Water change And ferts

[Hobgob]

With my discus tank, I like to change the water roughly 20% a day or 30% everyother so I get 100 in a week. Now, how would you fertilize? I was using Nutrafin plant gro but the lids kept molding so I'm using flourish right now. It says to use one capful (5ml) per 60 gallons. So I used 6ml to treat 72 gallons. My aquarium is a 75g by the way. It says to dose once or twice a week.
Now if I was to do a 20% change today I would be removing 2ml of ferts. Same with tomorrow and then come Wednesday, after my water change there would be nothing left? So I would redose and start all over? I just feel like I will be wasting a bunch of fertilizers. Now I honestly can go a week without doing a water change and my nitrate levels are still 5 ppm from the plants and low stock. So my question is really how would you fertilize based on this schedule or since my nitrate stay below 5 would you just do a change twice a week when you want to redose? That would probably be the easiest way right? If I dosed today, did a 30-40 on Friday and redosed. Then on Monday or Tuesday do it again?
Also what is classified as a heavily planted aquarium?

I'm sure posting my aqurium will help so I will do that. I'm gonna use my phone though instead of my iPod, it has a better camera.

 

[Hobgob]

This is a better picture

 

[Hobgob]

But there is some type of val in the back. Im hoping it will grow up the sides of the aquarium and take over the back. To big swords on the side and then a little on left side medium one in the middle and to small ones on the right and the middle. I also have a ruby red melon sword, spiralis, and some alligator weed im waiting for to take off so I can do some root division and place it out.

But how would you fertilize? Right now I only use three root tabs, one by each big sword and One near my ruby red. Im thinking I could put more tabs in when I read things up. Maybe break one into four pieces for my val in the back? Any advice would be great, thank you.

 

[BBradbury]

Hello Hob...

One large, 50 percent water change is more effective than multiple small ones. If you get out the gear to change the tank water, then make it worth the effort. Fish wastes take a long time to build up in the water. So, if you change half every week, there's no time for toxins to build up before it's time to change out the water again.

Fertilizers, if you use them, only need to be replaced when you remove them during a water change. Dose according to the instructions, but only when you change out the tank water.

Just one reporter's opinion. This is what I do with my large, planted tanks. Tank keeping isn't an exact science and there are many successful approaches to the hobby.

B

 

[Hobgob]

Discus fish are sensitive to nitrate levels so I've been told. so that's why I've been doing smaller changes and everyone says you want at least 50% change every week. So I don't need to add fertilizer unless I remove it?

Im more confused now then I was before. How many root tabs would you put in also since you said I dont need to add ferts unless I do a water change. So If I did a water change Monday added ferts come Friday, your saying I shouldn't have to redose if I didnt do a water change? So the plants dont use the fertilizer?

 

[Mebbid]

It depends on your dosing regimen really. Personally, in your situation I would switch over to dry ferts and then do a EI dosing schedule on your tank. Since you are adding ferts to the water every day it won't matter if you take 20% out and in fact it should give you much more stable fert levels.

 

[Hobgob]

Well my next question was about dry ferts, what are they? I've only seen liquod in stores. And right now my dosing regime has been on and off, I've been trying to figure out an equilibrium but iys harder then I thought, I was tempted to just dose enough to get my iron to .25-.5 ppm and redose everywhere day after my water change. What would you do if this was your discus tank?

 

[Mebbid]

Try green leaf aquariums for dry ferts. You will basically mix them in a bottle and dose a measured amount every other day. There are plenty of ei calculators out there to try. They last waaaay longer than liquid ferts and are waaay cheaper as well.

Id give you some links but I'm on my phone right now.

 

[Prediscus23]

Discus fish are sensitive to nitrate levels so I've been told. so that's why I've been doing smaller changes and everyone says you want at least 50% change every week. So I don't need to add fertilizer unless I remove it? Im more confused now then I was before. How many root tabs would you put in also since you said I dont need to add ferts unless I do a water change. So If I did a water change Monday added ferts come Friday, your saying I shouldn't have to redose if I didnt do a water change? So the plants dont use the fertilizer?

I've raised discus before and don't believe the hype! They are not that sensitive. I did a 50 wc per week and they remain perfectly healthy and happy. The tank bred discus aren't the sensitive ones it's the ones caught in the wild that are. You know how everyone says that you have to have a very low ph...... Well I mine ran 7.6-7.8 and the bred and flourished. So dnt let the worrying about all of that. As long as you take care of them they will be fine. Enjoy them they are awesome fish.

 

[Hobgob]

I've raised discus before and don't believe the hype! They are not that sensitive. I did a 50 wc per week and they remain perfectly healthy and happy. The tank bred discus aren't the sensitive ones it's the ones caught in the wild that are. You know how everyone says that you have to have a very low ph...... Well I mine ran 7.6-7.8 and the bred and flourished. So dnt let the worrying about all of that. As long as you take care of them they will be fine. Enjoy them they are awesome fish.

How long did you have your discus for and how big did they get? Also what were your nitrate levels at before you did a water change and how long did it take for your discus to reach full size? And my breeder told me the nitrate thing... He said he went to switch over a grow out tank and figured he could use new water and apparently lost 5 of his leopards.
Also I believe the ph is more for in terms of hatching rates. It's been proven that you get more wigglers with lower ph and softer water.

Probably because the more acidic water helps eat away at the shell. Like apisto iniridaes, they need ph of like 4-3.5 to have a successf hatch. The outer shell is like a khilie fish and needs the acid to eat away at it.

 

[Hobgob]

Try green leaf aquariums for dry ferts. You will basically mix them in a bottle and dose a measured amount every other day. There are plenty of ei calculators out there to try. They last waaaay longer than liquid ferts and are waaay cheaper as well.

Id give you some links but I'm on my phone right now.

Can I purchase this in Canada Ontario by anychance? And that seems a lot easier than wasting my liquid ferts. But someone mentioned above that a 20% water change wouldn't effect my fert levels. So what if I did three or four days of 10-20 and redosed after the fourth? It's say to use once or twice a week, I'm sure my plants would have consumed what was left in the water colum after my pwcs. Just until I use the rest of this flourish... I just bought it because my Nutrafin bottles kept molding on me.

 

[Hobgob]

Can I purchase this in Canada Ontario by anychance? And that seems a lot easier than wasting my liquid ferts. But someone mentioned above that a 20% water change wouldn't effect my fert levels. So what if I did three or four days of 10-20 and redosed after the fourth? It's say to use once or twice a week, I'm sure my plants would have consumed what was left in the water colum after my pwcs. Just until I use the rest of this flourish... I just bought it because my Nutrafin bottles kept molding on me.

Haha miss read it if I switched to dry ferts it wouldn't matter! Would my plan still work though? Also how many root tabs would you be adding if this was your tank?

 

[Mebbid]

It depends on the type of root tab you are using. I generally put a root tab under each of my root feeding plants. In my 55 I am using about 15 - 20 of them or so.

 

[Hobgob]

I see well im using sera florenetta A. I pit three into my tank, one by each of the large swords and one by the spiralis/ ruby red melon. Do you have any experience with these root tabs?

 

[Mebbid]

I've honestly never even heard of them but is there a listing of what nutrients the tablet have? A lot of common commercial fertilizers lack the full range of nutrients that plants need.

 

[Hobgob]

Potassium,iron and trace elements such as manganese. But it doesnt say how much...

 

[Hobgob]

Also no luck with the dry ferts so far. I figured big Al's would have it in there store but I guess not...

 

[Mebbid]

try www.aquariumfertilier.com

 

[Prediscus23]

I just mixed up my EI ferts does anyone happen to know how I should dose a 55 gal? I mixed my macros and micros in two 500 ml bottles but I'm not sure how exactly to dose.

 

[billsey420]

I just mixed up my EI ferts does anyone happen to know how I should dose a 55 gal? I mixed my macros and micros in two 500 ml bottles but I'm not sure how exactly to dose.

i just did the same thing. Same tank size. I'll be watching to see what people say. I read 105 of the macro one day then 105 micro the next day. Alternate like that for 7 days. Then do a 50% water change and start all over.