10 gallon fertilizing question

[Jag1980]

I have a 10 gallon shrimp tank with a few plants
20 watts of Spiral fluorescent light bulbs 2 x10 watts 6500k 8 hours per day

What fertilizing schedule should I use?

What I been doing so far is 1ml of Flourish about once a week and 1ml of Excel every 2 days.
Is this enough to keep my plants healthy and limit algae growth in my tank?
I have 0-1 Nitrates in my tank, is this ok?

I do have dry fertilizer if I need anything extra.

I added 4 stems of Polygonum Kawagoneum and have a Java fern on its way in the mail.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f192/Picturesfrom2006/CIMG6264.jpg

[phanmc]

Your setup and dosing levels would be adequate for a low light setup but your plant choices are not suitable for those conditions. Aside from the java ferns and anubias, I'm not sure if the rest of your plants will survive in such lean conditions.

If their growth deteriorates, add CO2 and raise fert levels accordingly. I don't like a nitrate level below 5ppm in a CO2 enriched tank.

[Jag1980]

The 2 plants in the back corners have been in the tank for a couple months now and doing ok. I just added the new light a few days ago and the plants have now gotten much brighter green and are starting to grow.

I'm starting to notice that the plants I read that are for medium light tanks are staying alive in a very low watt tank. Not much growth, but they are staying alive. It's kinda a test since the plants I add are free.

You mentioned that you don't like a nitrate level below 5ppm in a CO2 enriched tank. What about a low light no Co2 tank, are nitrates and phosphates levels necessary?

[phanmc]

Plants will hang around for a long time in poor conditions. I've had some hang around for months without growing when I cut the light in half, but eventually their resources will run out and the plants will decline.

Some amount of nutrients are necessary but since their uptake is low you don't need to maintain as high a concentration. Even when you run out of a nutrient, the demand is not high enough where it needs to be immediately addressed.

[mellowvision]

I agree, keep it simple until you think you have a need.

this tank should grow in great. let it do it's thing for a while.

[KarlTh]

0-1 nitrate? Are you sure? The lowest reading on most test kits is 5ppm.

[Jag1980]

Some amount of nutrients are necessary but since their uptake is low you don't need to maintain as high a concentration. Even when you run out of a nutrient, the demand is not high enough where it needs to be immediately addressed.

So I good idea would be to add a tiny amount of each for plants to feed off of between water changes. Nitrate of like 5, Phosphate of 0.5 and potassium of like 1.0 or something like that?
(I will look into the balance later)

When could algae start becoming a problem?

I'm new to the low light setup, I just want to make sure I'm correct and not misunderstanding something :)

When I tested my Nitrates from the tap of the tank, my tap water has 0 and the color of the tank test was a very tiny tint darker, so I called it 1.0 :thm:

[Fordtrannyman]

I wish I had your problem - soft water straight from the tap.

My low light setups get all their nutrients from the rocks and pebbles that drip from the facet during pwc's. lol

[phanmc]

I actually treat my low light tanks similar to my higher light ones, keeping nitrate around 10ppm, phosphates around 1ppm, etc. Maybe a little excessive but better more of a nutrient than less. Elevated levels don't become a problem until it becomes excessive, which normally don't happen unless you neglect water changes.