Fertiliser Help

[Angry_Platy]

I am being told by a few ppl that if I use fertiliser it will make my hair algae worse...I have a little bit in my tank at the moment. I have 3.2wpg lighting and approx 20ppm CO2.

Other people are telling me that if I use ferts it will make the plants grow quicker hence the nutrients will be stolen from the hair algae.....

What is true

 

[guppygirl]

Ok. Your plants will use all the nutrients that your algae needs. Yet if you have too much nutrients in there, the algae will grow more than your plants. So, you have to add co2 to make the plants grow faster and absorb more nutrients to get rid of the algae. Adding nutrients is essential to your plants in order to grow, so you still have to add ferts.
Phosphate also plays a part in this, so make sure that you get rid of your phosphate.
Sorry if this is confusing, I did my best!

 

[Aulonochromis]

You want your nutrients to be balanced. You don't want any deficiencies, including phospahte. Once I started adding phosphate, the hair algae died off.

Here's a very good read:

http/www.barrreport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1

 

[Nospherith]

I get plenty of algae without ferts.

 

[Lateral Line]

Higher plants are more efficient at converting light, CO2 and nutrients then algae and other lower plants. It is quite possible to starve algae to death by giving your higher plants all they need.

That said, if there are more nutrients available then the plants can use, then there will be some left over for the algae, and it will use them.

The key word is balance.

If you have algae problems, then there is a surplus of nutrients, i.e. your plants are not capable of using them all. It is more likely to be a surplus of macro nutrients, (NO3, PO4 etc.). Good quality fertilisers do not contain macro nutrients.

If your higher plants are growing well AND your algae is growing well, then you probably need more plants.

 

[Angry_Platy]

Hmmm....looks like I need more plants. My higher plants are growing well (I am trimming all the time) as is my hair algae Though it seems to be stopping a little as I have reduced my lighting.

I will see how it all goes before adding ferts!!!

Thanks!!!