From Other Member:
Hey neilan, thanks for responding to several of my threads. Ive been reading up on adding ferts to my tank recently, i just finished getting my co2 system setup as well as recently upgraded lighting. Im wanting to add ferts to a 20 gallon high, but I just cant seem to find a tried and true method of dosing regardless of where I go. Ive looked at dry ferts from a few different places like rex griggs and the green leaf site, but Im just wondering how difficult it'd be to dose with the products I order. Just seeing if you had any input, thanks!
Response:
Ahh, yes. The wonderful world of "I know I need ferts, but how do I do it?" EI method, PPS-Pro method, dry ferts, pre-mixed, mix my own, PMD... it's just so much fun, isn't it?
Alright, if I recall correctly, you're running a 55W retro over a 20g high aquarium, correct? For quite a while I ran a 20high with 65W, very simliar to your setup, with great success. I never tried to grow a carpet, but am convinced I could've if I wanted to, as I was able to grow anything else I wanted.
Also, I believe that you're doing the DIY CO2 method, and injecting this into your AC HOB intake for now?
If anything I said was incorrect, let me know.
Here's my recommendations on that before we get into ferts: First, before you start heavily planting, only run your lights for about 6 hours a day. Get your CO2 running strong and see what kind of levels you're getting out of it (measure pH and kH and calculate). With this much light, you'll really struggle with algae in the long run if you're not able to get your CO2 stable (ask me how I know). I know the upfront cost is a lot, but I highly recommend a pressurized CO2 system. I tried the DIY thing. After 2 or 3 weeks of struggle, I gave up and spent the money, and have never regretted that decision.
But enough about that, you want to know about ferts. In the long run, dry ferts are the way to go IMO. Extremely cost effective, and by having them all seperate you can modify your dosing based on the needs of your tank. I have bought all of my ferts from
Planted Aquarium Fertilizer in the past. Rex Griggs carries the same stuff, so whichever way works for you.
Tried and true method? It doesn't exist, exactly. Personal preferences and performance will affect what you decide in the end is right for you. All I can do is give you my experiences and you'll have to be the judge from there.
I started with the EI method. The EI method is basically dump a whole lot of ferts in the tank to make sure your plants never run out of anything, then at the end of the week do a huge water change to get out the leftovers and start over. Bottoming out on ferts is recipe for algae, so EI overcompensates for this by essentially overdosing everything. I did this for well over a year and had great results with everything except for shrimp - I couldn't keep them alive with this method.
When I setup my big tank this past February, I decided to try a different method - primarily because 50% water changes on a 125g tank - well lets just say they take a while. lol. So I tried the PPS-Pro method (if you're not familiar, I can point you to all the information on APC). This method has a base solution to it that a user on APC developed, then you just tweak things as you go based on what you see in your tank. The theory behind PPS-Pro is to give your plants a daily dose of what they need in a day, no more, no less. The base recipe he gave me was close, I've made tweaks, and I've been very happy with the results. My personal preference is this one (for now at least).
Then, to make things easier, I built myself "auto-dosers" (search the DIY section, I've got a thread in there somewhere). I mix up a weeks worth of ferts, and the timers take care of the rest. With PPS pro, since you're not just overloading the tank with ferts, it's important to dose each day before the lights come on, hence the need (in my case) for the dosers, to make sure everything the plants need is present before they begin their photo-period.
Alright, I'll let you chew on that information. Very general info here, if you want/need more specific information (like what nutrients and amounts to use) let me know, I just don't know where exactly you are in your research and don't want to reiterate stuff you may already know. And again, this is one of those things that everyone you talk to is going to have a very strong opinion about - it's like asking the SW guys which salt is best - lol.
HTH! Don't hesitate to keep asking questions.
From other member:
Whew there sure is alot to this, thanks alot for the info. And yes that is the current setup im running. Im considering pressurized co2, but im on a bit of a budget. I may try testing my ph and kh ( which I assume respective kits can be bought for both right? I havent looked into how to calculate ph, kh, or amount of co2 but I assume there is a relationship between kh and ph to provide me with this? ) and trying to hammer out a good system to use to keep things stable. That may or may not work like you have said but my wallet is begging me to at least give it a whirl. Im interested to see the method you have been using recently, I really don't want to have to purchase a cabinet full of different test kits, only to find out I dont need most of them. I'd like to jsut get a simple recipe/amount worked out and begin dosing steadily. Thanks so much again
Response:
pH and kH test kits are very standard, tho, and once you measure them,
this table shows you the relationship to calculate your CO2.
Here is all the info on PPS-Pro, what I'm currently using. Once you wrap your head around those basics, I'll show you the formulas I use.
. Does one continue to dose during blackout?
