Plant Food

[Fisses]

Hi all!

ive now got myself a nice tank set up with various plants and im loving the way it looks right now, but i want to keep it that way!

i dont want to be using awkward co2 set ups, or paying the costs for them either.

Can anyone make any suggestions about what additives i could use but without upsettin the balance of my tank?

Its a 60 litre tank with what i could say is a community fish set up.

any suggestions are very much appreciated!

oh and ive already tried searching existing posts, and other internet sites but its all Very confusing!

 

[RadaR]

How heavily planted is it?

How much lighting is over the tank?

Do you know what the filter is and the flow it generates?

Generally if the tank is low light and has morderate amounts of fish then just a liquid trace nutrient (micro nutrients) will suffice.
With higher lighting though and/or with less fish then a fertiliser that contains NPK (macro nutrients) will be neccasary because fish won't produce the amounts required.

With higher lighting also comes the demand for CO2. In small tanks or tanks with low - moderate light, then liquid carbon products can be alternatives to gaseous injected CO2.

 

[anshuman]

EasyCarbon or Seachem Excel are perfect liquid Co2 source. i use excel successfully in two huge tanks, (the smaller tank has Diy CO2).

 

[Nick16]

EasyCarbon or Seachem Excel are perfect liquid Co2 source. i use excel successfully in two huge tanks, (the smaller tank has Diy CO2).

using liquid co2 on anything over about 60l is a bit of a waste. For a medium to high tech tank you would be putting so much in, its going to cost you far more in the long run than a pressurised kit.

Also, the stability provided by pressuised kits is worth the extra cost on its own.
you are able to maintain a constand 30ppm co2 for example, whereas liquid co2, peaks and troughs between the times it is put into the aquarium. You will find your plants prefer stability.
thats not to say Liquid co2 cant work... but alternatives are better for larger tanks...

 

[anshuman]

Yes Nick16, thats a very good and valid point. but I have HUGEEE Goldies which pump their own CO2 in tank so i dont dose regularly, maximum 3 times a week and the giant jugle vals are out of control for months, only 10 original big shoots have now given out more than 15 shoots and entire tank is covered. i have to keep trimming every 10 days.

I actually sold off vals and riccia in other tank and some javamoss too, so i simply use those dollars to get excel and still have money left to do more stuff for tank ( i am using my hobby to pay for my hobby ). I know this is not possible for everyone.

 

[ian]

The best plant food IMO is Tropica plant food plus. I did put a link for it in your other thread.

 

[Fisses]

its a 60litre, not heavily planted but with about 6 different plants which i just dont want to die which i think one is already!

i just want something i can add on a daily/weekly basis to stop them dying

 

[RadaR]

From your other threads, it looks like the tank has a 15W bulb. As mentioned before, the plant in the back left corner looks non-aquatic.

ianho has reccomended the most suited fert for your tank. Tropica Plant Nutrition+. Dose this 3 times a week at 1ml per 20litres. In your case, 3ml. The fert contains all the micro and macro nutrients that plants need.
If you start to notice carbon deficiencies, then I'd reccomend dosing a lquid carbon product such as Seachem Excel or Easylife Easycarbo.