Fertilization Question

V

Viriatha

AC Members
Oct 19, 2009
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I've done alot of reading the last few days and to be honest, I'm only more confused. Most of the information I have found involves heavily planted tanks. Since my tank isn't planted at all yet, and I'll only be adding plants slowly, I need to know:

1) What chemicals do I need?
2) What tests will I need to be making as I add these chemicals?
3) What chemical levels should I be finding in my water, regardless of the number of plants I have? I would imagine that the more plants I have, the more fertilizer/trace chemicals I'll need and I'll need to add more of those to keep the chemical levels in the water steady.

I have a 55 gallon aquarium with very low light and small gravel substrate. I'll be using a DIY Co2 system involving sugar and yeast.
 
One of the worst things you can do with a planted tank is put a light on for 8-10 hours with only a few plants. The algae takes off much faster than your plants. I would recommend that, instead, plant more heavily right from the start.

What is "very low light"? If it's too low, your plants won't grow.

DIY C02 is fine, although often inconsistent. You can use Excel instead in a low-light situation.

Eco-complete is an excellent substrate to get nutrients to your plants without having to over-fertilize the water column (and thus encourage algae). You can also add root tabs underneath the plants to accomplish something similar.

I don't know what "chemicals" you're thinking you need. I use the Seachem line of liquid fertilizers, including Flourish, Excel, Potassium and less often Iron and Trace. But I have a heavily planted tank with high light and pressurized C02. I'm not sure you need to go hog-wild with the ferts to begin with. Low light plants include java fern and anubias, neither of which are going to be growing quickly and demanding excessive nutrients.
 
I'll be getting a plecostamus before I buy a plant. As for "very low light" - less than 1w per gallon.
 
My first planted tank was .6666666667 wpg and I only occasionally dosed flourish comp and excel. No set schedule, just whenever I felt like it. At that low of light there isn't much growth anyways. Bottles lasted me a long time so I would almost recommend the excel over DIY because of the inconsistency factor and also because its just less work.
 
I'm concerned about the comments I've seen that excel can actually harm plants by "melting" them?
 
The only issues I have heard are about vals and I think the other may be anacharis...either way its a non issue if you do not dose at full strength every day. I had vals in my tank when I only dosed occasionally and I saw zero melting.
 
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