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Adding more ferts

Joined
1 Jan 2016
Messages
50
Location
Scotland
Hi all, I'm thinking about upping the amount of NPK I currently add to my tank and wanted to get some advice from you guys whether or not you think this is a good idea.

Set-up and current ferts dosing;

165L tank
10 x Rummy Nose Tetra, 10 x X Ray Tetra
pH 5/5.5, very soft water
25 degrees c
Lighting period 5 1/2 hours
Total lighting 70w
Planting; 5 x Amazon Sword Bleheri, 3 x Amazon Sword Ozelot, 2 x Amazon Sword Midi Fleur, 1 x Aponogeton Boivinianus, 3 x Ceratopteris thalictroides, 1 x Crinum Calamistratum

Day 1: 5ml NPK
Day 2: 16 pumps Tropica Premium Microferts
Day 3: 2.5ml Easy Carbo
Day 4: 5ml NPK
Day 5: Nothing
Day 6: 5ml NPK
Day 7: 2.5ml Easy Carbo
Day 8: Nothing
Day 9: 2.5ml Easy Carbo
Day 10: 50 % water change, Day 1 ferts begin again

Up until recently I'd been making an educated guess on how much NPK to add based on stocking levels, plants, lighting, algae growth etc. However, I use JBL macroferts and they have just recently added a daily dosage guide to the box. Apparently, I should be adding approx 27ml of NPK over 9 days (3ml per day). I'm currently only adding 15ml over 9 days (5ml three times).

I think some plants are showing signs of nitrate deficiency - very slow/poor growth, new leaves transparent and small, the odd brown patch on a leaf here and there. I've had the Ceratopteris since February and growth is very very slow. I recently increased the NPK from twice a week to the current three times a week and I've seen some improved growth on the Ceratopteris since then, but not a huge amount given this is meant to be a very fast growing plant. The Crinum has grown huge in the past months since I got it but I recently gave up on some Amazon Sword Bleheri's I'd had for a year or so as growth was so slow and tiny and they were just an algae magnet (BBA). I threw them out and replaced them with new Bleheri's as the tank planting needed some height again.

So, question is - do you guys think it's sensible to increase NPK to 27-30ml (I approximate 165L tank actually holds 150L ish) and see what effect that has on plant growth? Would it be safe for the fish to add this amount in 3 doses over 9 days? Any other comments/advice on my dosing regime would be appreciated.

I've attached a photo of the tank as it currently is. The big swords on the right were only added two weeks ago so I assume are going through a period of adjustment still.

Thanks very much all.

Tank May 2016.jpg
 
I add a single weekly dose(tmc complete)to my low tech tanks.
What substrate are you using?
 
It's a poor substrate.
The only time i had problems with amazon swords...was on plain gravel.
Although, they do well on sand..with root tabs.
Do you use a gravel cleaner?
 
Yeah, I gravel vac with each water change but am careful not to disturb the gravel around the plants too much.
 
Root tabs and put one per sword. I wouldn't bother or alter your current dosing. I think your dosing is not really required but it's great for you to practice this routine so that the transition is easy is once you get co2 and up your lights etc.

50% WC per week?

If you want to fill the foreground, you could try H tenellus broadleaf. It will also require root tabs.
 
I would seriously consider raising that pH, because if you're really as low as 5/5.5 then that's well down into the region where bacterial nitrification is severely restricted or even curtailed altogether.

Do you know what your water's KH is? I'm guessing it must be very low indeed for you to be reaching that pH without CO₂.
 
I would seriously consider raising that pH, because if you're really as low as 5/5.5 then that's well down into the region where bacterial nitrification is severely restricted or even curtailed altogether.

Do you know what your water's KH is? I'm guessing it must be very low indeed for you to be reaching that pH without CO₂.
Not necessarily Mike. I'm in my phone at the moment so don't have links but there's plenty of evidence in the scientific literature for strains of Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter that function well at low pH. Furthermore, there's also evidence that mature filters actually contain little in the way of nitrifying bacteria; apparently they are outcompeted by archaea at the kind of low concentrations of free ammonia found in an established tank, and said archaea may well include species adapted to low pH.

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Hi
If your dosing Carbon.....it should be dosed daily, preferably at approximately the same time every 24 hours.!
Up and add the 27ml and monitor your plants for 2 to 3 weeks....dosing 27ml in 3 dosages will not have any adverse effect on the system!
I don't think your substrate is deep enough for most of the plants you have listed!
How deep is the gravel?
Cheers
hoggie
 
Not necessarily Mike. I'm in my phone at the moment so don't have links but there's plenty of evidence in the scientific literature for strains of Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter that function well at low pH. Furthermore, there's also evidence that mature filters actually contain little in the way of nitrifying bacteria; apparently they are outcompeted by archaea at the kind of low concentrations of free ammonia found in an established tank, and said archaea may well include species adapted to low pH.

Sent from my HUAWEI GRA-L09 using Tapatalk

Completely agree. When I cycled the tank a year and half ago or so, I was so worried that the bacteria wouldn't cope with such a low tap water ph and non-existent KH/GH. I didn't want to start faffing with the natural tap water chemistry as I wanted to keep soft water fish in a low tech tank. The fact that Fishkeepers have been keeping fish successfully for countless years in natural soft water areas of the U.K. is evidence enough that the bacteria do function in soft, acidic waters. I also found scientific research on the subject, confirming that the bacteria populations adapt to the conditions and ammonia and nitrite are processed effectively. I have seen the evidence in my own tanks where I do nothing to alter the natural pH, KH and GH of the tap water. My fish thrive in the soft acidic conditions!
 
Hi
If your dosing Carbon.....it should be dosed daily, preferably at approximately the same time every 24 hours.!
Up and add the 27ml and monitor your plants for 2 to 3 weeks....dosing 27ml in 3 dosages will not have any adverse effect on the system!
I don't think your substrate is deep enough for most of the plants you have listed!
How deep is the gravel?
Cheers
hoggie

I was dosing with carbon every day a while back but was getting terrible green hair algae trouble so cut it back to 3 times a week and increased NPK to 3 times a week and the issue has improved greatly. Still get some green hair algae but easily picked off the one plant it affects when I do the water change each week. I still have an issue with BBA too but that's improved too since I changed the ferts dosing as above.

Ok, so you think I should try upping the NPK and see what effect that has, but would you recommend its better to split the total dose over the 9 days and dose daily or is it best to do as I currently do and add a different fert each day therefore dosing NPK over 3 days instead of 9?

I probably should add some more depth to the gravel - think it's about 2 inches deep. I know the swords are root feeders really so can see how trying some root tabs might help, but what about the Ceratopteris? Any ideas why it's not growing very well at all in all these months?
 
Hi
I would dose NPK 3 times per week if possible....Estimated Index is based on a 7 day routine!
If your adding Carbon this aquarium would be classed as a Hi Tec tank.....although your planting is low to medium planted I would add 1ml per day Liquid Carbon minimum!

Monday Macro/NPK/Carbon
Tuesday Micro/Trace/Carbon
Wednesday Macro/NPK/Carbon
Thursday Micro/Trace/Carbon
Friday Macro/NPK/Carbon
Saturday Rest Day
Sunday Water Change Day
Obviously you can tweak the above to suit your needs.....but if your going to use a 9 day routine I would do a larger water change!

I have grown Ceratopteris as a floating plant so you could try to encourage better growth by floating it on the surface for a few weeks!
Cheers
hoggie
 
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