When to start dosing????

[fleekk]

Hi to all Bros,

I have started a planted tank a month ago.

Tank Size : 55Gal
Livestocks : 45 tetras, 20 Yamatoes, 10 SAEs, 4 OTOs, 6 Guppies.
Plants : willow moss, Aponogeton ulvaceus, Bacopa caroliniana-baby tears, hygrophila difformis, Hygrophila polysperma "rosanervig", Rotala wallichii, sagittaria platyphylla, Polygonum spec.
KH : 3
PH : 6.5-6.8
CO2 : 3bps (24/7)
Lighting : 2.5w/gal, 8hrs
Water change : once a week 25%

All the plants are growing fine. Feeding is once a day.

Question: When should I start adding additional traces, liquid Fertiliser, or what should I start adding first. How much to add? Is it realli necessary to add all these??? Any bro here has done none of the above.

I read in the net that do not add anything until 2-3months later, how true is it???

I do have a base fertiliser.

Pls advice.

[toledosun]

if you're not too fussy about plant growth (i.e. not really looking for explosive fast growth, happy so long as plants and fish ok), then I've a suggestion.

Buy dried shrimps, grind them into fine pieces and feed them to your fishes on a daily basis. I read in Diana Walstead's book that shrimps provide nearly all (if not all) the nutrition needed by plants for growth.

That way, you save yourself some cash on fertilizers and don't have to worry about how much to dose etc.

[fleekk]

[quote:9b207eb3="toledosun"]if you're not too fussy about plant growth (i.e. not really looking for explosive fast growth, happy so long as plants and fish ok), then I've a suggestion.

Buy dried shrimps, grind them into fine pieces and feed them to your fishes on a daily basis. I read in Diana Walstead's book that shrimps provide nearly all (if not all) the nutrition needed by plants for growth.

That way, you save yourself some cash on fertilizers and don't have to worry about how much to dose etc.[/quote:9b207eb3]

Hi Bro,

Many thanks for the reply.

Are you refering to "HAE BEE"?? Wouldn't that be very saltish??

Have you try before?

Any other suggestion from other BROS?

[toledosun]

it's the sort of shrimps that you buy from fish shops. normally selling at like $6-$10 for a tin. don't think you can use hae bee. that's what I'm doing now for my office tank. only X'mas moss and java ferns. no fertilizers except for fish food. no problem.

[PeterGwee]

Do not mix non-CO2 method planted tanks with CO2 injected ones. They are completely different in amount of nutrient uptake. Non-CO2 injected ones are very slow in nutrient uptake hence regular daily feeding plus no water changes for months till prunning is necessary should be enough for the plants. CO2 injected ones need more fertilizers as uptake is very much more.

Regards
Peter Gwee

[fleekk]

[quote:154f496fbd="PeterGwee"]Do not mix non-CO2 method planted tanks with CO2 injected ones. They are completely different in amount of nutrient uptake. Non-CO2 injected ones are very slow in nutrient uptake hence regular daily feeding plus no water changes for months till prunning is necessary should be enough for the plants. CO2 injected ones need more fertilizers as uptake is very much more.

Regards
Peter Gwee [/quote:154f496fbd]

Hi Bro Peter,

So what is yr advice for me to start dosing? What to dose?

[PeterGwee]

First, check and double check your CO2 level to make sure it is in the 20-30ppm range for the entire photoperiod by take measurements just before lights on and lights off. Until you are sure that the CO2 level is good, I would not recommend you do the routine I would suggest for you using Tom's estimative index method.

1)Prune and scrub the tank well
2)Clean filter if necessary
3)Do a 50% large water change
4)1/4 teaspoon of KNO3 2x a week
1/4 teaspoon of K2SO4 after water change
10-12ml of traces 2x a week
2-3 rice grain of KH2PO4 2x per week
5)Repeat the whole process each week and make sure the CO2 stays high and good.

Note: You might have issues with algae due a moderate to high critter load in your tank even if the nutrients and CO2 are good.

Regards
Peter Gwee

[fleekk]

[quote:00c7bfc530="PeterGwee"]
1)Prune and scrub the tank well
2)Clean filter if necessary
3)Do a 50% large water change
4)1/4 teaspoon of KNO3 2x a week
1/4 teaspoon of K2SO4 after water change
10-12ml of traces 2x a week
2-3 rice grain of KH2PO4 2x per week
5)Repeat the whole process each week and make sure the CO2 stays high and good.

Note: You might have issues with algae due a moderate to high critter load in your tank even if the nutrients and CO2 are good.

Regards
Peter Gwee [/quote:00c7bfc530]

Hi Bro Peter,

Thanks so much for the info.

Where to get KNO3, K2SO4, KH2PO4? What are all that for?

What is 2-3rice grain?

What traces you would recommend?

Thank you in advance so much.