# TNC Complete reviews anyone ?



## Deano3 (16 Jul 2020)

Hi everyone when i set up my aquascaper 900 i have purchased a aquarium plant food beginners set. I dont know much about EI and what each individual dry element brings to the table and if there is defficencys in the tank what element causes this.

I have recently seen tnc complete and heard that aquarium gardens use this on there tanks, if i would out the price a 5l tub 5000ml should last me over a year as i should dose 20ml 3x per week acording to instructions so £50 , i was shocked as this would be fine but i dont know exactly how much theu dose as may be double or more. I currently use tropica and had good results.

Does anyone else use this and have a review or opinion on it as may be a lot easier for me then maybe i can add certain elements from EI kit if see defficencys.

Thanks dean

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk


----------



## hypnogogia (16 Jul 2020)

I started out with TNC complete before starting to male up my own with salts.  I found it very good and would recommend it.  I remember reading that AG recommend a double triple dose, I.e. 6 times dose stayed on container.


----------



## Zeus. (16 Jul 2020)

TNC complete is basically over priced water esp if planning to dose at EI levels, which is basically x6 the STD TNC dose.

Going down the DIY route will save you lots, very easy to master IMO and a good starter kit can be obtained from APFUK

Myself and some other members are working on a new fert calculator which will 'IMO' make DIY fert dosing very easy and you can 'clone' comercial ferts like TNC so basically dosing the same levels- There is no date for release ATM as we are fine tuning it at present so it will be hopefully easy to use for all

We did have a beta release, but the download is no longer available, as we are concentrating on improvements after the feedback we received


----------



## kishan313 (16 Jul 2020)

I would also be tempted to go down EI. It’s a shame the starter kits are sold out right now. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Deano3 (16 Jul 2020)

Zeus. said:


> TNC complete is basically over priced water esp if planning to dose at EI levels, which is basically x6 the STD TNC dose.
> 
> Going down the DIY route will save you lots, very easy to master IMO and a good starter kit can be obtained from APFUK
> 
> ...


Thanks for that mate, i have already purchased the aquarium plant food starter kit so will just make the micros and macros up as stated and hopefully have good results.

If 6x dose will use to much so EI it is and hopefully if see any defficencys i can ask and someone can help me.

Thanks again and the calculator sounds excellent. 

Using the dry salts just scares me a bit  as sounds complicated but will start with the starter kit i ordered and make it up as it states.

Dean

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk


----------



## Zeus. (17 Jul 2020)

Deano3 said:


> If 6x dose will use to much so EI it is and hopefully if see any defficencys i can ask and someone can help me.



Just ask and happy to help, esp if you already have the starter kit.


----------



## hypnogogia (17 Jul 2020)

Deano3 said:


> If 6x dose will use to much so EI


I think that will give you  rich EI.


----------



## Deano3 (17 Jul 2020)

Zeus. said:


> Just ask and happy to help, esp if you already have the starter kit.


Thanks .ate i certainly will plus means i can try learn the ferts etc.

Dean

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk


----------



## Dr Mike Oxgreen (17 Jul 2020)

I also started with TNC Complete, and it is a good product.

But, as Zeus points out it is an expensive way of doing things. In order to get to the top-end of EI dosing you have to use the “double-triple” dose as recommended by Aquarium Gardens, and this would get very expensive on anything other than a small tank.

Also, the double-triple dose is a bit excessive on both NO₃ and PO₄. Using DIY salts (as I now do) gives you the flexibility to decide the levels of nutrients more-or-less independently of each other so you can tailor your fertilisation to the needs of your tank as you get more experienced. In my case I use a very accurate scale to measure the small quantities I require and make a stock solution, from which I can then dose the tiny amounts needed by my 25 litre tank.

But for a beginner just getting started with planted tanks, I think TNC Complete is an excellent choice. If you have a larger tank then you’ll definitely want to progress to DIY salts, though.


----------



## Kronnie (17 Jul 2020)

I have recently set up a 300ltr planted tank and am using the double triple dose with TNC complete. I am seeing quite good growth and am happy with the results so far, much easier than what i was trying to do in the first few weeks with Seachem products.
I will move over to dry salts when i run out of TNC purely as a cost factor but also to have a bit more control over the levels of nutrients being used.

IMO its a good product to start with before moving on after gaining more experience and knowledge.
The pic below is 50 days after setup, some plants are still settling in and are new, no algae issues either encountered with this product so far
Lee


----------



## Zeus. (17 Jul 2020)

Kronnie said:


> Seachem



Well there isn't much in some at all





Flourish contains very little at STD dose - my tap water has a higher yeild all by its self (except for the chelates)

If you was using flourish, dosing TNC complete at flourish dose levels saves 50% and a much better ppm dose per nutrient (except Fe, Mg and Mn - but not that much difference)


----------



## sparkyweasel (17 Jul 2020)

Zeus. said:


> my tap water has a higher yeild all by its self


Maybe you should bottle it and sell it for £30 a litre.


----------



## Andrew Butler (18 Jul 2020)

Hi @Zeus. have you got a comparison on TNC complete over what APF suggest as an EI dose?
I'm sure it's somewhere on here


----------



## Zeus. (18 Jul 2020)

Andrew Butler said:


> have you got a comparison on TNC complete over what APF suggest as an EI dose?



No/Yes

Only for the trace elements ATM




But will add it for the APFUK  Macros as well


----------



## Zeus. (18 Jul 2020)

Assuming 1 tsp = 5g (plus assuming the 'DIYFert' sheet has no errors )
APFUK dosing should yield






should yield





Which works out at £0.04 a week for 50l tank - dependant on how much your salts cost


----------



## Andrew Butler (18 Jul 2020)

Thanks Karl 


Zeus. said:


> (plus assuming the 'DIYFert' sheet has no errors )


I'm sure it will be fine, what version is it on now?!?

TNC complete is currently £49.99 for 5 Litres at AG so call it £10 per Litre, it says £16.99 above; I'm not saying it's the better or cheaper option but am just intrigued as to how it compares side by side.

TNC say :
_'1ml per 10 litres of tank water 3x per week will give a dose similar to the Estimative Index levels'_
How true is this? I've not got a clear enough head or magical spreadsheet in front of me.


----------



## Hanuman (19 Jul 2020)

Andrew Butler said:


> what version is it on now?!?



A version called "back to the future"


----------



## Zeus. (19 Jul 2020)

Andrew Butler said:


> TNC complete is currently £49.99 for 5 Litres at AG so call it £10 per Litre, it says £16.99 above; I'm not saying it's the better or cheaper option but am just intrigued as to how it compares side by side.



Well the costs you can edit yourself and that reflexs on the price it shows


----------



## Deano3 (19 Jul 2020)

Zeus. said:


> Assuming 1 tsp = 5g (plus assuming the 'DIYFert' sheet has no errors )
> APFUK dosing should yield
> View attachment 152222View attachment 152224
> 
> ...


Wow thats a lot of work thanks for that, EI is defently the way to go. I really need to learn and try remember all the elements etc in the ferts 

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk


----------



## Deano3 (19 Jul 2020)

Andrew Butler said:


> Thanks Karl
> 
> I'm sure it will be fine, what version is it on now?!?
> 
> ...


Hi andrew apparently AG and lots of others use the double triple dose of tnc so 6x the amount the bottle states to reach EI levels otherwise i may have went with tnc but be to expensive. 

Dean 

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk


----------



## Tim Harrison (20 Jul 2020)

Deano3 said:


> AG and lots of others use the double triple dose of tnc so 6x the amount the bottle states


In a mature densely planted tank I usually find myself dosing the recommended weekly amount every day.


----------



## jaypeecee (20 Jul 2020)

Dr Mike Oxgreen said:


> I think TNC Complete is an excellent choice.



I always keep mine in a shaded location as sunlight could affect the iron content. Why does TNC put _Complete_ in a translucent bottle? One of these days, I'll ask them this question.

JPC


----------

