Dosing Flourish

[StereoKills]

I recently started dosing my 10g planted with Seachem Flourish. I've been dosing once a week after water change. The bottle is fairly vague stating to dose once or twice a week. Just wondering how often others use Flourish.

[Mgamer20o0]

are you adding any other ferts? thats just trace ferts. 3 times a week would be fine too.

[phanmc]

They're vague because the amount varies greatly depending on the light level. On a low light setup once a weak may be enough. In a high light tank daily dosing may be required.

[StereoKills]

Yeah, currently that's the only fert im using. I was hoping to have a fairly simple fert routine. I've got 1.7 wpg cf.

[Mgamer20o0]

pnk is more important then trace ferts.

[kimmisc]

I dose mine twice a week, but I have by no means perfected my dosing schedule yet. The plants are growing well. The Flourish is just part of the ferts they get though.

[TwoTankAmin]

Whether macro and/or micro nutrients are needed in a tank is a function of the fish load. if the tank is lghtly stocked, then both may be needed. If the tank is more heavily stocked then the micros are usually more inportant as the fish waste is supplying a fair amount of the macros.

A good example of this is the two main types of liquif ferts made and sold by Tropica:

PLANT NUTRITION+ liquid contains all essential nutrients needed including nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). PLANT NUTRITION+ liquid is suitable for aquariums with many plants in relation to the number of fish, where plants can lack nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) which otherwise would be supplied by fish excrement and food remnants.


vs

PLANT NUTRITION liquid contains the most important nutrients for healthy and sustained aquarium plant growth. PLANT NUTRITION liquid does not however contain nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P).

PLANT NUTRITION liquid therefore supplies the nutrients plants easily run out of and which plants ideally absorb via the leaves. These are the nutrients which are supplied via fish excrement and food remnants. We therefore recommend PLANT NUTRITION liquid for aquariums with few plants and a relatively large number of fish.

PLANT NUTRITION liquid was previously marketed under the ‘Tropica Mastergrow’ brand.

[StereoKills]

What would you recomend for a 10g with 20 RCS that is med planted with small plants? Indian Fern, Java Fern, Java Moss, Water Sprite.

[TwoTankAmin]

I would start with the micros and see if the shrimp produce sufficient macros. That would be trace element mixes such as PLANT NUTRITION above. I have used it for years as mastergrow. However, there are many alternatives available to do the same thing.

You can tell if you have healthy, ie well fed plants, if they look good, grow and, for many, progate/reproduce. Sometimes it takes a bit of time/trial and error to find out what will work for any given tank.

In my lower light smaller tanks I dose about 1ml/10 gal of Mastergrow after weekly waterchange. They range from .8-1.5 wpg std. fluor tubes.