Is there a fertilizer that won't mess with PH?

Plantabbs

"Ingredients:
Nitrogen, phosphoric acid, potash

Guaranteed Analysis:
11 percent total nitrogen
4.9 percent ammoniacal nitrogen
6.1 percent nitrate nitrogen
15 percent available phosphoric acid
20 percent soluble potash

pH reaction is slightly acidic. If your water is naturally acidic, a neutralizer should be used."

Taken from http://www.aquariumguys.com/plantabbs.html as I don't have the box with me and I am not home right now.

I have not used any in my tank because of the PH thing. The phosphates, from what I understand, can cloud the water and cause an algae bloom when all the nitrates are being used by the plants. If this is wrong, someone more knowledgeable can feel free to correct me. I am fairly new at keeping live plants (or at least keeping them happy/alive), am definately not a chemist (though I do treat the water and test the parameters), and in my tank the fish come first and I am wary of making too drastic of a change.
 
From another site; "Phosphate as a by-product of mineralization of dead matter such as plants, bacteria, feces, uneaten food, algae, fish slime etc. are all internal contributors. Replacement water can also contain phosphate, sometimes surprisingly high concentrations, even if RO units are in use." Just google "aquarium phosphates" and you should get some more detailed explanations. The one I just quoted is from Algone.
 
Pheintz said:
Replacement water can also contain phosphate, sometimes surprisingly high concentrations, even if RO units are in use."
Click to expand...

Only if your RO is a total POS.

Any protein dumped into water contributes to phosphate and nitrogen...
 
Pheintz said:
Thanks, Paula.

Is Flourish something I will find at the LFS or am I more likely to find it at a garden center? The LFSs around here don't seem to carry much in the way of aquatic plant care.
Click to expand...
I have not seen any stores carry Flourish line of products. I always order them online.
 
Stop this. Go to www.gregwatson.com

Order:

KNO3, this adds NO3 and K
KH2PO4, this adds PO4 and a little K(you do not need much PO4)
Plantex CMS + B
GH booster

That's about all you need.
2-4lbs of KNO3
1lb KH2PO4
1 lb CMS+B
2lb GH booster

Baking soda will adjust the KH.

Tell the tank size and whether or not you use CO2 or not.
From there I can tell you a very simple routine that will add precisely what you need for plant growth.

The cost will be less than about anything you can buy that's brand name for one item, let alone all of the items plants need for growth.

I think shipping cost more than the ferts from Greg.
And that amount would last a 125 gallon tank 1-3 years or so.


Regards,
Tom Barr
 
Are those plant tabs being dissolved and used as water column fertilizers? That's not a good idea with the "ammoniacal" stuff in it. If they're buried in the substrate, I'd suspect there would be very little to no effect on the pH of the water.

I don't believe that iron significantly contributes to GH. shoe could it be a TDS meter?
I've never heard of an electronic GH tester before but that doesn't mean they don't exist.
 
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