_Dosing Regime's_

[number1sixerfan]

Originally Posted by Hoppy

When you feed fish three times a day, that big mass of food gets processed by the fish and reappears converted to desirable nutrients, plus undesirable ammonia. The ammonia can be the cause of an algae attack. And the desirable nutrients can be a good reason to dose smaller doses of fertilizers. As far as I know, only the ammonia can be a cause for an algae problem, not the extra desirable nutrients.

There is no big mass of food. I feed a pinch just for that reason, I've essentially been underfeeding my discus ever since I put them in the show tank. I've been doing this for 3 months now and water has been clear as day until I dosed plantex. I even reduced feeding 3 times a day to once a day when I started dosing because I was afraid of something would happen to my discus(because of the nitrates). I fed once in the morning the past three days. Stopped feeding altogether once the algae bloom hit.

I hardly doubt that it is coincidence that as soon as I start dosing, I have an algae bloom. I believe it is a combo of the food and access nutrients dosed into the tank. I don't know the technicalities of an algae bloom, but I have never had a bloom until this week, which was after reducing the amount of food I put in the tank, simple coincidence doesn't add up here.

[number1sixerfan]

Originally Posted by lauraleellbp

Considered adding any MTS to your tank? Between those, my Cories, and my Amanos, there's never any food in my tank that goes uneaten for long...

I'm about to add the following(which will make me need to decrease my dosing of N and P even more):

10 Rummynose Tetra
3 Botia Loach
5 Ottos
3 Rams
4 Congo Tetra
10 Nerite Snails
1 Bushy Nose Pleco

I also want to add 5 amano shrimp as well, but I need to buy them here to save money. This will expand my bioload by a lot. I will add a second filter and more plants as well, but if I find it too much(which I think I will sense I only want to waterchange once per week) I will take some of the fish and move them to one of my other 2 tanks. I just want to order them all now so I can make the most of the $30 shipping fee(liveaquaria).

Do you think the Nerites, Pleco, and Ottos will be enough for algae? The botia loach is simply to kill the pesty snails that make it into my tank from plants.

[lauraleellbp]

None of those will do much for uneaten food. Otos, Nerites, and BN plecos all mostly eat algae. The loaches should help, but I'd really strongly consider getting some Cories. IMO they're the best vaccum-cleaners you can put in an aquarium LOL (Though Amanos are excellent scavengers, as well... I've got 15 or so Amanos in my 90gal)

[number1sixerfan]

Originally Posted by lauraleellbp

None of those will do much for uneaten food. Otos, Nerites, and BN plecos all mostly eat algae. The loaches should help, but I'd really strongly consider getting some Cories. IMO they're the best vaccum-cleaners you can put in an aquarium LOL (Though Amanos are excellent scavengers, as well... I've got 15 or so Amanos in my 90gal)

The only problem with that is bioload. I don't think that I can add another school. Maybe I could add two more loaches.

My problem is trying to find a balance between the scavengers and algae cleaners and their bio load. What combo would you do? I was trying to maximize effeciency by adding shrimp and nerites since they have less bio loads.

[rich815]

Originally Posted by number1sixerfan

The only problem with that is bioload. I don't think that I can add another school. Maybe I could add two more loaches.

My problem is trying to find a balance between the scavengers and algae cleaners and their bio load. What combo would you do? I was trying to maximize effeciency by adding shrimp and nerites since they have less bio loads.

I remember an earlier thread in which someone made the assumption that snails had lower bioload than fish and the response was a large NO. That snails had as much if not more and it was supported as such by some of those who raise or keep snails.

I think you should get a school of 6 or so cories. My personal favs are sterbai, adolfous, habrosus and emeralds.

[lauraleellbp]

A small school of cories will end up less bioload than 4 loaches that get 6" apiece...

[number1sixerfan]

Thanks, I will take you all's advice and add some cories. Getting back on topic, is there anyone out there who has a heavily stocked tank, with relatively low plant mass? What is your dosing regimen?

[Joetee]

I would just use EI. You could also go down a tank size and then watch your plants to see how they adapt. If you are to lean on your ferts, you will encounter algae. A little to much does less harm that to little.

[ZooTycoonMaster]

So tell me if this is right for a 10 gallon tank:

1/8 tsp. KNO3
1/32 tsp. KH2PO4
1/8 tsp. K2SO4
? for Plantex CSM+B...help me with this

And I shouldn't dose Plantex at the same time as KH2PO4...say I dose Plantex, how long do I have to wait before I can dose KH2PO4?

[imeridian]

You don't have to wait. The FePO4 issue comes from storing them together in concentrated liquid solution.

[brohawk]

1/32 tsp K2SO4. Same w/ Plantex--reread the first page of this post. I'd put it into solution for better accuracy in such small qty's.

[Wö£fëñxXx]

This info is on the first post of this thread.

Mixing Plantex CSM+B or Fe/Iron Chelate 10%- mix 1Tbsp per 250ml water-
one capfull=5ml.

Depending on the light I had over this 10g tank I would dose half-capfull
daily, good enough!

You can dose any of these anytime you want. I prefer to dose daily
it is easier for me to keep up with all my tank dosing (I have 7 tanks.)

EDIT: I have been ninja'd

[brohawk]

My first successful ninja. Shweet.

[ZooTycoonMaster]

Originally Posted by Wö£fëñxXx

This info is on the first post of this thread.

Mixing Plantex CSM+B or Fe/Iron Chelate 10%- mix 1Tbsp per 250ml water-
one capfull=5ml.

Rex Grigg says to mix 2 tablespoons with 2 cups of water, and add 2 ml to a 10 gallon tank...

[Wö£fëñxXx]

One cup of water is 250ml. half-capfull is 2.5ml.