Fertilizers for low-tech tank...

[scotworm]

Hello all... And terence,

Please explain more to me about the Kno3 and other fertilizers that is needed for a low-tech tank.. Which can be dosed..

thanks a lot.

[|squee|]

The sticky at the top of this forum more or less gives you alot of information.

Basically you need KNO3, KH2PO4, traces.

No CO2 is added at all. No water changes are also encouraged. This is to maintain a stable concentration of CO2 in the water. Like Tom said, plants get confused when you keep changing water, they need to adapt to a stable low CO2 concentration. Algae adapts faster to ever-changing CO2 concentrations, so we don't want that.

Weekly, just add abit of KNO3, KH2PO4, and traces to make up for lost nutrients. That's it. This can be varied however, meaning depending on your tank and it's bioload and plant mass, bi-weekly fertilisations or once and month fertilisations are also possible.

[scotworm]

Thanks a lot, Terence.. But then again, i have a cooling fan..
And everyday, i need to top up my water.. That is, about 1litre.. Everyday.. Ya..
So, is that a kind of changing water??

Alvin

[|squee|]

Top-up is allright, it's mentioned in that article I think. I top up about twice a week I guess.

[scotworm]

Well, you top up, twice a week... I top up everyday!! At least two litres of water!!
Hmm.. I hope it will be all right.

KNO3, KH2PO4, traces, about these three major things, can you please tell me more? Got any pictures? show me, can? And, are these in granules or in liquid form? please do tell me more...

And let's say, i've bought it, do i dose them together in one shot?
Or, one week, i dose this, the other, i dose that?

Thanks a lot, Terence..

[|squee|]

Frankly I've no idea what happens if you top up everyday.

KNO3, KH2PO4 are actually just chemicals that you can buy easily in the US. Over here in Singapore, the easiest way to get them is to buy them from Dr Mallick or his distributing outlets. I myself go to Nature Aquarium to get my chemicals since it's nearest for me.

After getting these chemicals, calculate your dose here. However, this dose is for a normal tank with CO2. Since ours is a non-CO2 tank, the dosage needs to be reduced. Try taking your calculations and reducing them to 1/4 of the original.

Pictures... I'll try to get them tonight. They're sold in white containers, in powder form.

Once a week, dose them all together. (Or depending on how your tank responds, if green water occurs, reduce the ferts by halve again, or dose on alternate weeks.) Tom Barr uses Seachem Equlibrium for trace dosage.

[scotworm]

Hello Brother,

Dr Mallick is my module lecturer, teaching me Nursery Management... And tomorrow, I'll be having the exams.. Haha.. Well, i'll cntact him about the fertilizers.. but i need to check for the price..

One more thing, terence, i thought low-tech tanks, don't need any fertilizers?
Is the dosage important and necessary?

All right, Terence.. thanks a lot. now, i know so much about the fertilizer..
I'll wait for your pictures.. No hurry.. relax..

Alvin

[|squee|]

Low-tech tanks need fertilisers, they only need them in much lesser amounts and less frequency of dosage.

[scotworm]

Terence, i'm still waiting for your pictures!! I'm currently using JBL ferropol liquid fertilizer and i doze once per week..

Thanks a lot.

[|squee|]

Paiseh. I tend to forget old threads.

Click to expand images.

Lushgro KNO3


Lushgro KH2PO4


Lushgro Micros (trace elements)


Seachem Equlibrium


If that JBL Ferropol thing keeps your plants happy and algae doesn't bother you, stick to it, no need to adventure furthur

[bclee]

Just from personal experience. I never need any fertilisers except for occasional KNO3 and liberal amount of fish food for my fishes.

If you start with a rich substrate like soil substrate, you might not need any fertilisation for some time.

It depends on what you want. I prefer to have it under cruise control using soil substrate. The other way is to do it like the sticky in this forum: http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...ad.php?t=13623

BC