Liquid Fertilizer

[utahfish]

I use easy green for my liquid MACro nutrients( NPK) i use seachem flourish for my micro nutrients( everything else) i use aquarium concepts root tabs for my macro (NPK)root fertilizer and flourish root tabs for micro root fertilizer. I dose flourish and easy green at water changes and flourish daily at about 1/3 dose. I have a heavily planted tank no CO2 lots of healthy snails and dont see any adverse effects to my inverts or fish from my dosing of ferts. Every persons dosing is different as its dependant on plant load in tank and how much nutrients they consume i have a lot of heavy root feeders and alot of fast growing stem plants and fast growing floaters. Im constantly having to dose to keep up with the demand of the plants. If one has a few plants that are slow growers or light feeders than ones dosing should be minimal. Find out what the plants you have need and dose for those needs. Some plants like crypts and swords are heavy root feeders about 70% from roots 30% from leaves. Where as some like anubius or java fern are probably 90% leaf feeders. Other plants like a Val are heavy calcium feeders where as a sword are heavy nitrate/ ammonia feeders. Plan your dosing accordingly. As is all plants need all i think 17? Nutrients to grow when 1 isnt available a plant wont thrive keeping in mind various plants use various nutrients in varying volumes as stated before. I find that if i just dose flourish comprehensive my heavy nitrate feeders struggle as flourish doesnt have much nitrogen nor do flourish tabs. I remedy this by adding a liquid or dry fert that has more nitrogen or a root tab that has more nitrogen or both. When plants nutrient needs are exceeded they store those nutrients in pockets in their leaves when nutrient needs arent met even in the slightest plants will show signs of that deficiency. Recognizing those signs will help one diagnose the deficiency and remedy it by adding the deficient nutrient. Good luck have fun!

 

[vanalisa]

It seems a waste to not use it. I'll check if it has an expiration date...does it go bad?

 

[Byron]

It seems a waste to not use it. I'll check if it has an expiration date...does it go bad?

Assuming this refers to API Leaf Zone, the problem is this is only potassium and iron. Potassium is a macro-nutrient and so far as I have been able to ascertain (from the botanical sources) not a problem if overdosed. Iron however is a micro-nutrient, and if overdosed can cause serious issues for plants, fish and invertebrates. As essjay noted, plants need a range of nutrients, 17 in all, and botanical studies have shown that the nutrients must be in a proportional amount relative to each other. An excess of some nutrients will cause plants to shut down assimilation of other nutrients--and iron excess is one of these proven to do so. This has less impact if all other nutrients are present in sufficient amounts, but as you are relying on fish food to provide these, this is unlikely. I know from personal experience which proved what my research ascertained that excess iron does harm plants, and kill them.

 

[corylover5]

I ordered Seachem Flourish Comprehensive. Does that fertelizer work well?

 

[Byron]

I ordered Seachem Flourish Comprehensive. Does that fertelizer work well?

Yes. It has all necessary nutrients (except oxygen, hydrogen and carbon which all occur naturally in the aquarium) and in proportion aside from minimal levels of some of the macros because for most people these are adequately present in the source water. I have zero GH/KH water and have used this liquid for over ten years, along with the Flourish Tabs for larger rooted plants.

 

[vanalisa]

Assuming this refers to API Leaf Zone, the problem is this is only potassium and iron. Potassium is a macro-nutrient and so far as I have been able to ascertain (from the botanical sources) not a problem if overdosed. Iron however is a micro-nutrient, and if overdosed can cause serious issues for plants, fish and invertebrates. As essjay noted, plants need a range of nutrients, 17 in all, and botanical studies have shown that the nutrients must be in a proportional amount relative to each other. An excess of some nutrients will cause plants to shut down assimilation of other nutrients--and iron excess is one of these proven to do so. This has less impact if all other nutrients are present in sufficient amounts, but as you are relying on fish food to provide these, this is unlikely. I know from personal experience which proved what my research ascertained that excess iron does harm plants, and kill them.

As usual, thanks for the in depth reply.

I actually never used full dose, and randomly at that. I got the Leaf Zone, went light on it a half dozen times, then let it go.
(I'm fairly paranoid about putting stuff in my tanks. I'm the one that has the Anubius in the little black plastic pot because I'm still afraid of super-glue! and am clumsy with string and afraid the ends of bread ties will, of their own volition, keep out and attack my fish). Just a touch of OCD. Not joking

I was all gung-ho about plants at the time. (Year or so ago). I also purchased Seachem Flourish root tabs. I finally put some of those in last week.
I don't have any plants of the type that need iron, the red ones I think.

Just out of curiosity, would the Leaf Zone be good diluted and used to water house plants?