Help With Growing Plants, Lighting Ferts Etc...

[Vail3r]

Looking for some help with getting plants growing well. What I currently have is:

5ft 500L Fish tank
2 x 54w T5 Bulbs
A few plants: dwarf sag, amazon sword, vallis and others

I have been buying a random selection of plant food when I have been in the LFS and dosing as stated on the packet however they seem to be roughly working out at £6 per week for my size tank.

With a bit of reading I think I want to look at using Flourish Excel and dry ferts. I have also been told that my lighting is far too low for most plants, is this correct?

Any advice and help with dosing/mixing of dry ferts

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Your lighting is ok for some low light plants, adding another T5 would be ideal but if you can't not to worry. What filter do you have? Most low light plants won't require CO2 in the concentration most other set ups have so you may get away with the odd dose of flourish or easycarbo. As for the estimative index dosing, have a look in PARC at the top of the planted section.

 

[Aquamaniac]

Taking in to account you are asking this questions on this thread it means you are still not experienced enough with plants.
Being that case your light will be ok for a LOW-TECH.
Low tech:

Low light
Low or no c02 (easy carbo can do the job i think but your tank is 500 litre so its i dunno if it will work for a tank so big.
Low nutrients
Cheaper to maintain
And easier to keep
restricted to the easier plants and less demanding plants

Its a good idea for a beginner,and you can still keep very good planted tanks this way with the right choice of plants.

I recomend you take this route if you go high tech,adding more light to the mix,will mean pressurized co2 and more nutrients and if you don't have the experience yet you'll have a hard time to keep it. You can always do High tech later with more experience.

Bare in mind that for a 500 litre you light is not the best but it will do the job.
Heres a list of easy plants:
Easy plants

thats my advice