[RipariumGuy]

Hello PTF!

I will be starting my riparium a little after new years and I wondering what fertilization regime I should use, (if any). I was thinking of useing the EI method, but I am sure there is something out there less time consuming and cheaper! I heve never fertilized an aquarium before so this is all very new to me! All suggestions are welcome and appreceated! By the way, you can see my tank's equipment ECT. on my journal, (signiture)

Regards,

 

[kyle3]

check out a couple of hydrophyte's journals.

If I'm not mistaken he/she just doses flourish and maybe excel- but I could be remembering that incorrectly- it's been a while since i read through the early parts of the threads.

EI is a solid method and it's cheap- i'd bet you'll be successful if you use it.

cheers-K

 

[Hoppy]

I also wondered about what the best way to fertilize a riparium would be. I'm now using the EI method for the water, perhaps a bit higher than the recommended dosages, because so many big plants are drawing on that supply of nutrients. And, I have been using Osmocoat for a fertilizer in most of the planters. I only put 2-5 little Osmocoat "pebbles" in a planter, and so far I have seen nothing that makes me think this is a bad idea. Hydrophyte uses mineralized topsoil as a nutrient layer in his planters, with good success.

As usual with aquariums of all kinds, making water changes easy pays big dividends. My 65 gallon one uses an overflow to send excess water outside, where I collect it to water my patio plants, and the incoming water goes through a 1/4" diameter hose into the tank, so I just open a valve, let water flow in (and out the overflow) for 15-45 minutes, then close the valve. Soon I will have that changed to use a lawn sprinkler timer to turn on the water automatically for a fixed time every other day. I will then have 2 display ripariums, both operating this way. By doing this I can use the EI fertilizing method without worrying about an overload of ferts.

 

[RipariumGuy]

So EI dosing is a good choice?

 

[Steez]

I wondered about that too....Do you use slow release ferts in the plant media or fert the actual water they are dipped in?...I would think that slow release ferts in the plant media would leach into the water and possibly harm the fauna....
Any ideas?

 

[trackhazard]

I used a little bit of KNO3 and KH2PO4 in my riparium. Added directly to water once every couple of weeks. Really small amounts. I also used root tabs in the planter cups.

-Charlie

 

[londonloco]

I have two rips. 75g filled w/55 gallons of water, and a 29g filled to the top. I have dosed both tanks EI, recommended amounts for the amount of water in tank, with 50% water changes weekly. I also dose recommended amounts of Excel. I also use Flourish root tabs in the planters every three months. This works for my set ups, plants are growing nicely.

I just started a journal on the 29 gallon. I decided to keep yellow shrimp in this tank, so I stopped dosing EI but continue to use root tabs and Excel. Plants are still growing fine, both in the planters and submersed plants.

The 75g also has a journal from a few months back, but am starting a long tear down and redo of that tank, no pics of that tank will be available for a few months.

 

[Diana]

If the water flows all the way through the planters then the fertilizers would end up in the water column.
However, mostly the water flows past the planters, with a slower exchange through the soil. This is fine for fertilizer tablets or Osmocote. Enough is released in the planters that the plants make use of, but not so much that the water in the rest of the set up is too rich.