When to start adding fertilisers

[Discman]

Currently I just started to cycle my tank for 3 days. Initially when i set up my 2ft by 1ft by 1.5 tank, I placed cabomba and deformis and amazon sword plants into the tank with 2 black mollies. I would like to know a few things,
1) both my mollies are dead, should i remove them or let them decompose inside there?
2) I bought, seam chem flourish, sea chem nitrogen and tera plant flora pride. I would like to know when can i start to add them. According to the shop owner, he told me to start adding only after cycling for 2 weeks.

[PeterGwee]

Currently I just started to cycle my tank for 3 days. Initially when i set up my 2ft by 1ft by 1.5 tank, I placed cabomba and deformis and amazon sword plants into the tank with 2 black mollies. I would like to know a few things,
1) both my mollies are dead, should i remove them or let them decompose inside there?
2) I bought, seam chem flourish, sea chem nitrogen and tera plant flora pride. I would like to know when can i start to add them. According to the shop owner, he told me to start adding only after cycling for 2 weeks.

That's plain cruel of you to use fish for cycling process as a properly setup planted tank shouldn't need to go through. All you need is some "mulm" aka dirt from an established tank (from filter material) which you can obtain from your LFS and then add them to your new tank (instant cycled tank with live bacteria). The other issue is to pack the tank with as much plants as possible (removes all the ammonia...the rest can be taken care by bacteria).

For the nutrients, do you use CO2 in the first place?

Regards
Peter Gwee

[Discman]

That's plain cruel of you to use fish for cycling process as a properly setup planted tank shouldn't need to go through. All you need is some "mulm" aka dirt from an established tank (from filter material) which you can obtain from your LFS and then add them to your new tank (instant cycled tank with live bacteria). The other issue is to pack the tank with as much plants as possible (removes all the ammonia...the rest can be taken care by bacteria).

For the nutrients, do you use CO2 in the first place?

Regards
Peter Gwee

First of all i would like to clarify that i dont place the mollies just to let them die, i place them there to remove algaes in the initial stages. So should i remove them? <-- not answered haha. Anyway i only planted half of my tank horizontal full and leave the other half for ricca.

Yes i have CO2 and bubbling 2 bubbles per sec with 48 watts at 8 hours. I would like to know the sea chem trace, nitrogen and florapride place how often and usually how much do you put each? sea chem trace is considered marco or mirco nutrients? any more nesscary liquid feterislers that i need to purchase. Need as in nesscary

[avant]

well.. personally i'll prefer that you remove the mollies. not a pleasant sight to have fish decomposing in front of you.

[|squee|]

Just leave them to decompose, you need the ammonia trigger anyway.

The way I do it is to watch plants for signs of new growth. Once growth shows, I start adding the ferts.

People do it different ways, some add after cycling, some add straight away. Do what you feel is best

[Discman]

I read and know that the plants require minmium nutrients are : marco, mirco PO4 and NO3. Currently i only but sea chem products so sea chem provides nitrogen, phoshours in each bottle. Does the nitrogen added in provide NO3 and phoshors added in provide PO4? how often do you guys who add this use? twice a week? once a week? every alternate day?

[|squee|]

Does the nitrogen added in provide NO3 and phoshors added in provide PO4?

Yes. At least twice a week in a CO2-enriched tank. Seachem products are diluted, overdosing is alright imho, so you can probably go to three times a week without problems.

[taz_boy]

I read and know that the plants require minmium nutrients are : marco, mirco PO4 and NO3. Currently i only but sea chem products so sea chem provides nitrogen, phoshours in each bottle. Does the nitrogen added in provide NO3 and phoshors added in provide PO4? how often do you guys who add this use? twice a week? once a week? every alternate day?

hi discman, i also have such queries when i just started to use ferts for my tank...
so let me share some noobie info i got, folks do correct me if i'm wrong
marco = nitrate, phosphate and potassium...(dun ask me write in chemical form, i'm Bad at chemistry )

get these 3 b4 u get others...

seachem products are eXpensive...as wat terrence mentioned, they are diluted...so it's gonna cost u quite a lot in long run...

do search a bit on the forum. there are a lot of reccomendations on the combi of ferts, micro + macro...and of course there are a couple of threads reccomending the dosage and frequency of dosage...

good luck!

[danielaw]

Hi taz boy,

I have the same question as Discman, and been searching on the forum, but seem not able to find the thread, any link to it ?

[taz_boy]

Hi taz boy,

I have the same question as Discman, and been searching on the forum, but seem not able to find the thread, any link to it ?

u can try:
http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...ad.php?t=17282

which was posted by me earlier on...

do some advanced search under fertilization and algae using any keywords...
enjoy..

[juggler]

1) remove dead fish in case there are disease passed on to other fish later.
2) Should be safe to start dosing. I did that for all my tanks when I also have vase fertiliser. Best is if you have some water from another tank to kick start the tank cycling.