Plant ID and dry ferts questions

[lanceuppercut]

Hey everyone I was wondering if you guys could give me a guess as to what plant is pictured. I think the plants behind it are anacharis, but I'm unsure on those too.

I also had a question about dry ferts. Would it be necessary to dose N, P, and K in my tank? I have 2 T5 (non-HO) fixtures with 2 bulbs each (one 10000K and one 6700K in each fixture). Eco complete as substrate and DIY CO2. If I do need all of those, do you really need a scale to measure the ferts out to dose?

Also, are there other effective methods other than EI and PPS-pro?

 

[fort384]

looks like a narrow leaf chain sword in the front. Can't tell for sure on the stem plant in the back but it does not look like anacharis to me.

I think it depends on how your tank does as to what you have to dose. You can dose whatever your think is necessary and wait for deficiencies to show up.

EI and PPS Pro are both popular techniques... but you can just dose to a target. Figure out how much you have to add each week to reach a certain desired level... for example 20 ppm nitrate. I don't use either method on my current 5 gal... I just dose a bit of each N/P/K trace each week (or twice a week if I think it needs it). It doesn't have to be an exact science. I will say that it takes a bit of practice to figure out what works and what doesn't. Bottoming out on nutrients or adding excess nutrients can cause things to go south quickly. The key is to recognize deficiencies or changes in your plants and algae growth, and adjust accordingly.

Of course, if you are disciplined enough to stick with a regimented schedule, PPS Pro or EI takes the guesswork out. On the new tank I will be starting tomorrow or tuesday, I built autodosers for about $80... this way it will automatically dose my tank each day (using PPS Pro), and all I have to do is fill up the containers once a week, or once every other week.

 

[Chrisinator]

Looks to be like a skinny amazon sword and a totals species in the backgroud

 

[lanceuppercut]

Huh. I've never heard of totals before, I'll look into it. I think it is a narrow leave sword, now that you mention it.

what are the signs I'd look for, for nutrient deficiencies?

 

[fort384]

Nutrient Deficiency