Dry ferts

[SarahBravo]

I have 3 tanks with quite a few plants in (I won't call 'em planted tanks cos they don't compete with whats on here!). They have medium lighting and some CO2 injection (ph coming out my tap is over 8, so very difficult to get good CO2 levels). Anyhow, I do try to fertilise them once a week and it's costing me a fortune. I've seen some dry fertilisers on www.gregwatson.com.

In your opinion, would these work out better/cheaper? And what should I go for - there is PMMD pre-mix (Contains 1 part Potassium Nitrate, 1 part Potassium Sulfate, 1 part Magnesium Sulfate, 1 part Plantex CSM+B. Price: $8.59), Plantex CSM + B and Plantex CSB + B + Iron.

I can get 1lb of each shipped for about £18 - currently I'm spending about £14 every month on a bottle of SERA fertiliser. If a lb will last me more than 5 weeks I guess it would be cheaper.

Any opionions/advice gratefully received!

Sarah

 

[George Farmer]

Hello Sarah

Are you sure you need to dose macronutrients (nitrates and phospahtes)? Are you heavily planted? If you have medium lighting with "some" CO2 then you may not need to dose. Are your nitrates and phosphates very low?

You mention it is hard to get decent CO2 levels because your tap pH is high. This has no effect on CO2 levels. If your tap water is pH 8 then your KH should be around 10 to 15 degrees. If you inject CO2 at the recommended stable level of around 30ppm then your tank water pH should read 7.0 to 7.2.

Personally I wouldn't get the pre-mixed stuff as you cannot adjust your nitrate and phosphate levels very easily if required.

I buy macros from here http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...ndpost&p=853150

You can buy micros cheap from here - http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=107497

I'm certain the Sera product is nitrate and phospahte free - if you have good results with this then I would just buy the cheap micros.

If you are experiencing algae issues and test for low nitrates and phosphates then consider dosing macros - but ensure your CO2 is stable at around 30ppm.

Hope this helps (and hasn't confused you too much). Have you read zig's EI pinned article?

 

[SarahBravo]

Actually, I've just tested my tap water again. PH is 8.5 to 8.75 and KH is 8. I just thought that this would make it hard to maintain CO2 cos in those tables that you read across your readings, this means you start out with just about 0ppm of CO2, or at least a pretty negligle amount. Does this mean I have to add more CO2 than someone with tap water of say 7.5 and 15KH? Or just that my final PH level will be higher?

Sorry, my brain ain't working today!!

Oh, in my office tank my NitrAtes are about 15 and my phosphate is 1mg/l and I am getting some horrible brown slimy algae.... yuck!

I guess from Zig's article that these aren't so out, so maybe I should concentrate of getting the CO2 up to speed, and buy the dry micronutrient stuff, rather than the macro and micro!

Thanks gf!!

 

[SarahBravo]

Just checked out the office planted tank in full. Despite being only 70 litres and having 1 SERA co2 tablet added 3 x a week, (including one this afternoon) the PH is 8.5. The KH is 6, the GH is 12, nitrAte is 10 and phosphates are about 1 mg/l.

There is 30W of lighting from good tubes, lights are on 9 till 1 and 2 till 7, the substrate is fine gravel with no laterite or flourite, fertilised with SERA root tabs and SERA liquid ferts.

The plants are growing, (although could be lusher) it's really just the blinkin' algae.

Any advice?

 

[George Farmer]

Get your CO2 stable at 30ppm. Plant more heavily with fast-growing stems. This should help your algae problem. You can remove the stems if you wish once the algae has subsided.

Have you read the pinned algae article?