Comments and help on my dosing levels.

[FishOrCutBait]

Tank Specs:

90 Gallon (48Lx18Wx24H)
220 Watts (4x55) 6400K CF Lighting (2.4 Watts/gallon) 12 hours per day
5" Flourite Substrate
Heavily Planted
Solenoid controlled Pressurized CO2 with PlantGuild CO2 Power Reactor in tank

Temp - 78 F
PH - 6.7 (Milwaukee CO2 Controller)
NO2 - 0 (Tetra Test Kit)
NH3/NH4 - 0 (Tetra Test Kit)
GH - 5 (Tetra Test Kit)
KH - 4.5 (Tetra Test Kit)
CO2 - 27 ppm
NO3 - 2.5 ppm (Red Sea Test Kit, same sample shows less than 12.5 with the Tetra Test Kit)
Iron - 0 (Seachem Test Kit)
Phosphate - 0 (Salifert Test Kit, sample shows the same with the Seachem Test Kit)
Potassium - 2 ppm or higher (Aquarium Landscapes Test Kit)

Fish (Lots of Algae Eaters, fed once per day):
2 Black Sailfin Mollies
2 Silver Mollies
2 Pineapple Swordtails
2 Sunset Gouramies
3 Paradise Gouramies
3 Rosy Barbs
10 Neon Tetras
2 Florida Flag Fish
5 Ottos
6 Siamese Algae Eaters


50% H2O change once a week.

I've been dosing as follows every three days:

4mL Seachem Flourish
22mL Seachem Trace
7 drops of Fleet Enema

The Nitrate levels have been in the 5-10 ppm range, but now they are dipping to around 2.5 on the third day before redosing. The Phosphate levels drop like a rock, showing close to zero around the end of the second day. I've never shown any Iron via the Seachem test kit, but I think I'm getting some via the Flourite substrate and the Flourish being added.

I have plenty of KN03 (Stump Remover), and plan to start adding some now. I plan to add approximately 1/2 Tsp per dose, giving me an extra 5ppm Nitrate and 6.36ppm Potassium per dose every three days, but I'll monitor the Nitrate levels and see if I need more or less.

I had a massive outbreak of Green Hair algae and then Black Beard algae about a month ago, but got it under control by pulling out all the plants and manually cleaning and removing the heavy infestations. The BBA happened overnight the first time I added the Fleet Enema dosing (I think I added too much). The Florida Flag Fish did an incredible job helping to cleanup both types of algae.

Questions:

1) I have Aquarium Landscapes Formula K additive (Potassium), anyone else using it, and how much are you using on your size tank? I've seen the target levels should be in the 20-30 ppm range, how does everyone measure it?

2) Should I be adding Iron, or is the Flourite substrate and Flourish being added sufficient?

3) Should I be adding more Flourish and Flourish Trace per dose?

4) Should I start using the KN03 with the Flourish product?

Any other thoughts or insights are eagerly awaited.

 

[Tempest]

You aren't using enough iron. The plain flourish is the more comprehensive product by the way. I saw a post from Seachem on the Aquatic Plants Digest. The Flourish Trace contains those ingredients they believe tend to precipitate out or some such. It contains no iron.

I think that what I would use is about 20 mls of Flourish and 5 mls of the Flourish Iron with your three day dosing. Then if I wanted to use up the Flourish Trace I had on hand, I'd substitute it for the plain Flourish once in a while. When you sub the trace, double the amount of Iron you add. I have some too this way and use the trace every third time I dose instead of plain Flourish.

I don't have a clue how much to dose of the particular potassium you have.

I dose the nitrate and the phosphate when I dose the flourish and iron. I bring the nitrate up to about 10ppm and add about .2 ppm of phosphate.

I have a little higher light than you do and dose probably 3 times a week.. If your plants are doing well and pearling some, then I'd say you have your frequency down.

 

[Tempest]

Additional on phosphate: I may be too shy on it. I also add about .5 ppm when I do the 50% water change instead of .2. Our water never seems to have any phosphate in it. I do find some in my aquarium but after a water change it is pretty durn low.

 

[plantbrain]

Well you are not far off and have the hard things done.
CO2, KH, GH, lighting etc all fine.

KNO3, add 3/4 teaspoon 2x a week
K2SO4 add 1 teaspoon+ after weekly water change
PO4 add at least 3x a week (around 4 drops or so)

Do NOT trust the NO3 test kit.

If plant mass/health is good, add KNO3 3x aweek and a bit more PO4.

Traces: Add about 20mls 2-3x a week of Flourish etc.

50% weekly water change.
Trim and prune, scrub algae first etc, then lightly vacuum up any settled mulm detritus etc.
Do 50% weekly water change and then add everything back in. Midweek, add more KNO3, PO4 source, traces. Might add 2x before the next water change if plants look good.

K2SO4 is far cheaper and easier to use than anything.
www.litemanu.com sells everything and you should be able to find Potash of sulfur K2SO4, locally at a nursery etc.

Regards,
Tom Barr