fertilizing????

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blizowman1

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Dec 1, 2011
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ok so ive got a 29g with dual t5 fixture running a 31w 6500k and a 31w colormax bulb....i dont run co2 and have just regular gravel....i currently have 8 pristella tetras, 2 leopard corys, and a albino bristlenose. i decided to buy some plants and got anubius nana, java fern, wisteria, java moss and banana plant....the question is what ferts should i dose? right now i dose regular flourish once a week and thats it. i was told i should dose flourish once a week at half a cap full so not to have a algae outbreak and was recommended to use excel which i dont have yet..do i need it and how often do i dose it and how much.......my banana is growing great but the leaves are yellow and my java moss doesnt look green anymore. what would it do if i was to dose some iron....what am i supposed to do cause i have no idea
 
Buy the seeds and grow your own. I planted 6 bulbs from an assorted pack I racked from petco just to try and sure enough 4 of the 6 grew one got chewed to bits by my cichlids but it's growing back.


I'm not going to get scientific on you fish keeping is a fun hobby to me with that said let your tank get dirty over feed one day out of s week when a fish dies bury them in the tank allow your gravel to become a bed of waste and decaying matter. That will create all the food your plants need "nutrients" clean airated and co2 injected water and strong current will get your plants growing.
 
what if i dont want to inject co2.....which i also have no idea about
 
Okay, I would recommend dosing excel if you are not injecting CO2. After I started using it daily my plants took off! You can also use some form of root tab which should provide some nutrients to the plants.
 
if im using reguar flourish do i need root tabs or do they kind of compliment each other i guess you could say ....what about some flourish iron? ive got a couple plants looking a little yellow and my java fern is getting dark spots (not algae) but dark spots and my java moss doesnt look like its filling out almost like it might be dieing down?
 
Plant Deficiency Picture Diagram - Fertilizing - Aquatic Plant Central<-- This is a good link that talks about deficiencies.
Iron supplementation would be a good idea if your plants are looking a little yellow, and root tabs are basically just a source of iron and other nutrients for plants that are known to have large root systems(such as wisteria).
Dark spots on a java fern leave can be an indication of the plant being ready to reproduce, with small plantlets forming on the leaves.
 
I'm not going to get scientific on you fish keeping is a fun hobby to me with that said let your tank get dirty over feed one day out of s week when a fish dies bury them in the tank allow your gravel to become a bed of waste and decaying matter. That will create all the food your plants need "nutrients"

I have to categorically disagree with this. Sounds like a good way to kill off a bunch of your fish with an ammonia spike. If you want to do something like this, buy root tabs or something less dangerous to your livestock.

I'm wondering what your nitrate levels are. Some of what you describe sounds like nitrate deficiency, and your tank isn't especially stocked. I also would highly recommend Excel.
 
I have to categorically disagree with this. Sounds like a good way to kill off a bunch of your fish with an ammonia spike. If you want to do something like this, buy root tabs or something less dangerous to your livestock.

I'm wondering what your nitrate levels are. Some of what you describe sounds like nitrate deficiency, and your tank isn't especially stocked. I also would highly recommend Excel.

+1 Excel is great!
 
Hey to each his own I guess. You can do what you want my planted tank is a free running system I practice what I preach and

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My water clear my fish are happy and my plants are growing.
 

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EMD1 said:
Hey to each his own I guess. You can do what you want my planted tank is a free running system I practice what I preach and

My water clear my fish are happy and my plants are growing.

I guess so, but buried dead fish in the gravel can cause a major hazard for nasty bacterias also! Which could potentially kill your fish.
 
so does the excel have nitrate in it too? I think I read that somewhere...my tank only has 8 pristellas 2 corys (one didn't make it) and a bristlenose...I haven't stocked anymore because im getting nitrates but am going threw my nitrite spike part of my cycle I just added the plants cause I read it helps the cycle and helps keep fish alive during cycle
 
so does the excel have nitrate in it too? I think I read that somewhere...my tank only has 8 pristellas 2 corys (one didn't make it) and a bristlenose...I haven't stocked anymore because im getting nitrates but am going threw my nitrite spike part of my cycle I just added the plants cause I read it helps the cycle and helps keep fish alive during cycle

Excel only contains glutaral which acts as a carbon supplement for your plants and an algaecide (if need be). It does not contain any other nutrients.
 
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