Beautiful tank! How do you keep your plants so healthy? Are the plants on top pennywort? I am using "tropica plant growth premium fertilizer". This is all I use. I also have a planted tank light. It is the Finex 24/7 planted light. Will I be able to under dose the Flourish Excel? I just bought it and dont want it to go to waste.
I would never add Excel to a tank with live fish. Up to you.
Another thing though, is that if you use Excel you are then establishing a certain balance of nutrients, just the same as using any fertilizer product. The aim with a planted tank is to create a working balance and stay with it; plants are no more adaptable to changing conditions than fish. This does not mean they cannot, but in doing so (where they can) it has consequences for the plants, just as it does for fish. From day 1 you want to decide on the balance and stay with it. Minor tweaks along the way are often necessary. For example, I have found that using more liquid fertilizer in some tanks causes significant algae issues, whereas in other tanks the reaction might be different. I have over time reduced my tank light duration to 8 hours, 7 hours over the 70g; this has prevented outbreaks of brush algae. But if I were to increase the duration by just one hour, it would upset the balance that is now working.
The Tropica Premium should be fine. I cannot find the ingredients listed online, but from what I did find, that it contains no nitrate or phosphate but does contain trace elements, it should be good. And Tropica do have a reliable reputation. I am using Seachem's
Flourish Comprehensive Supplement for the Planted Aquarium, which contains all required nutrients in balance. I use this solely to ensure that everything is present. Many nutrients occur naturally (hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, and some of the "hard" minerals like calcium and magnesium depending upon the GH) and fish foods do provide them. Depending upon the plant species and numbers, and the light intensity, there may be no need to add anything; or there may be a need for certain nutrients to be supplemented. It's all down to that balance again. Once you have the light, it is easier to add nutrients to reach the balance. I use plant response and algae to guide me. When the plants are growing adequately, and algae is not a nuisance, I have achieved the balance.
Balance involves light intensity and duration, and nutrients. But the plant species also factor in; having for example all high-light demanding plants is going to mean more light and more nutrients. So a balance in my tanks that promotes good growth in swords will not necessarily work if I were to use different plants. Over the years I have tried many and some don't last; I stay with what works. My goal is a fish tank that happens to have some live plants, not an aquatic garden where plants are the focus and fish are few or not even present. These are two very different concepts. I have moderate light because it affects fish, and I want the fish to be at their best and healthy. So live plants have to accept that; some do, some won't.
I believe the light is good for LED. AbbeysDad has one of these if memory serves me. You may need to watch the duration, as if it is the same one, it does have brightness.
When that photo was taken, Brazilian Pennywort was the floating plant.
