[Pronk]

I've been following the recommended dosage of Flourish for my 10 Gallon tank (1ml once a week), but I am still noticing signs of what could be potassium deficiency in some of my plants. One of my nanas has yellowing leaves, my anacharis has holes and my swords and some of my java ferns are developing translucent spots.

I have some left over API Leaf Zone, and I was wondering if it would be a good idea to start dosing that as well? Both have Potash (K20) and Chelated Iron (Fe). The recommend dose for the Leaf Zone is 5ml per week for 10 Gallons. Fourish has 0.14% k20 and 0.32% Fe. Leaf Zone has 3.0% K20 and 0.10% Fe. So that would be a dosage of 3.14% K20 and .42% Fe per week.

I don't have any way of measuring the amount of nutrients in my water, so I am following the recommend doses and doing a 20% water change once a week, skipping a week of dosing every month. The tank is heavily planted and for now lightly stocked with animals. I have 1 betta, 7 ghost shrimp, and 2 nerites, one full grown and one very small.

Here is a potato pic of my tank.

 

[hbosman]

Checkout the calculator below. It might help you decide how to combine your fert doses. It also has an accumulation calculator that might help you guessimate your fert concentrations in the aquarium.

Zorfox's Planted Tank Calculator

 

[Pronk]

Thank you, this is very helpful. The only issue is I have no idea how to calculate PPM or what my targets should be.

 

[Zorfox]

A test kit for Nitrate and Phosphate would be helpful in the beginning.

Flourish comprehensive and API Leaf Zone are designed for tanks with rather high bio-loads. With a high bio-load you typically have sufficient Nitrate and Phosphates for plants to flourish. With only one betta in the tank, my guess would be that you are lacking those two macro nutrients.

How often and how much do you change your water? This is an important question when deciding on a fertilizing regime. PPS is typically for lower tech tanks (low light no CO2) where EI is for high tech tanks (CO2 and high light). Both can be tweaked to find the sweet spot. Those ppm and target levels are an integral part of the calculator.

 

[Edward]

PPS-Pro works with any light energy and any CO2 levels when done properly.

 

[Diana]

Flourish comprehensive is low in potassium so I sure would dose Leaf Zone.
Get at least NO3 test.

 

[burr740]

Probably a good chance your low on macros in general. Flourish comp lists some N, P and K but the amounts are negligible.

 

[Pronk]

Thanks guys. I just tested my water. Ammonia is 0, nitrite 0, nitrates 2 or 3 ppm. Ph is. 6.0. I'm using the API master kit. Also, the light is Aqueon's full spectrum T8. I believe it is 8,000k.

My water change schedule is 20% once a week, and I've only been dosing 3 out of 4 weeks. I have excel but I stopped using it once I added the anacharis.

When I took that picture I had just planted the dwarf grass, it was grown emersed so most of it melted. I took it out and replanted the healthy stuff, so it's a lot thinner now.

I won't be able to get any new test kits or ferts until I get paid next week. Is there anything I can put in the tank until then to raise the nitrates?

I'm going to add more shrimp, my Petco put an order in for 30 ghost shrimp for me, they just don't know when they will get some. I've also been thinking of adding some small schooling fish, really want ember tetras, I'll have to see if my LFS has some.