Fert Dosing Time?

[fish nutter]

Hi everyone,

I have problems with my plants dying and was recommended to overdose in excel and flourish. i was told 5ml excel and 2ml flourish everyday should do the trick. well it is a week later and i am seeing new growth!! i was just wondering when i should cut back?

Thanks

 

[anshuman]

The dosing really depends on how dense your plants are and how big the tank is, if you have just started to plant your tank your dosage is very high, how big is the tank? please give details.

 

[fish nutter]

The dosing really depends on how dense your plants are and how big the tank is, if you have just started to plant your tank your dosage is very high, how big is the tank? please give details.

sorry, it's a 55gal / 250 liter. I have had plants for about 4 weeks and they started dying, last week is when i got advised to overdose. i have got 6 plants, 2 java fern, 2 crypts, a sword and a fern. so not very dense at all

 

[anshuman]

Regardless of ferts/co2, some plants simply melt/die off due to shock from new water qualitly/temp , check plantedgeek and tropica site to see what those plants need (regarding temp/ ph/ light etc). I lost 4 bunch of blyxa japonica within 2 days of introducing them in my planted tank, they simply rotted off and roots in gravel/sand never recovered. so this things happen.

At start , dose moderately, when the plants get heavy in Tank, increase the dose or trim them off.

 

[fish nutter]

Regardless of ferts/co2, some plants simply melt/die off due to shock from new water qualitly/temp , check plantedgeek and tropica site to see what those plants need (regarding temp/ ph/ light etc). I lost 4 bunch of blyxa japonica within 2 days of introducing them in my planted tank, they simply rotted off and roots in gravel/sand never recovered. so this things happen.

At start , dose moderately, when the plants get heavy in Tank, increase the dose or trim them off.

my plants had green spots that i couldn't rub off...
see pic...

 

[anshuman]

looks like its GDA (green dot algae).


I think your plants (amazons?) are root feeders and need rich substrate to get nutrients and your liquid fert is not helping much i guess, if you want to remedy this situation, 1 way would be to get Root-tablets (tabs you put into the gravel directly under the roots) and lower or stop liquid ferts and reduce the lights. This is just my view-point.


I am not a total expert here, so i recommend for other experts to comment.

 

[ian]

yeah its GSA, that leaf needs to go, its lacking a lot in the way of ferts. Amazons are root feeders, however the school of thought is they can take as much from the water column. By the look of that leaf, you're phosphate levels are low, imo it looks like your Fe in the water is also low. What ferts are you dosing? Do the plants look better after the increase? Remember its better to OD a little rather than under dose, as algae will thrive in a low nutrient environment.

 

[RadaR]

looks like its GDA (green dot algae).


I think your plants (amazons?) are root feeders and need rich substrate to get nutrients

"root feeders" such as amazon swords and crypts dont NEED nutrient rich substrates. It just helps if you miss a dose or if you dont dose enough in the water column. The plant can happily take nutrients in via the water.

 

[fish nutter]

yeah its GSA, that leaf needs to go, its lacking a lot in the way of ferts. Amazons are root feeders, however the school of thought is they can take as much from the water column. By the look of that leaf, you're phosphate levels are low, imo it looks like your Fe in the water is also low. What ferts are you dosing? Do the plants look better after the increase? Remember its better to OD a little rather than under dose, as algae will thrive in a low nutrient environment.

Yes i am seeing a lot of new growth in my fern and a little in a crypt and my java fern seems to be fine. I am dosing 5ml of
flourish excel and 2ml of flourish every day . My plant (with the dying leaf that i have since removed- and several others) have shown no sign of recovery.

 

[RadaR]

What about macro nutrients? The flourish doesnt contain these. Plants need macro nutrients more than micro nutrients. The excel carbon addition will be increasing the plants demands for macro nutrients.

 

[fish nutter]

that is all i am dosing.

what is macro nutrients? a little lesson for the noob

could anyone recommend a macro nutrient product?

thanks

 

[anshuman]

Macro nutrients = NPK , http/www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/FlourishNitrogen.html http/www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/FlourishPhosphorus.html http/www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/FlourishPotassium.html

 

[RadaR]

It would be easier to dose an all in one fert that contains micro and macro nutrients instead of mucking about with 4 separate ferts. Tropica Plant Nutrition+ is the best.

 

[fish nutter]

Macro nutrients = NPK , http/www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/FlourishNitrogen.html http/www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/FlourishPhosphorus.html http/www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/FlourishPotassium.html

i have managed to find these in the fish shop (New Zealand has lack plant of products... how much should i be dosing each day? when should i cut back?

Flourish - 2ml
Flourish Excel - 5ml
Flourish Phosphorus - ?
Flourish Potassium - ?
Flourish Nitrogen - ?

EDIT: there is also Flourish Iron and Flourish Trace ... should i start dosing these as well

my store website: http/www.hollywoodfishfarm.co.nz/products.php?cat=/plant_supplements

 

[anshuman]

I can suggest you try http/www.seachem.com/Library/Calculators.html .