# The which fert thread!



## ParaJack (28 Jul 2021)

Hi all, had a load of various plants late last year and they were growing really well, to the point I was trimming them and replanting the stems and they were growing! Then over the course of 1-2 weeks something in my tank decided that they were tasty and destroyed the lot until I was left with just stems!!!

So now I'm just  sticking to various anubias and java fern on wood which haven't been munched! my question relating to just anubias & java fern:  

My current stock of Seachem flourish for the fert and Seachem excel for the liquid carbon are almost at an end, so I'm looking to buy more. 
I keep looking at the Tropica Premium Nutrition Plant Fertiliser as it gets good reviews, would that be a good option? and do I still need a liquid carbon? 

My tank is 250 litres, has plenty of fish, 5 anubias, 4 large java ferns, crystal clear water and is well filtered @ about 2,000 litres per hour. 

Thanks in advance for any help.


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## X3NiTH (28 Jul 2021)

If I were to recommend a bottle from the shelf as replacements for Seachems ferts then I would switch to ARKA Microbe-Lift Plants Green and Microbe-Lift Bio-CO2, easily bought from your local Maidenhead Aquatics.

I like the Plants Green because its an all in one micro fert that contains maintenance doses for Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium and Nitrate. (I don’t use this fert as I DIY my own micros and macros but if I weren’t making my own then this is what I would source). It’s a far more complete fert than both Flourish Trace and Flourish Comprehensive. The dosing concentrations are quite economical 5ml/100L 1-2x per week, plenty for Epiphytes.

The Bio-CO2 on the other hand I do use regularly (I use it as the liquid component for my Macro ferts), it’s not a Gluteraldehyde derivative like Excel so it lacks biocidic properties, however as it’s Humic and Fulvic acid based it is still a long chain carbon molecule replete with carbon that plants can utilise and because of the cage like structure of the molecule it can act as chelator for free metal Ions in the water which will make it a more complete meal if uptaken by plants.


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## ParaJack (28 Jul 2021)

X3NiTH said:


> I like the Plants Green because its an all in one micro fert that contains maintenance doses for Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium and Nitrate.


Thanks for the reply, the main reason I was looking at the Tropica one was due to it not having any nitrate in it, I get plenty of that from my fish/waste


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## Zeus. (28 Jul 2021)

ParaJack said:


> Tropica one was due to it not having any nitrate in it



Nitrate is essential nutrient which all plants need and is safe to dose at quite high ppms, your fish waste will contain ammonium and nitrites which can be dangerous at quite low concentrations, but are soon converted to nitrates by your filter and microbes in substrate and on plants roots as long as your tank has reasonable to good oxygen levels. The cost of getting a nitrate free fert is the same as getting one with it and without a very good reason ( which I cant think of one) it is far better to dose a complete fert and combine it with regular water changes (WC) which will reduce toxins in the tank and remove algae spores and also prevent build up of excessive amounts of ferts 'if' not used by the plants.


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## X3NiTH (28 Jul 2021)

The 0.1% Nitrogen content in this bottle is not the boogeyman!

When I said it has all these elements I did state ‘maintenance dose’ it’s not EI levels, this is dosing macro elements like traces. If you were to target your dose at 0.1ppm for Fe then the amount of K and N coming along with it is around 1ppm, the Calcium and Magnesium content at 0.002% is low, it’s at the same level as the Manganese in the bottle, the Fe content is higher at 0.009%.

It’s a lean but very useful fertiliser which depending on how planted your tank is may be enough to satisfy all the plants daily needs. Again it’s a ‘Maintenance Dose’ don’t expect it to fuel massive growth like you get with unlimited fertilisation via Estimative Index.


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## ParaJack (29 Jul 2021)

X3NiTH said:


> The 0.1% Nitrogen content in this bottle is not the boogeyman!
> 
> When I said it has all these elements I did state ‘maintenance dose’ it’s not EI levels, this is dosing macro elements like traces. If you were to target your dose at 0.1ppm for Fe then the amount of K and N coming along with it is around 1ppm, the Calcium and Magnesium content at 0.002% is low, it’s at the same level as the Manganese in the bottle, the Fe content is higher at 0.009%.
> 
> It’s a lean but very useful fertiliser which depending on how planted your tank is may be enough to satisfy all the plants daily needs. Again it’s a ‘Maintenance Dose’ don’t expect it to fuel massive growth like you get with unlimited fertilisation via Estimative Index.


Thanks a lot for your help, I'm off to look for your recommendations


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