nutrient dosing help

brich999

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jul 3, 2010
4,312
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New Hampshire
So I have had my tank running about a year probably 6 months with the plants. Only plants are java fern narrow leaf and anubias nana petite. Both plants were doing well growing nicely and I split all the anubias since it was doing so well. The java fern has produced many baby plantlets and new leaves but over the last few months seems to be slowing. New growth is almost stopped and the new growth is very small almost stunted.

I have a kessil 32w led and dose daily with flourish excel about a capfull (57g tank) and weekly after about 30% wc I dose seachem flourish comprehensive. Im thinking it isnt completely comprehensive and im missing something vital but not sure what

Here are pics to show a leaf after a few months shows black dots and slowly deteriorates and after producing plantlets the leaf almost completely rots and I trim it

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brich999

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jul 3, 2010
4,312
11
38
New Hampshire
Pic 1 is about 3 month old leaf pic 2 is new growth on anubias looking all small and weird and pic 3 is a plant I just pulled plantlets off of
 

jstehman

Candiru
MFK Member
Feb 23, 2012
269
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48
Omaha, NE
You probably need to up your dosing now that you have more plant mass

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jstehman

Candiru
MFK Member
Feb 23, 2012
269
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Omaha, NE
Flourish is micronutrient.

Excel is carbon alternative.

You still need macro nutrients for proper growth

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"And if I can't have everything, well then just give me a taste"
 

brich999

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jul 3, 2010
4,312
11
38
New Hampshire
Is there something in the seachem line im missing? If not what would you recommend for macro nutrients? Would it be better to dose more of the "comprehensive" once a week or bump it to twice a week? I know ei method is preferred but it still confuses me and I was just trying to keep it simple but it is obvious now that im missing something
 

jstehman

Candiru
MFK Member
Feb 23, 2012
269
2
48
Omaha, NE
Macros are Nitrogen (N) Phosphate (P) and Potassium (K).

Seachem has these in liquid form but it is MUCH cheaper to buy the dry forms online. I get mine from www.aquariumfertilizer.com

If this is a plant only tank, you should be dosing some sort of fertilizer.
 

xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx

Candiru
MFK Member
Jul 10, 2011
696
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Denver, CO.
I wouldn't jump into the "seachem boat" just yet, because commercially sold liquid fertilizers for planted aquariums are a joke in my opinion, you're mainly paying for water. This is the reason I made the step into using dry fertilizers for my tanks, it gives me more control over how much I put into my tanks, and helps to treat any type of nutrient deficiency by allowing me to target the cause of the deficiency. Not to mention it's waaaaaayyyy cheaper than buying liquid ferts, and it's so easy to dose them; I can dose them dry just by dosing them straight to the tank, or I can make my own liquid solution by mixing them with water.

Estimative index pack - http://greenleafaquariums.com/aquarium-fertilizers-supplements/micro-macro-fertilizers.html

Has everything needed, both NPK macro, and CSM+B micro nutrients and cost as much as 1 bottle of Sechem Flourish.



Speaking of Flourish, Flourish comprehensive actually contains NPK, and micro nutrients but in very small amounts, which is why dry fertilizers are the way to go.

AquariumFertilizers.com use to be the place to get ferts, but their prices have jumped so much that I now prefer Green Leaf Aquariums to get my ferts because they don't over charge like AF.
 

brich999

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jul 3, 2010
4,312
11
38
New Hampshire
Ive just always had good luck using seachem products and they are readily available. I was eventually planning on going with dry ferts but was holding off until I go more high tech and add co2. Nitrogen and phosphate are in the water from fish and water changes (pretty sure my water is high in phosphate) but im definitely missing potassium. Thanks for all the help I think im going to put together an order from gla in the very near future. well if im buying ferts I guess I might as well sneak in a co2 kit to save on shipping
 
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