Beginner to Planted Tank - Fert Help Please

[Coco1019]

I'm currently cycling a 55 that I want to be a low light planted tank. I'm not comfortable yet with the idea of CO2.

After reading the beginner's article I just want to make sure I am preparing for the right fertilizers.

I have Eco-complete substrate. From what I gather in the article I may not need anything extra. But, there is the possibility that Nitrogen, Potassium and trace elements will need to be dosed. An I understanding correctly? Is the Seachem line okay or do most of you suggest using dry fert mixes? If so, which ones?

In December I will be gettin my new fixture which is a Catalina one recommended by someone on here.
48" T5 with 3x54 HO bulbs

This fixture has two independent light switches. One switch turns on one bulb, the other switch turns on two bulbs. So you can have one bulb one, two bulbs on, or all three bulbs on. I'm going to be picking their 6500, 10000K and Plant Grow bulbs.

Until then, I'm going to use the stock fixture and bulbs that come in the kit. 2 18" 15 watt 8000K.

Is there any other information I need to provide for you all to offer advise?

 

[Rivercats]

I use dry ferts, dose PPS-Pro. Here is a link to the fert package for micro and macro nutrients.... Micro & Macro | Aquarium Fertilizer | Green Leaf Aquariums

Here is a link to dosing PPS-Pro... Newbie Guide to PPS-Pro - PPS Analysis and Feedback - Aquatic Plant Central

These are the dosing bottles that work great... Fertilizer Dispenser | 1000 mL (32 oz) | Green Leaf Aquariums

 

[Rivercats]

Oh forgot to tell you instead of CO2 to start you can use liquid carbon, either Excel, API CO2 or glutaraldehyde.

 

[Coco1019]

So it's just mixing all of the dry ferts up with distilled water and dosing 1mL/10 gallons every morning an hour before lights on?

You just add it straight to the water, right?

Now, I've read many times about Excel "melting" certain plants. Is that rare or pretty common? If I add the liquid carbon, do I dose that every day as well, at the same time?

The newbie article you linked to was pretty good and easy to understand, but I had a hard time following along with the posts after. Some of it got a bit more technical than I can grasp just yet.

Do I need to pick up a phosphate test kit?

Thank you!

 

[Rivercats]

Dry ferts you mix up one batch of micro mix and another batch of macro mix. When you dose daily you dose the micro mix at one end of the tank and the macro mix at the other end of the tank. You can't just pour them in together at the same spot. Nor can you mix micro and macro ferts together in one container. The link wasn't for the after posting, it was for the beginning explanation. Testing for nitrates and phosphates in a planted tank especially when dosing ferts allows you to see if you need to make adjustments in your dosing. You want your nitrates to be around 20ppm and phosphates between .5 and 1ppm. It's not as complicated as it sounds and buying the package is way cheaper than buying liquids. As for mixing, you weigh out your ferts, add them to the container, then add your RO water (that's what I use), shake good, let sit overnight and you can start using them the next day.

Excel has a small list of plants that are sensitive to it. Jungle val and anachrais are the two main ones. I keep Corkscrew val and dose glutaraldehyde daily and don't have problems. If you check out the link below the post you can veiw my tank and see how many plants you can grow with liquid carbon. You also use liquid carbon daily with your ferts. Then down the road if you feel you want to do CO2 you can switch to it.

 

[callisto9]

I'm currently cycling a 55 that I want to be a low light planted tank. I'm not comfortable yet with the idea of CO2.

After reading the beginner's article I just want to make sure I am preparing for the right fertilizers.

I have Eco-complete substrate. From what I gather in the article I may not need anything extra. But, there is the possibility that Nitrogen, Potassium and trace elements will need to be dosed. An I understanding correctly? Is the Seachem line okay or do most of you suggest using dry fert mixes? If so, which ones?

I am running a 20G low-light, low-tech tank. I have some Seachem root tabs in and dose 1ml (which is on the low side) weekly of Seachem Flourish Comprehensive. Honestly, I don't know that either is making much of a different. You might want to see how you fare before putting anything in the tank.

Lighting still remains a mystery to me. I had mine on wayyyyy too long - about 16 hours. I am down to 8.5 now and the diatoms are going away.

 

[Coco1019]

I went to the LFS yesterday to get plants and she asked what I was planning on doing to fertilize. I told her about the dry mixes and she said that due to me having ecocomplete, it would over fertilize and my plants would die. She of course then tried to sell me some additional stuff. The only thing I bought was the Excel.

In my tank now are:

2 - Anubias Nana
1 - Moss Ball
2 - Crypt Wednetti Red
2 - Crypt Nevillii
2 - Java Fern

Sound good?

 

[Rivercats]

I went to the LFS yesterday to get plants and she asked what I was planning on doing to fertilize. I told her about the dry mixes and she said that due to me having ecocomplete, it would over fertilize and my plants would die. She of course then tried to sell me some additional stuff. The only thing I bought was the Excel.

In my tank now are:

2 - Anubias Nana
1 - Moss Ball
2 - Crypt Wednetti Red
2 - Crypt Nevillii
2 - Java Fern

Sound good?

It's a good start with easy plants! Good for you, standing your ground. Having eco-complete has nothing to do with ferts in the water column.

 

[Coco1019]

What would be a good tall plant to get for a corner?

 

[NexVobis]

Have you looked in to water wisteria, ludwigia and stargrass?

 

[Coco1019]

I don't think any of those would do well with low light would they?

 

[NexVobis]

I have had ludwigia for several weeks. Nice color to it but it is growing slowly, looks nice in bunches. Wisteria I just planted yesterday.

 

[meegosh]

Ludwigia would do better in higher light and would bring out some reds (depending on type). All the plants you got probably don't need ferts. I would try it out and see how things go before investing time/money into a dosing regime.

 

[Rivercats]

Some of the Vals do okay in lower light, I prefer Corkscrew Val. I do grow Narrowleaf Temple plant in a pretty low light tank and it grows pretty good. Water sprite will usually grow in a lower light tank. None will grow overly fast mind you but they do okay.

 

[Coco1019]

I ordered the fertilizers today so they should be here in a few days. I had to get a scale, too.

I've been dosing the Excel in the mornings an hour before lights on. The plants look mostly okay though the ferns have the spots on them. The crypts that you had me move around that driftwood arm look great. So does the wendtii. They are sticking straight up now and turning a pretty reddish color.

I think I'm going to get some water sprite for the back left corner near the heater and filter, one more crypt nevilli for the front like you suggested and then leave it alone to grow in.

 

[meegosh]

What's the scale for? I dosed ferts for years and just used the measuring spoons, dash pinch, etc. I think its like 1/4 tsp, 1/8 tsp or something. They sell them at Bed Bath and Beyond and places like that.

 

[Coco1019]

What's the scale for? I dosed ferts for years and just used the measuring spoons, dash pinch, etc. I think its like 1/4 tsp, 1/8 tsp or something. They sell them at Bed Bath and Beyond and places like that.

Hmmm...I'm new so I just followed the instructions in the link Rivercats provided. The guy listed the "recipe" in grams and said you had to be very precise when measuring it out. So, I figured I had to do that to get it down to the gram. Like one of them was listed as 59 grams.

 

[Coco1019]

This:

59 grams K2SO4 (Potassium Sulfate)
65 grams KNO3 (Potassium Nitrate)
6 grams KH2PO4 (Mono Potassium Phosphate)
41 grams MgSO4 (Magnesium Sulfate)
Fill with distilled water and shake well. Let sit overnight.

Micro Solution

In 1 liter bottle:
80 grams of CSM+B or equivalent trace element mix
Fill with distilled water and shake well. Let sit overnight.

 

[Rivercats]

What's the scale for? I dosed ferts for years and just used the measuring spoons, dash pinch, etc. I think its like 1/4 tsp, 1/8 tsp or something. They sell them at Bed Bath and Beyond and places like that.

Nowadays they strongly suggest using a gram scale to measure the dry ferts for PPS-Pro since your making up a mixture of them to use over time. I use a gram scale also. Now El I believe doses by teaspoons, etc.

 

[Rivercats]

This:

59 grams K2SO4 (Potassium Sulfate)
65 grams KNO3 (Potassium Nitrate)
6 grams KH2PO4 (Mono Potassium Phosphate)
41 grams MgSO4 (Magnesium Sulfate)
Fill with distilled water and shake well. Let sit overnight.

Micro Solution

In 1 liter bottle:
80 grams of CSM+B or equivalent trace element mix
Fill with distilled water and shake well. Let sit overnight.

I forgot to tell you the MgSO4 doesn't come in the mix and you don't need it in there. Unless you have ultra soft water from your tap you almost always get enough magnesium from your tap water during WC's. And you should add 5ml of Excel to every 250ml of solution to keep the solution from developing any mold when it's used slowly.