Supplies For A Healthy Looking Planted Tank

[love_fish]

Hello, i really want my tank to look good, so im going to upgrade my lighting very soon (possibly this weekend). I also want to konw what else is good such as ferts to get my plants looking good and healthy.

After upgrading the lighting, i will have almost 3 WPG. Plants i will be keeping are:

Water Sprite
Java Moss
Java Fern
Anachris
Dwarf Sagittaria

So what else should i get to make them look good? I hear all this stuff about Potassium sulfate etc. Any help with this will be appreciated.

ps - i do have a co2 system and im using sand

 

[IovaykInD]

Read the article written by gf255. It's a pinned article in this section. Read the one that is named "Say Goodbye To Algae Forever." Its about PMDD(Poor Man's Dosing Drops). This is where you dose each nutrient seperately and you can use test kits to see what you need to add.

 

[paulf]

I use EI and its great, works well. Next time I want ferts, I will import it from the states, works out a lot cheaper.

I use CSMB + plantex works out shipping to the uk is around £17 a pound and go to garden direct for the rest of the ferts you need

 

[love_fish]

I was thinking of ordering potassium nitrate with those plants. Would that be good for the plants?

 

[Aqua Essentials]

I use EI and its great, works well. Next time I want ferts, I will import it from the states, works out a lot cheaper.

I use CSMB + plantex works out shipping to the uk is around £17 a pound and go to garden direct for the rest of the ferts you need

Why go to the states for it? CSM Plantex is also sold here (just comes under a different name)

 

[George Farmer]

For UK hobbyists I can highly recommend dry ferts from Aqua Essentials.

You may be able to find some of the products cheaper from garden centres etc. but speaking from personal experience you cannot guarantee the purity. For instance I bought Sulphate of Potash (Potassium sulphate, K2SO4) from my local gardening shop and found that I couldn't dissolve it completely, I assume the "leftovers" were impurities.

For most fert-hungry heavily planted tank's needs you'll need Potassium nitrate (KNO3), Potassium phosphate (KH2PO4) and trace mix. For those with soft water you may need to dose Ca and Mg too. Dosing extra Fe may also be beneficial.

It's worth remembering though that dosing dry ferts is only necessary in a high growth tank. As suggested read zig's pinned EI thread for more detailed info.

 

[love_fish]

Yea, i was going to use potassium nitrate, but would that be enough fertilizer for the plants i used. Or would i have to get to some Fe and K2SO4?