How Much Liquid Fert To Use?

[miniman]

Hi

I was hoping you may be able to help me out with maintance and balance of my tank. I currently have:

one rock of java moss
one large anubias nana
one small anubias nana
one java fern
one anubia afzelii

I have a 18uk gal tank with 30w of lighting.
At first I was adding a bit of liquid fert at each water change but have been suffering a bit with brown algae. This is not down to lighting being on too little as it used to be on a long time. I believe this is a bit to do with a lot of phosphate in the tap water but it was also suggested that the liquid fert was prob feeding the algae more than the plants.

My tank is also about a month post cycling/stocking and i was told it might be to do with having a new tank too.

Well since my last water change I havnt added any fert and most of the brown algae has gone and most of the algae now on the side of the tank is green. The brown algea on the plants got really bad and the anubias was literally covered.

My plants seem to be doing ok, all the anaubias grows a lot of new shoots (although it does get a lot of brown algae) the moss needs trimming once a week and althouhg the java fern doesnt look like it is doing great to me it is covered in new baby ferns so cant be doing too bad.

I do not add any Co2.

Sorry for the long post but I thought the info might help you advise me on using the fert. Is there a way of telling how much to add and if it is needed at all? if there is now green algae doen this mean that even without the fert I have excess nutrients? My lighing is on for about 10 hours a day.

Please help!

Ps - i have some moss balls on order too!

 

[Themuleous]

A decent liquid fert (seachem flourish is excellent) weekly according to the instructions on the bottle will help.

Re the algae, the brown stuff it common in new tanks, the green spot can be use to a lack of P but in a lower light tank I would think not. Make sure you are consistent with the water changes and liquid fert and it'll probably settle down once the tank stabilises.

More plants probably couldn't hurt either.

Sam

 

[miniman]

Thanks for the reply.

I have ordered a few more easy plants!

I use Plant Gro as a fert - I dont know if this is any good?

The bottle says to put a certain amount per gallon but when I am not highly stocked should i reduce that amount - as a planted tank would need more than a tank with some plants would it not?

Its strange that all my plants do well but the fern is really hit and miss - its not dying but it has a few holes and just looks a bit limp! Also a lot of the new leafs look like they are melting at the tip!

 

[Themuleous]

For lower light tanks like yours dosing according to the bottle is fine.