Api Leaf Zone

[Morgan_got_fish]

Today i was stopping by the local pet/aquarium shops and i happened to find some api leaf zone on clearance... So i bought it to try out on my planted tanks. I just had a few questions though...

Is api leaf zone a decent fertilizer?

Will it increase/create algae in my tanks?

What else can I do to help my plants grow faster and better?

 

[Andrew McFadden]

I have found using a better light with root tabs do me best. I tryed that stuff and i couldnt see a difference at all in my plants.

 

[Morgan_got_fish]

Interesting! Well i have about 12 watts per gallon on the tank im using it in so im curious to see how the extra nutrients help...

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Interesting! Well i have about 12 watts per gallon on the tank im using it in so im curious to see how the extra nutrients help...

Are you sure "12 watts" per gallon? I'll just imagine you meant to say 2 watts...

Anyway, API Leaf Zone is just Iron and Potassium. I've been using it to increase the color in my red plants. You'll still need a comprehensive micro nutrient fertilizer like Seachem Flourish.

 

[Morgan_got_fish]

Nope! I really meant to say 12... I upgraded the lighting on it so its up to 30 watts!

 

[Morgan_got_fish]

Would i be able to use both seachem flourish and leaf zone together?

 

[NativeTank7]

Nope! I really meant to say 12... I upgraded the lighting on it so its up to 30 watts!

How long has this set up? 12 wpg sounds like algae heaven

 

[Rivercats]

What size is the tank and what exactly do you have for lighting, both the fixture, how many bulbs, and what is the bulb wattage for each bulb? I run 3-150w metal halides and 4- 39w T5HO's and am nowhere near 12 watts per gallon. In fact 12 watts per gallon IMO would be almost impossible to achieve.

 

[Morgan_got_fish]

About a month or so... The algae isnt bad to be honest, all i have to do is clean up the sides of the tanks and thats about it. I have 12+ plants in there competing with the algae and a single fry that munches on it all day.

 

[Rivercats]

If you have a total wattage of 30 you would have to have a tank that is 2.5 gallons in order to have 12 watts per gallon.

 

[Morgan_got_fish]

Yupp sorry i meant to include that it was my nano 2.5 !

 

[Rivercats]

When using high light, in which that is way too much light, you need to be using CO2 and complete fertilizers of macro and micro nutrients or the plants are going to crash. How long do you leave your lights on daily? I'd really like to see a picture of the tank with the lights on.

 

[Rivercats]

Also what brand of light are you using that you can get 30 watts over such a small nano tank?

 

[Morgan_got_fish]

Well i upgraded the hood and installed my own lighting... It was originally a small cfl bulb now its two flourescent bulbs.

 

[Morgan_got_fish]

This was after a water change and cleaning excuse the water quality. I have them on a automatic timer for 10 hours a day

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Wow.. 10 hours a day and too much (wpg) lighting = algae. I suggest going back to the drawing board on that one.

 

[Morgan_got_fish]

Ehhhh its just my experimental tank anyways...

 

[Rivercats]

I can only run the combination of my T5HO's and Metal Halides 6 hours without having algae issues. Also plants can only use so much light in a growing period so you need to gear back to 6 hours or less and even that is way too much light. It may be an experiment but I agree with Brain that you need to rethink the lighting.

 

[Morgan_got_fish]

Well okay...

 

[ztigris]

Morgan listen to Rivercats and you won't go wrong. But since it sounds like you are determined to continue your experiment, I wish you luck.
At 6 hours with 2 t8 65000 k bulbs with an awesome reflector I'm fighting algae still.