# OK what combo do you suggest?



## Antipofish (31 Jan 2012)

Hi folks,

Well now I have sorted the substrate and am settled with what I have; And I actually have a few plants in and will be adding more soon, I need to start a bit of a ferts and CO2 regime.

The substrate is 1cm colombo florabase, which as you know is a planted substrate preloaded with ferts.  This is capped with 5cm of Samoa Sand.

Lighting is 2 x 24w T5.

Planting currently is a large bunch of Blyxa and some bunches of Bacopa, and a Crinum.  The Blyxa is melting slightly as it adjusts to the new tank and a couple of leaves on the Crinum are going brown at the ends.  The Bacopa on the whole looks ok although a few leaves are disintegrating a bit.

I need to remain low tech at the moment, so wish to be using liquid ferts and CO2 at least for a while, till the coffers are full again 

I have been told not to use anything with phosphate and nitrate as the colombo will supply whats needed.  So I don't know what to use.  Your suggestions will be welcome   

As far as CO2 goes, I gather Flourish Excel and Easylife Easy Carbo are the same thing, so will probably go with the latter.

DOSING is another thing. What do you suggest ? Daily or Weekly ?  I am doing 50% water changes every other day at the moment as its a new setup.  The tank is 175L bare.


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## hinch (31 Jan 2012)

iirc easy carbo is 1ml per 50l of water so on yours you'd be adding no more than 4ml easy carbo


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## Iain Sutherland (31 Jan 2012)

i have always found excel is a better buy as it is far superior at fighting algae. IME easy carbo takes twice as long at higher doses.. particularly with staghorn and BBA.


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## George Farmer (31 Jan 2012)

I'd go with 4ml Easycarbo and 4ml Tropica Plant Nutrition+ (or similar comprehensive all-in-one fert) daily.  You may need to add more as the plant biomass increases, but this is a good starting point, especially as you have relatively low lighting.

I'm not sure who told you that dosing N and P shouldn't be done because of the substrate but that's nonsense.  The plants will happily take it from their leaves, as well as the substrate.  By supplying plenty of nutrients in the water column you extend the nutrient-life of the substrate.


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## Antipofish (31 Jan 2012)

George Farmer said:
			
		

> I'd go with 4ml Easycarbo and 4ml Tropica Plant Nutrition+ (or similar comprehensive all-in-one fert) daily.  You may need to add more as the plant biomass increases, but this is a good starting point, especially as you have relatively low lighting.
> 
> I'm not sure who told you that dosing N and P shouldn't be done because of the substrate but that's nonsense.  The plants will happily take it from their leaves, as well as the substrate.  By supplying plenty of nutrients in the water column you extend the nutrient-life of the substrate.



Good as Gold George, thanks mate   I got the Easycarbo, and got Easylife profito (no N&P) so will take the profito back and exchange it.  If they dont have TPN+ is there a Seachem equivalent or am I better getting credit on the profito and sourcing the TPN+ elsewhere ?

Thanks again for your honest and direct advice.


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## hinch (31 Jan 2012)

get an all in one ei mix from one of our sponsors you can't really go wrong with it just chuck a load in the tank daily and jobs a good'un.


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## George Farmer (31 Jan 2012)

Personally I'd avoid the Seachem supplements. They're very effective but relatively costly.

Profito is a very good product and a popular combo choice with Easycarbo. Although it doesn't contain NP.

You could actually keep this, try it out at the dosages mentioned. If you suffer nutrient defs then adding NP via dry ferts is by far the most economical method. You will likely need this more once you commence CO2 gas injection and the nutrient requirement goes up.

The other option is to refund on the Profito and by an all-in-one mix from somewhere like APFUK.

http://www.aquariumplantfood.co.uk/fert ... s-dry.html

It may sound a bit overwhelming; all the options but actually plants don't mind. What's more important is that the nutrients supplied are constant. Be methodical with the dosing and water changes and this will provide more success than product choice alone.


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## Ian Holdich (31 Jan 2012)

> Be methodical with the dosing and water changes and this will provide more success than product choice alone.



Brilliant advice...in the time i have kept planted tanks, i have found the most important thing is water changes for the first few weeks. If you maintain good tank husbandry you can be on a winner every time.


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## Antipofish (31 Jan 2012)

ianho said:
			
		

> > Be methodical with the dosing and water changes and this will provide more success than product choice alone.
> 
> 
> 
> Brilliant advice...in the time i have kept planted tanks, i have found the most important thing is water changes for the first few weeks. If you maintain good tank husbandry you can be on a winner every time.



Cool thanks guys.  

Ian, I am doing 50% every other day at present. Is that about right ?  How long should I do that for ? I was thinking the first two weeks, then 50% every third day, then 50% every 4th day etc till I reach 50% every week ?  If I need more, so be it.  Refilling is a nightmare though, lol


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## Ian Holdich (31 Jan 2012)

Personally i tend to do daily 30-50% every day for the first 2-3 weeks (but that is fully planted, from the begining). As the plants go through the transitional stages, you may run into the initial algal stages. Keeping up with water changes elemintaes the small ammonia spike that can cause these problems.


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## Antipofish (31 Jan 2012)

ianho said:
			
		

> Personally i tend to do daily 30-50% every day for the first 2-3 weeks (but that is fully planted, from the begining). As the plants go through the transitional stages, you may run into the initial algal stages. Keeping up with water changes elemintaes the small ammonia spike that can cause these problems.



Is it OK to top back up using water from the shower (fed by combi boiler) in order to get a reasonable top up temperature ?  Do I add dechlorinator BEFORE adding the topup water and AFTER draining what I am taking out ?  Do I dechlorinate for the whole volume (Im assuming so) ?  If it means I avoid algae Im happy to do that.


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## Ian Holdich (31 Jan 2012)

Is it OK to top back up using water from the shower (fed by combi boiler) in order to get a reasonable top up temperature ?

I used a mixer tap (i use RO now), i never got the temp spot on, but you'll get to know what temp the water needs to be. I tended to go with water a little cooler. The fish don't mind this, as it can often induce spawning behaviours.

 Do I add dechlorinator BEFORE adding the topup water and AFTER draining what I am taking out ?

Again, if you're going straight into the tank with a showerhead, add the dechlor to the tank and then the water.

Do I dechlorinate for the whole volume (Im assuming so) ? 

yes, you cannot OD dechlor and i would always add the tank volume. Prime is normally the best as well, as it binds ammonia for 24-48 hours.


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## Antipofish (31 Jan 2012)

Cheers Ian


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