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Osmocote is the brand, they make several different controlled release ferts, with different NPK ratios and many of them are available with a choice of release rates.

You could try freezing them inside ice cubes; the ice will hold them together long enough for you to get them into position before it melts away.

Which is why we sometimes get 'pearling' on hardscape, glass walls, filters etc.

I must get some of those! :)

When we used incandescant bulbs to light our tanks, that was a side-effect, - tanks would be several degrees warmer towards the end of the photoperiod.

Your nitrate is not 'too high' for fish or plants. It may be too high for the liking of people trying to sell you a magic formula that claims to reduce nitrate. :) Have a look at this; Nitrate toxicity

But;

Many years ago, people used to use dried rabbit droppings as root tabs.

Lots of people do each approach, both can work well. EI is one approach, no reason you can't use another. ADA, for example, uses rich substrate and low water column dosing.

Ah, that explains why Google couldn't help me with "Marcher Ratio". :)

What's that?

Or your local aquarium shop. :)

I think we're all on a list, with our various white powders, syringes, precision weighing scales, 'special plant growing lights' etc. :)

PubChem, Wiki etc say KNO3 is odorless. There's probably some UK sites where it would be odourless. :)

As I read it, it appears that @lakshen99 tested his stock solution of KNO3 and his test kit couldn't find the nitrate in that either.

Are the rivers and seas God's aquariums? Perhaps His followers think something bigger than a nail is needed and that's why some people throw old bicycles and shopping trolleys in.

£375 Camlab

If those tests are to be trusted, 0 ammonia suggests it's not excess ferts causing your livestock problems, but 0 nitrate could be the cause of your plant problems.

I hope you meant sulphate, SO4. Sulphur dioxide doesn't sound like a good idea. :) We are now... no longer the Knights Who Say Nee.

That's the important thing. :) We have a few threads discussing test kits, which certainly can give misleading results for various reasons. One is; Test kits

If the crystals of the differrent salts are different sizes, shaking will separate them rather than mix them. Like shaking a bowl of mixed nuts to bring the Brazil Nuts to the top.

I suspect that they copy&pasted the whole section on labelling and forgot to change the name.

I've just checked where it was I got some from recently. Tennellum They were nice and healthy, and cheap. :)

Perhaps one of the smaller Cryptocorynes then, Dwarf Hairgrass or Pygmy Chain Swords? The last might be best as they spread faster so you might be more easily able to judge how well they grow. Thanks, and you. :) I haven't been very active on here recently, but I'm keeping an eye on the more...

Very interesting. If I may, I would suggest adding a submerged plant that is not a fern, just in case they react differently. Looking forward to seeing how it goes.

You would get some increase from fish and plant waste, uneaten food etc.

That's the EI principle, there are always excess ferts, therefore never any shortage.

If you click the little Union Flag at the top left corner of the page, it will change to English.

Hi, could you post some pics of the plants you're worried about?

Yes, marketing experts. :) Save your money. :)

= bad teaching. But of course the teachers blame their pupils for their poor teaching skills.

EI was developed to be simple and foolproof. By specifying alternate dosing it removes the possibility of a problem that might occur in some tanks, depending on many variables. If you change it there's no certainty that you won't have any problem. That's not a reason for not trying it to see...

That sounds like a good plan. :) Also, slowly ramping up and down the lights can be beneficial to algae without helping the plants. I would try a much shorter ramp period.

The difference may be related to Walstad's preference for minimal (at one time zero) water changes.

+1

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

It was common practice before 'proper' fertilisers and root tabs were available. People often thought it was a wind-up when told about it, and weren't convinced until they saw a demonstration. It seemed to work, based on observation. You need the bigger, round rabbit droppings, not the little...

Or tell us what kind of compost; some-one here might be familiar with it.

You might be able to save a bit of cash on tap water conditioner too. I don't think TapSafe is the cheapest option, and with a big tank the difference matters. A lot of people use Prime after looking at the amount of water it treats as well as the price for the bottle size.

Not a lot mate :) But between daily and weekly, I think any difference would be negligible in a low-tech, low-energy, low-ferts set-up. If you're bored in the lockdown, you could always try it and see if you can see any difference.

Your plants need their nutrients from day one. The easiest way is to use an all-in-one fertiliser from the start.

Fair point, Matt. As long as we can make sure people know the cost comparison, they can choose whether they want to pay for the convenience. It's not so good when people are told the expensive products are essential. Like beer again, you can make your own if you like, but it's much more...

A lot of people seem to go astray with that sort of thing. If you explain what tests you do, how, and what you are trying to achieve, some-one will spot any flaws there may be in the procedure. If it's really obvious it might even be me that spots it :)

I think pH6.5 is the optimum for many kinds of bacteria and other organic processes, so I wouldn't take that as confirmation of the source of your film. You said the film appears after you add your ferts, - could you try a different brand for a while and see if that stops it?

Quite possibly; a lot of people mix their own fertz instead of buying expensive products that are mostly water, which is expensive to ship. :)

They certainly work for lots of people. :) If you could post some info about your tank and what salts and dose you used, we can probably work out if you're going wrong and help. Tank dimensions, filtration, lighting, CO2 details if using it, substrate etc. What plants, and what looks horrible...

This is what happens if you add pure potassium to water;

"Identified Use(s) Not known. Uses Advised Against Not known." Sounds likie good stuff :)

I would put mine in my low-down pond, where watercress grows huge, green leaves, but no-one wnats to eat them. In the higher pond it grows smaller, paler leaves, but people will eat them. The reason for both differences is that the dogs can reach to wee on the lower one. :)