HI all,
Just setup a 2ft planted tank today!
How do i know when to add in the fert and what tpe of fert to add?
Any good and cheap altnative for fert rather than those reputated products.?
Thanks.
For me, I start adding in ferts once I see any sign of growth on any plant in the tank. You can try dosing the chemicals KNO3 and KH2PO4 following the Estimative Index. One bottle of each of the above-mentioned can last you at the very least 2 years.
Where can i get those? 2 yrs!Originally Posted by |squee|
Roughly how much is that per bottle? Do they need to be mix with water or just put in the tank?
Once more question. Are that the only fert they need? Do they need others?
Thanks for yr advice!
I have a 2ft tank too, and my ferts have lasted me till now since I started the hobby 2 years ago
Overall you shouldn't spend more then $20 for KNO3 and KH2PO4. You can do it both ways, but it's easier and simpler to just put into the tank.
You also need trace elements. My entire fert product line at one point was:
-KNO3 (provides potassium and nitrogen)
-KH2PO4 (provides somemore potassium and phophorous)
-Tropica Master Grow (provides trace elements)
-Seachem Equilibrium (provides me calcium magnesium and a host of other trace elements)
I dosed KNO3 and KH2PO4 thrice a week on odd days and Tropica on even days.
On Saturday a 50% water change will be carried out and a half dose of Equilibrium will be added along with the standard KNO3 and KH2PO4. My tank was a standard 2ft with 72W of light 10 hours daily.
It effectively settles nutrient requirements for plants, and all that's left is CO2 level. CO2 is everything... add it high and good and things go well for you. If there's algae appearing, the solution is usually well documented in this forum (search).
squee,
don't mind i borrow thread here abit to ask a few fert questions.
haha started a thread to ask questions on a new setup but my thread popularity doesnt seem to be doing very well =p
i'm thinking of converting to the same fert line and routine as yours.
yours is based on EI dosing right?
my setup 1.5ft x 1ft x 1ft,
have 36w of light on 8 hrs daily.
with that can i dose per your fert routine?
n how much to dose?
read barr's EI article but don't really understand it still.
n theres no more EI Lite version for people like me. link seems gone =(
the lighting period for me should it be longer say 10hrs?
lee,
Yea you can, it's just different amount that you add, same frequency. It can be calculated on APC's Fertiliator.
I did a search, seems Tom Barr revamped his website so the new link is here. I'll update the stickies too.
The EI is basically about dumping in all the possible ferts that plants require, make sure they don't run out (excess ferts are not a problem), water changes weekly to ensure that the ferts don't build up to dangerous levels like nitrate poisioning, and good management of CO2 (which is pinpointed as the number 1 cause of most algae problems).
Reading posts by PeterGwee as well as Tom Barr (plantbrain) give lots of information.
I personally like 10 hours, no more. 12 hours is pushing it in my opinion, but it works for people.
taysh, I forgot, click here for locations on where to buy.
So lets say for my tank size 1.5ft x 1ft x 1ft I do it with 36W (3.2W/US gallon) of light for 10 hrs daily
a rough dosage according to EI for me should be:
1/8 tsp KNO3 (N) 3x a week
1/32 tsp KH2PO4 (P) 3x a week
1/32 tsp K2SO4 (K) 3x a week
1/32 tsp (2ml) Trace Elements 3x a week
50% weekly water change + 1/2 dose of Equilibrium
just a few questions:
1) I notice you don't add K2SO4. May I know the reasoning?
2) for Trace elements we just use TMG or SeaChem Flourish right?
3) for my lighting wattage is it too little for EI dosage since its mainly for high light tanks?
should I increase light wattage? or reduce dosage frequency
4) estimates that we need at least 30ppm of CO2 to go with EI method
how do I calculate my CO2 levels?
heard that can use some table and find based on PH/KH method?
So would that mean I will need test kits for KH and PH?
or will a drop checker be able to indicate to me?
thanks for answering my queries=)
sorry about the co2 question but been reading n reading but still don't understand it very well
Sounds good.
1) I have found no need for that, since there's no problem. I think PeterGwee might be able to answer that.
2) Yea, any good commercial trace fert will do.
3) The lights are fine imho. I had a almost perfect algae free tank using that configuration in the past with newbie-like fertilisation of just Sera Florapride.
4) For me I wouldn't care about pH and kH values; I'd gauge my CO2 by slowly fine tuning the knob to a point where there's good bubbling and fish don't gasp at the surface at any point of time (including lights-out period). Much easier this way: you get maximum amount of CO2 into your tank.
thanks squee for the insight. =)
i'll be setting up a new setup soon.
thinking to venture into the "unknown" with crypts, echinodorus n HC
pairing the above mentioned routine with aquasoil n powersand
hope it works!
apologies to taysh75 for "hijacking" of thread.
paiseh but my thread to ask questions for new setup not popular lah.
You should have plenty of K+ if the amount of 50% or more of your NO3 comes from KNO3.
Forget about the powersand and just use the aquasoil. It gets real ugly and messy if you pull it up when you uproot plants.
Regards
Peter Gwee
Plant Physiology by Taiz and Zeiger
okay thanks!
i was thinking powersand cause going to try out cryptos, echinodorus n HC.
so was thinking a richer substrate for them
well... if the experts think i can do without it, im all for saving the money!
one other fert question though, for those micro traces you all just rely on any good commercial fert like flourish or TMG plus equilibrium i suppose
so other liquid trace ferts for example seachem's flourish trace is not necessary already right?
Seachem Flourish Trace, I read, is a redundant version of Seachem Flourish.
I believe taysh also learns from this, no harm done.
No problem. We are learning together.
I have a 2ft tank too, and my ferts have lasted me till now since I started the hobby 2 years ago
Overall you shouldn't spend more then $20 for KNO3 and KH2PO4. You can do it both ways, but it's easier and simpler to just put into the tank.
You also need trace elements. My entire fert product line at one point was:
-KNO3 (provides potassium and nitrogen)
-KH2PO4 (provides somemore potassium and phophorous)
-Tropica Master Grow (provides trace elements)
-Seachem Equilibrium (provides me calcium magnesium and a host of other trace elements)
I dosed KNO3 and KH2PO4 thrice a week on odd days and Tropica on even days.
On Saturday a 50% water change will be carried out and a half dose of Equilibrium will be added along with the standard KNO3 and KH2PO4. My tank was a standard 2ft with 72W of light 10 hours daily.
It effectively settles nutrient requirements for plants, and all that's left is CO2 level. CO2 is everything... add it high and good and things go well for you. If there's algae appearing, the solution is usually well documented in this forum (search).
If dose only the below only sufficient?
-KNO3 (provides potassium and nitrogen)
-KH2PO4 (provides somemore potassium and phophorous)
Why do we need the trace elements? Any other cheaper alternatives.
-Tropica Master Grow (provides trace elements)
-Seachem Equilibrium (provides me calcium magnesium and a host of other trace elements)
You might be able to be successful with just dosing KNO3 and KH2PO4, but usually in a CO2-ed tank with good lights stuff run out quickly. Plant stunt because of this (any one nutrient not available slows down the plant growth even if other nutrients are abundant) and algae comes.
There are cheaper alternatives. Lushgro Trace is one, as well as any commercial trace element product that you like.
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