Hi, I've been reading lots of prior threads but I'm not finding an answer I am confident in.
I have used a pre mix from Aquarium Plant Food UK for years, this is a complete fertiliser containing N.
My tank has struggled in recent years with bad plant growth and unsightly algae/deposits. The tank water shows a PH of 7.8+ even though my tap water is around 7 as measure out of the tap and multiple 60% tap water changes in the past seem to do nothing to the PH which I assume is buffering from calcification deposits in the tank.
In the last few months, after following threads on here, I have been doing smaller (20%) changes of rain water from a water butt every two weeks hoping it might help improve the tank and water chemistry changes wouldn't be too fast for the inhabitants.
I've since added more fish and more plants and generally things seem to be heading in the right direction with my Anubias leaves changing back from a horrible black coating to green.
The PH is still not coming down but the plants seem to be doing better and my red root floaters were doing well which I look at as a gauge of the nutrients in the tank.
As it is, I haven't dosed any ferts for around 4 months. I'm now beginning to see holes in my Hygrophila Polysperma and my red root floaters are not reproducing as perfectly which makes me think I need to put some ferts in.
Problem is, my Nitrate is 60-80ppm and the water changes do not seem to be reducing it much. I will test my rain water tomorrow now I think about it, but it is collected solely from a polycarbonate roof and the water butt has a healthy Daphnia population resident all year round. It had a TDS of 23 last time I tested it, I am not expecting the Nitrates to be from the rain water.
So does anyone have any suggestions for a pre mix or very easily mixed that won't increase N until that comes down and I can go back to the APFUK complete fert?
I have been reading with interest about the Solufeed options but could not work out which ones I should look at combining to do the job if I don't want to add any N.
If I have to buy an expensive "salts in water" version until N comes down, then which ones are recommended?
Some Tank info
Rio 180L twin T5 - 11 year old scape
Tropica aquasoil, capped with gravel. Some Lavarock on the bottom to raise up the substrate
No major rock decor , just bog wood.
PH 7.6 to 7.8
Ammonia and Nitrite 0
Nitrate 80
TDS 250
Kh 5
Gh 8
Mostly characins plus 3 x fishnet flying foxes, some Ottos, 2 x armano shrimp and 2 x Farlowellas which are new and I would especially like to get the PH down for.
Many thanks.
I have used a pre mix from Aquarium Plant Food UK for years, this is a complete fertiliser containing N.
My tank has struggled in recent years with bad plant growth and unsightly algae/deposits. The tank water shows a PH of 7.8+ even though my tap water is around 7 as measure out of the tap and multiple 60% tap water changes in the past seem to do nothing to the PH which I assume is buffering from calcification deposits in the tank.
In the last few months, after following threads on here, I have been doing smaller (20%) changes of rain water from a water butt every two weeks hoping it might help improve the tank and water chemistry changes wouldn't be too fast for the inhabitants.
I've since added more fish and more plants and generally things seem to be heading in the right direction with my Anubias leaves changing back from a horrible black coating to green.
The PH is still not coming down but the plants seem to be doing better and my red root floaters were doing well which I look at as a gauge of the nutrients in the tank.
As it is, I haven't dosed any ferts for around 4 months. I'm now beginning to see holes in my Hygrophila Polysperma and my red root floaters are not reproducing as perfectly which makes me think I need to put some ferts in.
Problem is, my Nitrate is 60-80ppm and the water changes do not seem to be reducing it much. I will test my rain water tomorrow now I think about it, but it is collected solely from a polycarbonate roof and the water butt has a healthy Daphnia population resident all year round. It had a TDS of 23 last time I tested it, I am not expecting the Nitrates to be from the rain water.
So does anyone have any suggestions for a pre mix or very easily mixed that won't increase N until that comes down and I can go back to the APFUK complete fert?
I have been reading with interest about the Solufeed options but could not work out which ones I should look at combining to do the job if I don't want to add any N.
If I have to buy an expensive "salts in water" version until N comes down, then which ones are recommended?
Some Tank info
Rio 180L twin T5 - 11 year old scape
Tropica aquasoil, capped with gravel. Some Lavarock on the bottom to raise up the substrate
No major rock decor , just bog wood.
PH 7.6 to 7.8
Ammonia and Nitrite 0
Nitrate 80
TDS 250
Kh 5
Gh 8
Mostly characins plus 3 x fishnet flying foxes, some Ottos, 2 x armano shrimp and 2 x Farlowellas which are new and I would especially like to get the PH down for.
Many thanks.
