Any brand to recommend?

[fleekk]

Hi to all Bros,

I am a newbie to planted tank, just wondering any recommended budget liquid fertiliser, etc to buy? What are the essential "A MUST, MUST" to add for a planted tank to keep our plants healthy & growing?

I have just started a new tank for 6 days, did 1 water change (30%)after 4 days. Using co2 tank, 2bps (24/7) & lighting 8hrs (2.5W/gal) a day for the 1st week.

When do I start to add in the liquid fertiliser or etc?

Pls help.

Cheers

[loupgarou]

I suggest you go for the not too expensive brand names one. its only a one time purchase.

choices; Dr mallick's (www.singaporehydroponics.com)
seachem
kent
JBL
sera

etc

[williamng]

Hi

I suggest you dont dose liquid fertilizer if you add in base fertiliser in the 1st place. I just setup my tank a week ago..

Basically,
1) I dose iron daily (10 - 15 drops). Seachem iron or bioplast iron
2) Adjust KH to 6, I heard it is a must to maintain a KH of 4 - 6
3) Adjust PH to 7, I inject CO2 of 2 - 3 bps via reactor (10hrs). Measure using PH test kit
4) Do water change (20%) after 1st week. I will continue to change water (20%) weekly.
5) Every week, measure KH, PH, Iron (More important than liquid fert according to some of my friends, Nitrate level

This is my 2nd planted tank but this is the 1st time I see a lot of bubbling effect in my current tank. Suggest to dose liquid fert after the 3rd week.

Suggested fert (Following are my personal opinion) : -
1) Bioplast fertilizer and trace element (I just start using but I hear a lot of good comments)
2) Denerele S7, A1, P7 gold(Very expensive but can see good results)
3) JBL (So-so)
4) Tropica master growth (Heard it is very good but didnt try)
5) Dr Mallick (Quite popular brand but dunno good or not)

[fleekk]

Hi Bro William,

I have bubbling effect all over the tank but I realised one of the plant, Aponogeton ulvaceus, some of the leaves are turning brownish. I have read somewhere that there is too much nutrients in the water, is that true? I have 10 types of plant and most of them are fast growing, is it my lighting hrs are too low? Currently 8hrs/day, afraid too high at the beginning to form green water, so thought of weekly increasing by 1 hr to finally 10 hrs/day.

Plants :
Aponogeton ulvaceus
Hygrophlia difformis
Ludwigia repens
Microsorum pteropus
Polygonum spec
Rotala wallichii
Sagittaria platyphylla
vllisneria spiralis "tiger"
Sunset hygro

What do you think?

Many thanks.

[PeterGwee]

You are moving away from the topic here...please post as a new thread if you wish to get solutions for your problem.

Regards
Peter Gwee

[williamng]

I grow this plant before...Basically it will grow quite big, will bubble a lot too..Leaves turn brown, didnt encounter before. Maybe the plant is getting customise to your tank. Shedding old leaves. Maybe new leaves will grow.

Last time, I on my lights for 8 hrs, observe a lot of algae problem. Now I on my light for 10 hrs, didnt observe algae at all..I think it really depends on how you control the tank parameters. Recommended lighting hours 10 - 12 hrs will be sufficient..

Denerele suggesting 4 - 5 hrs on, off for 2-4 hrs, then on for 4-6 hours again..