in your opinion from your experience and otherwise what is the best liquid fert and dry fert out there???
in your opinon ?????
- Thread starter ryukin_5
- Start date
When I used liquid ferts I only tried the seachem line. Dry ferts I originally bought from Rex Grigg's site but there are other places out there that are cheaper (Mgamer aka Bob's tropical plants for example).
IMO if you are even considering going the dry fert route, go that way. It is cheaper in the long run and depending on tank size they can last over a year. Essentially it is just the same stuff as in the bottles just without the water, which is what you are then paying for...
I would only recommend going with a liquid fert if you have a lower light tank and would be dosing something like excel and flourish comprehensive on occasion just to meet the plant's requirements. I did that for a while when I had low, low light (< 1 wpg) and it worked fine. Slow growth but plants did well.
IMO if you are even considering going the dry fert route, go that way. It is cheaper in the long run and depending on tank size they can last over a year. Essentially it is just the same stuff as in the bottles just without the water, which is what you are then paying for...
I would only recommend going with a liquid fert if you have a lower light tank and would be dosing something like excel and flourish comprehensive on occasion just to meet the plant's requirements. I did that for a while when I had low, low light (< 1 wpg) and it worked fine. Slow growth but plants did well.
thanks my tank is 55g.
i dont know the wpg and the covers that come on my tank has in 2 15w florecent tubes.
as for the plants....
1. amazon sword
2. anubis nana
3. cryptocoryne wenditi growing and shooting new sprouts but leaves not looking to good.
4. giant vals (this needs help) growing none the less
5. dwarf amazon sword so i was told.
i dont know the wpg and the covers that come on my tank has in 2 15w florecent tubes.
as for the plants....
1. amazon sword
2. anubis nana
3. cryptocoryne wenditi growing and shooting new sprouts but leaves not looking to good.
4. giant vals (this needs help) growing none the less
5. dwarf amazon sword so i was told.
I have a 75 gallon tank which I dose Seachem's line of ferts. These include flourish, potassium, iron, trace and I rarely dose phosphorus & nitrogen because my tap water has decent level of nitrates and phosphates (depends on weekly tests). I do have have a minor algae issue but overall the plants are doing fine.
I agree that dry ferts are a lot cheaper and last you longer but Seachem's ferts will do the job as well. Just ask me, I have a high lighted tank (4 X 54 watts T5HO 8 hrs a day, all 4 lights overlap eachother for 4 hrs only) and pressurized CO2. And given the fact that MY water source has enough nitrates and phosphates, Seachem's ferts are the better option for ME, I know in many other cases dry ferts are the best option.
Just to give you an idea, two days after the water change my nitrates levels are between 20-30 ppm and phosphate level stands at 1 ppm and yes my test kits are calibrated.
I agree that dry ferts are a lot cheaper and last you longer but Seachem's ferts will do the job as well. Just ask me, I have a high lighted tank (4 X 54 watts T5HO 8 hrs a day, all 4 lights overlap eachother for 4 hrs only) and pressurized CO2. And given the fact that MY water source has enough nitrates and phosphates, Seachem's ferts are the better option for ME, I know in many other cases dry ferts are the best option.
Just to give you an idea, two days after the water change my nitrates levels are between 20-30 ppm and phosphate level stands at 1 ppm and yes my test kits are calibrated.
sory did not respon sooner .
[Just to give you an idea, two days after the water change my nitrates levels are between 20-30 ppm and phosphate level stands at 1 ppm and yes my test kits are calibrated. ]
is this an acceptable level?
[Just to give you an idea, two days after the water change my nitrates levels are between 20-30 ppm and phosphate level stands at 1 ppm and yes my test kits are calibrated. ]
is this an acceptable level?
It's in the range that most shoot for with a planted tank.
I'm not sure what you mean by best. As far as macros, they are almost exclusively provided by the same chemicals - KNO3, K2SO4 and KH2PO4. Dry should all be pure. Liquid may be diluted to varying levels. Its more of a trade off between cost and convenience. In a small low light planted tank for example, dry ferts would last for years but be a little more difficult to dose accurately.
Micros may be a little more complicated Tropica, Flourish are probably among the most complete. Some of the liquid traces are not much more then iron and K when you check out the guaranteed analysis. That said with some water supplies one might argue that nothing else is needed with regular water changes. CSM+B is probably the most popular dry, some people swear by Miller Microplex. It can really be dependent on water source, substrate, water change schedule, at the end of the day, I can't imagine there is a brand that somebody hasn't been successful with.
ok so its kinda going to be almost a try and see kind a thing ....
ok thanks much will start with the API brand i can get that easily.
ok thanks much will start with the API brand i can get that easily.
afaik seachem is the only brand widely available that allows you to dose everything according to your needs.
tropica and ada have their own liquid fert lines. i would not discount either of them when discussing "the best" as far as marketed towards tank ferts.
the absolute best liquid ferts, imo are the ones not intended for our tanks. fleet enema for P for example. but, hey... i don't want people watching me ring it out at the local drug store either, lol.
for best overall i'd say dry ferts in general. it really all boils down to price here. as canuck mentioned, success can be had with any brand so long as it's right for your system, you're dosing correctly/completely, etc.. you'll just get there for pennies on the dollar with dry ferts.
tropica and ada have their own liquid fert lines. i would not discount either of them when discussing "the best" as far as marketed towards tank ferts.
the absolute best liquid ferts, imo are the ones not intended for our tanks. fleet enema for P for example. but, hey... i don't want people watching me ring it out at the local drug store either, lol.
for best overall i'd say dry ferts in general. it really all boils down to price here. as canuck mentioned, success can be had with any brand so long as it's right for your system, you're dosing correctly/completely, etc.. you'll just get there for pennies on the dollar with dry ferts.
