Fertilizer Help!!!

[arjosh]

Guys,

I have a real Quick Question? What is the the Best and Cheap(I mean not really that cheap as well) Fert to use in Planted tank...without mixing /matching? Any Liquid Fert that contains Everything?

TnX
-Aj

[stratusfearrr]

buy the seachem 3 pack of starter ferts. it is called plant pack fundamentals.

it includes: flourish excel (organic carbon for the planted aquarium), flourish iron (iron supplement for the planted aquarium), and flourish (comprehensive plant supplement for the planted aquarium)

i use this on my 46 gallon bowfront, and the plants love it.

what size tank? water params? lighting?

[arjosh]

THANKS for the Prompt Reply but no "Seachem Products". Right Now I am using Excel and its killing my Shrimps....so looking for any alternative Fert"

[coach_z]

EI method as found in our stickies is the easiest.

cost you less than 30 bucks or so (23 + ship) for a years (or more) worth of ferts. http://aquariumfertilizer.com/

it takes me about 2 minutes a week to portion out a week worth of ferts in pill boxes.

[arjosh]

Thanks but what should I buy there?

[coach_z]

EI method as found in our stickies is the easiest
link to EI method (http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=136668)as found in our stickies....all the info is there



99% of all of my problems have been solved with a week of switching to the EI method....and then since then i have had great growth in my tank.

no more measuring out ferts and junk via a bottlecap.

[arjosh]

So Directly Put everything in tank and do 50% water change.....

[plantbrain]

So Directly Put everything in tank and do 50% water change.....

Yes, you can modify it later to suit your habits and routines, light intensity etc.

Commercial brands are water.............with a little tiny bit of fertilizer in them, you pay for the bottle, the marketing, the company's profit/overhead, shipping the weight of water etc......

Since you do good size water changes(does not take much longer to do a 20% vs 50%), there's no need for testing.

You can slowly reduce the amount of ferts added, then reduce the water changes also if you so chose, but some eyeballing is required and how little you can get away with before the plants suffer etc takes some trial and error. Less light makes it easier overall.

Excel, when used correctly according to the label, should never kill anyone's plants or fish, or shrimp. They likely died from some other cause(many ways that aquarist even without plants and ferts, they kill fish all the time for unknown suspected reasons).

I have used Excel a fair amoutn on really sensitive fish without any issues for years. Angels bred, Discus bred etc.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[arjosh]

Many Thanks for all the enlightenments!!!

[arjosh]

Got the Fert as suggested.....1 more Question...Found out that in "Plantex CSM+B" there is 0.10% copper.....isn't Copper bad to Use in a Shrimp tank?

[coach_z]

is that .10% per dose or .10% per 1# bag?

either way i would guess that you have copper pipes somewhere between your tap and the water supply and there is more copper in your water than in your ferts

[arjosh]

is that .10% per dose or .10% per 1# bag?

either way i would guess that you have copper pipes somewhere between your tap and the water supply and there is more copper in your water than in your ferts

I thought you use this thing....It says 0.10% in a whole 1 lbs....

[timwag2001]

there was a thread the other day in the planted tank (http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/general-planted-tank-discussion/92180-dosing-fertilizers-rcs.html)

[arjosh]

if there is .1% in the bag it would have .1%per dose. there was a thread the other day in the planted tank (http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/general-planted-tank-discussion/92180-dosing-fertilizers-rcs.html)
thanks for the link but there is no strong aggrument or suggestion as I read it right.....

[timwag2001]

and i dont think that you're gonna get one.

[coach_z]

I thought you use this thing....It says 0.10% in a whole 1 lbs....
i do but i dont study the percentages of how much of this is in that and vice versa.


that linked thread has a lot of statements about overdosing....i think MsJ has planted tanks with shrimp and snails and doses EI with CSM+B....maybe she will chime in...

[arjosh]

i do but i dont study the percentages of how much of this is in that and vice versa.


that linked thread has a lot of statements about overdosing....i think MsJ has planted tanks with shrimp and snails and doses EI with CSM+B....maybe she will chime in...

Waiting for MsJ's Response

[plantbrain]

Got the Fert as suggested.....1 more Question...Found out that in "Plantex CSM+B" there is 0.10% copper.....isn't Copper bad to Use in a Shrimp tank?


Copper in the right dosage can kill you.
But you also need it to live............

So dose makes the poison, not whether you have some or not.
Caffeine is really deadly at higher dosages as well, but folks guzzle it down every day.

The key part is the the "dose".
Folks have used CMS on shrimp tanks(I have) for decades now without issues.

Folks also kill shrimps all the time etc in their non planted tanks where they do not dose any plant ferts..............so......maybe it's something else, not the ferts?

I have cherries, CRS, Amano without issues.
The first 2 breed like flies.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[wesleydnunder]

I buy the dry PMDD pre mix at AquariumFertilizer.com which contains macros and traces. I dose it dry right into the tank. I've had no issues using it in discus tanks, shrimp, etc. It cost 10 bucks a pound plus shipping.

Mark

[arjosh]

Guys I don't know if I can Quote email from other source here or not But Still I will Quote it....This is that answer I got from Alan AquariumFertilizer.com
(http://aquariumfertilizer.com/)
"
Hi Aj,

This is an ongoing myth. CMS+B has been tested against Tropica Master Grow (which has MORE copper in it) and proven to not only be harmless to shrimp but just as efficacious as TMG in all other respects.

May your tanks glow green and pearl!

Alan at AquariumFertilizer.com (http://aquariumfertilizer.com/)
----- Original Message -----
From: aj (http://us.mc511.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=hohaaj@yahoo.com)
To: AskAlan@AquariumFertilizer..com (http://us.mc511.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=AskAlan@AquariumFertilizer.com)
Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 2009 6:42 AM
Subject: Question!!!


Hi Alan.

Just got the Fertilizer a while back.....Found out that in "Plantex CSM+B" there is 0.10% copper.....isn't Copper bad to Use in a Shrimp tank?

TnX
Aj
"

[plantbrain]

I agree with Alan.

Regards,
Tom Barr



Guys I don't know if I can Quote email from other source here or not But Still I will Quote it....This is that answer I got from Alan AquariumFertilizer.com
(http://aquariumfertilizer.com/)
"
Hi Aj,

This is an ongoing myth. CMS+B has been tested against Tropica Master Grow (which has MORE copper in it) and proven to not only be harmless to shrimp but just as efficacious as TMG in all other respects.

May your tanks glow green and pearl!

Alan at AquariumFertilizer.com (http://aquariumfertilizer.com/)
----- Original Message -----
From: aj (http://us.mc511.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=hohaaj@yahoo.com)
To: AskAlan@AquariumFertilizer..com (http://us.mc511.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=AskAlan@AquariumFertilizer.com)
Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 2009 6:42 AM
Subject: Question!!!


Hi Alan.

Just got the Fertilizer a while back.....Found out that in "Plantex CSM+B" there is 0.10% copper.....isn't Copper bad to Use in a Shrimp tank?

TnX
Aj
"

[arjosh]

Indeed Plants look Stunning in 2 days of dosing!! with out Co2 as of now....

[smyke]

EI method as found in our stickies is the easiest.

cost you less than 30 bucks or so (23 + ship) for a years (or more) worth of ferts. http://aquariumfertilizer.com/

it takes me about 2 minutes a week to portion out a week worth of ferts in pill boxes.

coach, do you mix different chemicals together in those pill boxes and have a concoction for each day ready?

[arjosh]

After doing some Dry fert method which is of course impressive....I wanna know if there is any method to mix these Fert in water and dose it that way?

For Eg. Mix Kno3 (how much ??? for a monthly dose??? in "this much??? of Water??? A liter(MayBe) and dose M.W.F ???this much ??? ml....per gallon?Does any one done this before....

[coach_z]

coach, do you mix different chemicals together in those pill boxes and have a concoction for each day ready?
it is just one long pill box that resembles this:
|S|M|T|W|T|F|S| and i fill M W F with NPK and TTS with CSM+b

on monday i open M and dump the contents of M into the tank, tuesday i use T, wed W etc....

arjosh....mixing with water is too much work IMHO

[arjosh]

Coach_Z!!! thats what I exactly Do but thought it might be easier to mix with water and dose it ......Just a thought!!

[coach_z]

oh, you mean right before you dump the ferts in?

[smyke]

it is just one long pill box that resembles this:
|S|M|T|W|T|F|S| and i fill M W F with NPK and TTS with CSM+b

on monday i open M and dump the contents of M into the tank, tuesday i use T, wed W etc....


thats what I thought, I was just curious if your Monday for example had NPK, TTS and CSM mixed together.