Liquid fertiliser

[kbuser92]

Hey everyone, I'm hoping someone can recommend the best liquid fertiliser for a mostly Amazonian planted tank. It's recently been set up and for the substrate, I used a combination of gravel and CaribSea Eco Complete substrate.

I'm currently finishing off a bottle of Florapride, which I've used successfully in the past, but only in small tanks with minimal plants.

I currently have Jungle Val, Pygmy Chain sword, Micro sword, Rosette sword, piniculatis sword, red Ludwigia, and an Asian water fern.

Lighting is a reefbreeders lux fixture, cranked to 100% on channel 1, no blue lights at all. I'm also medicating right now, so there's no carbon, just a couple mesh bags full of peat moss.

I'm really not interested in using CO2 (okay, maybe I am) as cost and space are somewhat prohibitive now. Maybe someday.

So if anybody has any fertiliser that may be better than florapride, I'm open to any suggestions, but if they're all about the same performance wise, I'll stick with what I've got.

Thanks in advance!

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f19/kbusers-amazon-biotope-358805.html#post3447917

P.S. Forgive me if there's already a thread, I did a search and it didn't bring anything up that seemed to be helpful to me.

 

[jfhrtn]

I use Nilocg's Thrive but he also makes an EI liquid fert that you can mix yourself with RO water. I am going to pick up the EI kit once I finish off my bottle of Thrive. I'll post a link below. Seems to have great reviews.

http://nilocg.com/diy-ei-liquid-fertilizer/

 

[fishenthusiast]

PPS-Pro is a nice method of fertilization. It's more lean than EI and you wouldn't have to do water changes that are huge. Either method, EI or PPS-Pro, can adjusted to your tank's needs, so as long as your plants are receiving the nutrients, they'll be in good shape.

 

[kbuser92]

Thanjs guys, i will look into the Thrive. I see they have a Thrive Carbon, would tee hat be helpful? I'm sure it's not going to perform the way a pressurized system would, but it can't hurt, can it? (When dosed per the instruxtions, at least).

 

[jfhrtn]

@fishenthusiast forgot to mention the big water change factor. Thank you for mentioning it. PPS-Pro is probably a more friendly method to a low tech. I will also have to factor that in.

@kbuser92 I don't think it would hurt anything if dosed by the instructions. I'm not running any source of carbon. My tank is definitely considered low tech but I haven't had any melting or major issues yet (knock on wood). Only thing I had is a rather large diatom bloom. I did a half dose of thrive the first week and then right by the instructions the following weeks. I am also using diy Osmocote Root Tabs in the substrate.

 

[Bert2oo1]

Thanjs guys, i will look into the Thrive. I see they have a Thrive Carbon, would tee hat be helpful? I'm sure it's not going to perform the way a pressurized system would, but it can't hurt, can it? (When dosed per the instruxtions, at least).

You'll have to be careful with liquid carbon and vals, the glut in it will melt the vals. Start at a 1/4 dose and work your way up over a month or 2 to get the vals used to it or they will just turn to mush. [emoji106]

 

[kbuser92]

You'll have to be careful with liquid carbon and vals, the glut in it will melt the vals. Start at a 1/4 dose and work your way up over a month or 2 to get the vals used to it or they will just turn to mush. [emoji106]

Good to know, thank you! I'll just polish off this bottle and make an order. One more question, though. I've a handful of shrimp, is there much difference between the shrimp formula and the Thrive or Thrive+ other than minute amounts of copper? Is that really enough to affect them?

 

[Coursair]

Thrive-S is made for Shrimp tanks.
Other Thrives should be safe, but he made one just for Shrimp keepers' peace of mind.

I think the S is a lower dose for smaller tanks if I remember. Colin is on FB or just email him.

 

[Coursair]

http://nilocg.com/ThriveS/

Thrive S