look into PPS pro and EI (estimative index) dosing. They are the two most popular fertilizing methods-
Then throw it all out the window-
ha ha.
There is a lot of debate on how much your plants need. I dose about 1/3 as much as PPS pro (which calls for less than EI) then I look for defficencies, then correct what my plants tell me is missing. I have 11 planted tanks, 7 on pressurized CO2, and over years I have figured out what works for each.
There is a lot of debate about whether excess fertlizer (specifically phosphates and to a lesser extent nitrates and even micros in the case of clado) in the water column cause algae outbreaks or not. Some will even propose the opposite- that insufficent fertilizers will cause them. All I can say is in my personal experience less is more.
In some tanks I only dose micros, Ca and Mg (which most people don't need- i just happen to have really soft water) and potassium. FYI- I also keep a really high bio-load in most of my tanks.
Do you have nitrate and phosphate test kits? This is a really old page, but one I go back to all the time. It will help you figure out how much you need to dose if you are going to buy dry ferts and a recommended level you are shooting for all in one place
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_dosage_calc.htm But it doesn't take into account other naturally ocurring sources for nitrate and phosphate and it can't measure how quickly your plants will take up the ferts already in the water column. You really should have test kits to monitor the levels at least when you are starting out. He's also got a great chart on symptoms of various defficencies in the article section incase you decide to tread lighly.
If you have crypts and swords (or anything with serious roots) you can add root tabs and not even bother dosing the water column- but then why would you invest in pressurized CO2 if you were happy with those!
