Celius.

Actualy i was about to buy a new internal filter for my 1 ft tank as my current flowrate was too high, will try to cut the propeller, ...never thought of this...thanks for the tips, might save me some money

[proashbat]

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[TyroneGenade]

3) Proper filteration
- Almost all filters' flow rate (vs media volume) are too high. Cutting the propeller shorter (30% shorter) will slow down flow rate.

I'm running an Aquaclear 200 on my 1.2 m planted tank. I started switching it off during the day this week and suddenly my plants are pearling (not all, chiefly the Java fern, Riccia and Hygrophila) where previously they had not. I am not sure if this is because: the high flow rate removed the O2 before it could form a bubble; or the surface disturbance drove a lot of my CO2 from the water so the CO2 was too little.

When all I did was run a powerhead in the tank I had my plants pearling much more (with even less light: 3x 30 W now compared to 2x 40 W before) and the powerhead wasn't causing surface disturbance.

Reducing the flow rate idea is good one and I will make a plan... (Or just track down an Aquaclear mini or small powerhead).

tt4n

[Plantbrain]

You can DIY your own liquids, why pay for mostly water with a TINY bit of fertilizer added???

That is what you are doing!

If you like liquids, then save the old bottles, use a dosing calculator to make your own. EI can be done via liquids, just add the 4 week totals you would for EI, into say 28 days worth of liquid.

So 480mls + 4 weeks worth will mean you dose 20 mls per day.
Do a macro mix, and then a Trace element mix.

CMS+B like trace should work well in SG since the water is pretty low KH.
If you add a little DTPA Fe into the CMS+B, say 1 teaspoon per 1 tablespoon of CMS. Dr Mallick's sells the stuff I think.

Once you do this with a tad bit of effort once/1x, then it's really easy thereafter and you will never go back to buying expensive water


Regards,
Tom Barr

[FC]

I am not sure if this is because: the high flow rate removed the O2 before it could form a bubble; or the surface disturbance drove a lot of my CO2 from the water so the CO2 was too little.
Reducing the flow rate idea is good one...

CO2
Yes, carbonated water is unstable and when agitated, CO2 escape through water surface like you experienced with soft drinks. For planted tank, CO2 is injected at level very low concentration, this effect should not be significant.

O2
The higher than ideal flow rate you have now actually dissolve or blow away the O2 formation. Unless you have higher light intensity and/or CO2 concentration to further encourage O2 production, you will not see bubbles.

Flow Rate and Clear Good Water
Almost all planted tanks I came across have uncessary high water flow rate from filter. Some claims it helps to prevent stagnant water around corners that encourage certain algae when one should make good use of natural and more effective plant/gravel grazers/cleaners like:
1) SAE
2) Pygmy cories
3) Shrimps
4) Otocinclus Affinis

People often relate cloudy water to insufficient cycling rather than filter's bad design. Most filter makers' pump rates are much too high for proper waste/dirt entrapment and media's bio to breakdown them. That may some cases result in cloudy water when one should expect crystal clear water enjoyment. I suspect this is the result of tranditional clients who crave for high flow rate for their bare fish tanks or marine tanks.

I would encourage planted tank hobbyists to try slow down the filter's flow rate through cutting propeller. The results can be seen within a week.

[TyroneGenade]

Hi FC,

Well, I will simply leave my filter off for a few more days and see what happens. Do far the fish seem happy. The stocking density is pretty low in any case...

Thanks

[Plantbrain]

Hi FC,

Well, I will simply leave my filter off for a few more days and see what happens. Do far the fish seem happy. The stocking density is pretty low in any case...

Thanks

I use high filtration, you cannot really over do it till the plants are flattened.
More O2, the better for FISH.

Just because your tank may or may not be able to get away with less flow, does NOT IMPLY that is better for fish.

Perhaps you care less about fish and/or do not have many, or just a few small tetras, then no filters/water movement and low O2 is fine.

During trhe day time, sure, you get good O2, but O2 is not really that soluble in water anyway, it'll get driven off in both cases with high or low flow.......

Where good filtration/flow helps is => at night. Which is typically 1/2 to 2/3rds of the total time that fish/plants are in the aquarium.

Plants do not produce O2 at night, this is also when many species of fish and shrimp are most active and feed.

CO2 never drives out O2 and nor will O2 drive off CO2, they are entirely independent on each other.

High current reduces variation in both gases => more stable. Yes, more current degases CO2 that we add, however, the rate of degassing is important, if it's stable. In fact, degassing rates are as much important as adding CO2 gas rates.

Think about it.

What goes in, must come out, or be assimilated into plant tissue.
Only maybe 2-3% of the CO2 we add actually ends up as plant biomass if that.

We add a little bit more CO2 gas to make up for the lost due to increased current, no big deal. The better mixing increases CO2 dispersion and keeps the leaves cleaner. You get higher rates of growth with moderately high current than little current at all. You still need some current anyway, so may as well just leave the filter on and run it good.

I think why some like to use less flow is due to what they perceive as increased pearling. It is true, you will see more in lower flow tanks, but this does not imply that there is more growth, only that it's not being blown away in the water by current.

An alternative filtering method is pulsing the flows/filter, this blast water for 1 minute, then sits for 5 minutes, much like wave makers in reef tanks, this gives a nice pearling look, and still maintains high rates of growth.

In you are honestly into minimalist filters and "using less", start with using less light since electric cost much more there than most any filter, if you use non CO2 methods, then the CO2 issue goes away also and it becomes mostly an O2 issue for fish. Now you can use less filter/more plants. Then you can select a few small fish. Use some soil or ADA AS, and feed fish.

Now you have a much more reduced minimalist approach, if that is your philosophy.

Everything is very easy to care for over long time periods.
No algae and good habitat for fish.

Just because some folks can do good without much flow/filters etc, does not imply it's best/better, it depends on the fish load and the status of the plants, types, lighting etc. It's certainly more sensitive if you mess things up.
I've done it, but I have always felt better with a redundant backup and good clean mixing/mechanical filtration.

I never felt I got much out of the trade off.

But then again, I keep lots of fish and care more about them than plants/algae. So their care come first, then plants, and algae are not an issue for myself.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[barmby]

I think O2 is very important. It is all stages of conversion from NH3, NH4, NO3, NO4 and etc. I couldn't explain it better. But 02 is an element we cannot take out in order to carry out conversion.