Recommended fertilizers?

[Sati]

I have some plants in my tanks, but my plan is to convert at least 3 of my current setup of 5 tanks into fairly heavily planted tanks. I don't have a CO2 system on any of them and no immediate plans for CO2 injection. I'll be using fluorite substrate and adequate lighting, but I'm curious about what kind of fertilizers you all would recommend. Thanks!

 

[Fruitbat]

Sati...

I use a lot of Seachem products, specifically: Flourish, Flourish Excel, Flourish Iron, and Flourish Tabs.

I also use a few Kent products, specifically: Kent Grow and Kent Micro.

 

[Guest]

If you have decent lighting and adequate ferts, CO2 will certainly help keep things balanced.

I ran a planted tank for a month with adequate lighting and ferts without CO2. Finally decided to add DIY CO2. All I can say is WOW, I should have ran it from the start.

How big are the tanks you want to plant?

 

[Sati]

So one fert is not going to cut it, eh? I am going to need a variety of products? I'm already spending a good deal on my tanks and I really can't afford to add CO2 unless I set up a DIY system.

My planted tanks are going to be:
38g community tank
35g hex angel tank
10g puffer tank

I already have quite a few low light plants in there but I want to bring in a lot more light soon. I want grasses covering the bottom and basically platage everywhere eventually so I know I'll have to do CO2 eventually.

 

[betowess]

You'll need alot of light for the grasses to prosper, so I've heard.

You can save quite a bit of money by dry dosing potassium, nitrates, epsom salts, (and possibly wet dosing phosphates very carefully) and using Plantex CSM plus boron for micro nutrients... all available for a couple bucks each from Gregwatson.com at his PMDD store. http://www.gregwatson.com/products.asp. Greg ships at cost and his service is excellent...One hobbiest serving other hobbiest.
Seachem's potassium is a really weak solution, therefore very expensive to use except on very small tanks

You could read a primer on PMDD ferts from Cathy Hartland in Aqua Botanic's library which is a great resource as well. Rex has alot of this mentioned in his great FAQ. Good luck. Bob

 

[medge00]

ditto all that betowess said! nu salt (also called no salt) is a decent potassium source. Easily found at super markets. I use seachem flourish, flourish iron, nu salt, and occasionally flourish excel in a non co2 tank. I'm going to start a full pmdd routine one of these days.

 

[Guest]

Ive been checking out Greg Watson's dry ferts. I think I'm going to give him a try.

Seachem and Kent liquid ferts in a bottle add up quickly, for how fast you go through them.

DIY CO2 really is'nt that hard. Plus it's cheap compared to pres. Three planted tanks with DIY, as well as, routine maint. might be a bit much (planted tanks need frequent water tests to make sure all the nutrients and para's are in check).

http://www.qsl.net/w2wdx/aquaria/diyco2.html

Check this site out. Someone here on AA was kind enought to pass along to me. Lotsa help info on DIY CO2.

 

[Guest]

Ive been checking out Greg Watson's dry ferts. I think I'm going to give him a try.

Seachem and Kent liquid ferts in a bottle add up quickly, for how fast you go through them.

DIY CO2 really is'nt that hard. Plus it's cheap compared to pres. Three planted tanks with DIY, as well as, routine maint. might be a bit much (planted tanks need frequent water tests to make sure all the nutrients and para's are in check).

http://www.qsl.net/w2wdx/aquaria/diyco2.html

Check this site out. Someone here on AA was kind enought to pass along to me. Lotsa help info on DIY CO2.

 

[malkore]

With high light tanks, you usually have algae problems when dosing ferts, unless you add CO2. Think of high light, frequent fert dosing, and good CO2 as the Holy Trinity of a planted tank.