QTOFFER
Aquarium Advice Addict
Recently the plants in all my low light (1.0 - 1.8 WPG) tanks look - well - tired.
They're growing, but the new growth is a little pale. I notice this expecially on my Amazon swords, but even my Java moss doesn't look as peppy as it once did. My broad leaf Java fern and anubias have very small black spots and holes on the old growth. My research suggests a micronutrient deficiency. I already know that my nitrates are very low (0 - 5 ppm), and I'm getting some reagent grade KNO3 from work to slowly bring it up to 10 ppm. This will also dose some potassium, which also is probably on the low side.
About the micronutrients... I picked up some Jungle plant food tabs (0-0-6) plus iron, no phosphate. Most of them crumbled into powder upon opening the package. :? I inserted an intact one under each of the Amazon swords and planted anubias. They were a pain to work with - they kept floating to the surface and the fish - convinced they were algae wafers - kept trying to dig them out.
But what about the non-planted plants? Will they benefit from the dissolving root tabs at all? Maybe a powdered fert like Plantex, or a liquid fert would be better and easier to dose? Any suggestions or brand preferences?
They're growing, but the new growth is a little pale. I notice this expecially on my Amazon swords, but even my Java moss doesn't look as peppy as it once did. My broad leaf Java fern and anubias have very small black spots and holes on the old growth. My research suggests a micronutrient deficiency. I already know that my nitrates are very low (0 - 5 ppm), and I'm getting some reagent grade KNO3 from work to slowly bring it up to 10 ppm. This will also dose some potassium, which also is probably on the low side.
About the micronutrients... I picked up some Jungle plant food tabs (0-0-6) plus iron, no phosphate. Most of them crumbled into powder upon opening the package. :? I inserted an intact one under each of the Amazon swords and planted anubias. They were a pain to work with - they kept floating to the surface and the fish - convinced they were algae wafers - kept trying to dig them out.
But what about the non-planted plants? Will they benefit from the dissolving root tabs at all? Maybe a powdered fert like Plantex, or a liquid fert would be better and easier to dose? Any suggestions or brand preferences?