Your Feedback On My Fert Regime Please!

[flix_cw]

My planted tank has been running for a month now, and i must say plant growth hasn't been all that great. Here are the facts:

- 15g/2ft long
- 1x 8W 12" T5 GroLux Tube (giving a very low 0.5 WpG, with only a 12" lighting footprint)
- Eco-Complete substrate w/ bottom layer of mature gravel and mulm
- Eheim 2213 filter giving a nice high 7.6x turnover.

- Stocking of 6 danios

Fert regime:
- 3ml daily TPN+ (1ml per 20L)
- 1.5ml daily Seachem Flourish Excel (1ml per 40L)

Was doing daily w/c (adding 6ml TPN+ and 7.5ml excel post w/c) until this weekend.


Now, i consider my tank as low tech. However, some would argue that by adding the excel i am making it high tech. The issue with this is that i have a very low WpG, so is there any need for me to be adding the excel at all?
Also, are my plants getting enough micros? I thought TPN+ covered the lot, but i've heard otherwise?
Should i be root-tabbing?

Plants include:
- H. polysperma
- Vallis rubra
- Amazon sword
- Xmas moss
- Java fern
- Crypt willisii
- Pygmy chain sword
- Crypt wendtii
- Anubias barteri v.nana
- Amazon frogbit floating

Maybe it's just early days and the plants need to establish a decent root structure first, and water stats settle now that i'm doing weekly rather than daily w/cs. The frogbit and java fern are doing great though. The polysperma, vallis and anubias however are NOT. I think i'm almost there, just need to fine-tune i think.

Any help much appreciated.

Piccy:

 

[weezawoo]

Hi, do you still have the plant weights around the roots? From the pic it looks like one still has it on?? This could restrict them!

 

[flix_cw]

Hi, do you still have the plant weights around the roots? From the pic it looks like one still has it on?? This could restrict them!

Indeed i do on the amazon sword, just temporarily since it kept floating off. Letting it root a bit then i'll remove it. Probably ready to now actually.

 

[ian]

The most important thing is 'how are the plants looking', do they look as though they are missing out of anything. If not, i would stay with exactly what you're doing.

Now, i consider my tank as low tech. However, some would argue that by adding the excel i am making it high tech. The issue with this is that i have a very low WpG, so is there any need for me to be adding the excel at all?

Just because it low light, doesn't mean 'low tech', once things like carbon and even NKP start getting introduced the tank becomes more medium/higher tech. To be fair, although it won't hurt at all, you may not need to be dosing liquid carbon.

Also, are my plants getting enough micros? I thought TPN+ covered the lot, but i've heard otherwise?

lets go back a few steps...Light is the driver, the next in line comes the C02, N and P come next, the the micros. Flow fits in there as well. Because you light is so low, the demand for C02 is going to be really low, and so forth. IMO flow is still equally important. So again, although the TPN+ won't hurt (as long as you keep up with the weekly water changes). Again the N and P (macros) will most probably come from the stocking. The micros can be dosed weekly.

Should i be root-tabbing?

There is no need for this IMO, plants will just as easy take from the water column than roots. In fact it takes less energy for a plant to take from the column. They would rather do it this way.


As for the Vals, some people just can't grow this stuff, i know i can't. Also some claim that the excel will kill it off. What is up with the Anubias?

 

[flix_cw]

Thanks Ian.

What is up with the Anubias?

It has several leaves, but each one is developing large brown spots/holes. Not sure why, but at least i can see it is developing new leaves.

The micros can be dosed weekly.

Do i need to buy a seperate fert for this, or are micros present in TPN+? I though trace elements in the 'recipe' covered this. If not, is there a brand you'd recommend?