Fertilizer Help

[Valyrian]

The one thing that is most confusing about planted tanks is all the different fertilizers that are out there.

Would Flourish and Flourish Trace take care of all my fertilizer needs or are there more that I need? If so, what else?

 

[plantbrain]

Simple solution will solve the issue, many folks go with the cheap stuff.
This standardizes everything and makes calculations easy and advice:

I can sell you something called Flourish potassium for 15$, or a bottle filled with 500mls water and K2SO4 for 25 pence.
Same stuff.

If you feel better calling a less chemical name, knock your self out.
Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate, same stuff, both will raise KH if you add it.

Most folks in the know use :

KNO3
K2HPO4
Maybe K2SO4/KCl
Gh booster perhaps
Baking soda
And a Trace (seachem Flourish, Tropica Master Grow, of a dry DIY CMS plantex + Boron etc)

You do not need anything else.

These are very cheap via www.gregwatson.com (USA/CA), Aquaessentials (UK), DrMallick's (Singapore) and so on.........

50lb bags run 22$ here, last 5 generations or 20 years on a commerical aquatic plant farm etc.
Longer than you will live in most cases.

We just add this stuff via teaspoon measurements 2-3x to tank and do weekly water changes to prevent build up for CO2 plant tanks.
Cheap, effective, simple, requires no test kits, grows plants very well.



Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[JamesC]

The pinned topic "Zig's Estimative Index Article" will also explain nutrients.

 

[Valyrian]

What do the GH booster and baking soda do?

 

[plantbrain]

GH booster adds GH in a balance form, Mg, SO4 and Ca are all plant macro nutrients also.

KH is added via baking soda.

Often, folks have moderately to harder waters need neither, adding a bit GH booster can rule out any such limitations for those 3 macro nutrients and more (2-3 degree's worth) is not detrimental

Regards,
Tom Barr