Aquasoil v.s seachem flourite

[glassguppy]

can anyone here give me a quick comparison/opinions/insights between amazonia aquasoil v.s seachem flourite as a fertilized substrate? Which one is better in your' opinion and why? Also, do seachem's line of products "namely the additives, fertilizers, iron etc" compare in terms of quality to anything ada produces? It's less expensive btw so this appeals to me as I'm currently trying to compile a list of competent supplies for my' new eheim aquastyle 9 tank.

[TaDoey]

you should check out the substrate sticky. theres a thread that tells the pros and cons of most substrate choices.

[chunkychun]

I would also recommend dry ferts from gla or other vendors on site. it is way cheaper than seachem and really not that hard. for a small tank and cost isn't an issue i would choose aquasoil but do check the substrate sticky.

[exv152]

I've used both, and without a doubt, in no matter what size tank I've tried both in, aquasoil is superior. But that's just my personal opinion. The AS does leach ammonia and lots of nutrients, especially in the beginning, but you can avoid any algae issues with lots of WCs. Also, the AS buffers the pH considerably lower for me, down to 5.5 from 6.8. That's a nice bonus for plant nutrient uptake. As for ferts, seachem is good but expensive, and I would also suggest dry ferts. Dry ferts are just as good, last for years and are less messy (just need a good set of measuring spoons).

[glassguppy]

Originally Posted by exv152

I've used both, and without a doubt, in no matter what size tank I've tried both in, aquasoil is superior. But that's just my personal opinion. The AS does leach ammonia and lots of nutrients, especially in the beginning, but you can avoid any algae issues with lots of WCs. Also, the AS buffers the pH considerably lower for me, down to 5.5 from 6.8. That's a nice bonus for plant nutrient uptake. As for ferts, seachem is good but expensive, and I would also suggest dry ferts. Dry ferts are just as good, last for years and are less messy (just need a good set of measuring spoons).

Give me an example of some dry ferts and their' liquid alternative.. What I'm wanting ultimately for my' recently aquired eheim aquastyle 9 which also happens to be my' first planted tank... is a complete, inexpensive, high quality system of all the things I would need to keep this tank and make it look/maintain well..

[somewhatshocked]

Flourish. It's expensive and weak.

You can get the same thing by buying a pound of CSMB for $5 or $6 to make gallons upon gallons upon gallons.

That's one example.

[glassguppy]

Originally Posted by somewhatshocked

Flourish. It's expensive and weak.

You can get the same thing by buying a pound of CSMB for $5 or $6 to make gallons upon gallons upon gallons.

That's one example.

Is it possible or a good idea to scoop some dry fertilizer and dump it directly into the tank? And by example I was hoping for the name of a particular product so I can google it and look at photos of what it's like...and how it's applied.. Would "root tabs" be an example of this? When I hear someone tell me about "Dry FERTS" I think of a poweder like crystalized substance... I don't know lol visuals help me for some reason so -

I just want to know how people use their' dry fertilizer, I think I'll want to make my' own solutions in bottles... - another thing I'd like to know is if and or where one would suggest getting the best possible deal on such things... at the end of all this I want a nice array of choices for different applications available to me that'll last at least about a year.

[somewhatshocked]

Check out the Fertilizer section here on the forum. Lots of stickies and information about dosing.

The amount of fertilizer you use depends upon your method of dosing, plant load, etc. Estimative Index is one way to dose.

You can buy dry ferts here on the forum, from places like GLA and AquariumFertilizer.com and other retailers.