Well On my [brief] hunt for some liquid ferts, the only thing I found at a [not so local] LFS was Kent freshwater plant formula.

http://www.petmeister.com/item2500.htm

Well, there were two different ones, and a black water one .. But I went with that one [boyfriend didn't want me to get both the fresh water ones ._. .. ]

Anyway, lo-and-behold, We stopped by a Petsmart for the potty break [I hang around little kids too much! Potty, pft, who says that..], and I noticed a lone bottle of Seachem Flourish hanging out with the dechlor/etc, So I nab it up, we can't find a prince tag, and my boyfriend insists I just use what we already got [even though I wanted to return it] saying " they're all the same thing".

Despite my horrible attempt at explaining their not. [Mainly because I don't understand it all completely.]

Kent has about half the stuff flourish does, so I don't even think it's all the micronutrients ..

In that link they briefly go over it, but to be more specific..


Soluble Potash(K2O) 3%

Copper(Cu)(Min) .00001%

Iron (Fe)(Min) .24%
.24% Chelated Iron

Manganese (Mn)(Min) .01%

Molybdenum (Mo)(Min) .0009%

Zinc (Zn) (Min) .00014%


I also have a bottle of FloraPride floating around here somewhere, but it's just 3%K2O .19% Iron So It's basicly worthless at this point rofl.

Anyway, Should I just return the Kent [if that store even allows it ... I forget] and try and hunt down flourish again?


[Maybe some of you can convince my boyfriend to let me =O , Since he's trying to tell me to just double dose, lmao like that'll make up for missing half the micro XD]

I haven't been following any other of your threads so its hard to say if just one general liquid fert will be enough. My knee jerk reaction is to say get some dry ones and mix them your self. They last much longer and are overall much much less expensive.

From what I remember the Seachem one is considerably better than the Kent one. I always found I had bad problems with algae when I used flourish though.

If you lived close to me I would mix you a batch of NPK and trace myself as long as you brought bottles.

Thanks.

I live in NJ though, and I've been a little frightened of the idea of dry ferts [ I have a lot of weird fears that have no explination, Lol]

Been trying to find a decently priced place online for ferts, to be honest.

Right now my tank [10g] is medium planted, low/medium lighting, with Shultz Aquasoil.

I'm just using it as a holding tank for my plants right now until I get a 20g up and running for medium/high lighting and CO2, thus my questioning about ferts.

Do you know anywhere decent to order some dry ferts? ANd what I should be looking for? I havn't found a real guide on how to mix/dispense dry ferts that is cut and dry, rather then a lot of chemical jumbo that gets me lost in what I should be doing. Lol.

If you dont' want to go dry, look into pfertz--it looks expensive, but would last you forever on your tank. Just google pfertz

Personally, I just switched to dry on my 29g, and couldn't be happier. Orlando at greenleafaquariums.com hooked me up!

Just looked up Pfertz, Looks pretty simple and idiot proof [I am careful as I can be, but I still have my fears, lol..]

How long do you suppose the bundle set would last on a 20/25g "lightly planted" as they put it?

Once I get my 20g going [in a month or so ] I'm just keeping low light plants in my 10, maybe with some DIY Co2 and light doseing on WCs, so I wouldn't be using Pfertz for the 10, just the 20/25.

When I first started using ferts, I use Kent Freshwater Plant and Pro Plant another Kent product. Then when to Seachem line before I started mixing my own. IF your not using CO2 with high light levels, Stick with the Kent products. their not as strong. Safer for the beginner. But use both Freshwater plant and Pro Plant. They do different things that plants need. One does micro and the other does ???? OH I'm having a old man brain thing. But you need both. Fish will also benefit from the minerals added to the water.

Shoot the guys at pfertz your question. They are very helpful!