questions on ferts on an established gravel tank

[kennef]

hey guys

i have a 30 gal tank which houses some fish including a small bichir and 2 oregon newts. i am doing CF lighting in a DIY canopy and no CO2 yet, since the water level on the tank produces some surface agitation. i dont plant on filling the tank completely, dues to escape possibilities, but i wanted to ask about ferts.

i have an existing aquascape that i dont want to scrap.
what should i do for fertsd in the tank besides changing the substrate entirely?

[zacusmaximus]

You could add laterite and use the occasional substrate tab. Dose a liquid carbon source like Excel.

[kennef]

the laterite could be slid under the gravel in spots, right? and tell me more about Excel

[Purrbox]

Laterite is much better added to a tank while it is being set up than after it is already running. It's extremely easy to end up with a cloudy tank if too much of the laterite is exposed to the water. Much easier to use just root tabs.

How much light are you planning to put over the tank? If you stick to a low to medium light tank, then CO2 and heavy fert dosing shouldn't be necessary. Some occational Traces and Potassium would be the main things that you would need to dose. As long as your Nitrates and Phosphates don't start to bottom out you wouldn't need to dose them.

Flourish Excel is a liquid carbon supplement that can be used instead of or with CO2 injection. It does work well, but CO2 works better. It's an ideal product for smaller tanks where CO2 injection may not be practical.

[kennef]

i have 6x26 watt CF bulbs @ 6500k (screw-in type) over the tank now. since the tank isnt filled, i estimate about 25-26 gallons in the tank. I wouldnt mind using root tabs if i can find an inexpensive source for them. the plant is to maintain the tank on a budget, so alternatives are always welcome.

i might do CO2 if it's needed, as i am familiar with the process, i am just not sure if i need it yet. Also, what test kits are needed for planted tanks?

[Purrbox]

With that much light over the tank, you're probably going to run into algae problems unless you have very good CO2 levels and heavy fert dosing. If this isn't the type of tank maintenance you want to be doing, then you'd be better off cutting back on the lighting.

[kennef]

i wont mind dosing, i just want to make sure i'm doing it well. i could cut back on the light by half, but i do want to eventually work towards heavy plant growth.

[Zezmo]

You can get heavy plant growth with lower lighting. The growth is just slower. With a lower water level you should actually get good light pentration to the substrate. If you run the lights no more than 10 hours per day you will avoid most algae. Combine that with some floating plants like Frogbit, or a lilly, and you can stay very algae free.
I am not sure of the effects of excel on amphibians. So that might not be a great choice. Then again it might be fine, i just don;'t know, but it should be a concern.
No need for special substrates in that tank IMO. A root tab here and there should serve well.