low tech and fertilization

Before you jump head first into fertilization, take a step back and evaluate your current tank. Are your plants doing well under your current setup or are they lacking? Anubias and mosses generally do not require any supplemental fertilization outside of regular water changes and the nitrates added via fish feedings and waste. Jave ferns can possibly require iron supplementation.

In simple terms, fertilization is required for stem plants that require high light. High light basically amps up the plants need for nutrient intake because of increased growth rates. Therefore, the plants are taking up all the nutrients in the tank and require fertilization to keep up with the light demands. This is just a general summation.

CO2 will benefit any tank regardless of low or high light.

Unless you are noticing deficiencies in your plants, I do not see the need to begin adding fertilizers. Adding fertilizers to an already sufficient water column will only increase your chances of growing algae. Fish feedings and simple water changes are usually all that is necessary in keeping plants healthy in low light tank. Your lighting is not strong enough to increase growth to a rate that requires fertilization.

Since you did not provide us with any water parameters, equipment list and photos of your current low light tank, it is difficult to be more specific with our replies.

Ok, so here is what I have.

Tank specifics:
29 gallon (18 inch height)
2 HOB filters (aqueon quiet flow 30 and aquaclear 50)
CaribSea supernaturals fine grain gravel
Aqueon T8 fluorescent bulb
Temperature around 76.5
photoperiod just increased from 8 to 8.5 hours

Livestock:
9 corydora habrosus
12 neon tetras
soon to add, 8ish mosquito rasboras
soon to add, 8ish ember tetras or green rasboras
3 anubia frazeri
3 anubia nanas
1 anubia coffefolia
3 java ferns (bunched into one planting)
java moss jammed into lava rock crevices

Water parameters:
ammonia - 0 ppm
nitrite - 0 ppm
nitrate - 5 ppm
phosphate - 0 ppm
dKH - 5
dGH - 7
pH 7.8

So, given my reading, I am tempted to think that I need to supplement at least phosphates and possibly nitrates. But, maybe I am overthinking/analyzing.

These plants have been in the tank for 13 days. They all look good to me (but this is my first experience), except for the very tip of one of my anubias frazeri.

I have included a general picture of my tank and then a couple pictures of the mentioned frazeri.

I would appreciate any additional comments now that you know my tank. My goals are to gain some experience with "beginner" plants and to familiarize myself with important concepts before attempting a more "medium-tech" tank.


Tom, thanks for chiming in. I feel like you autographed this thread since your non CO2 concept was mentioned earlier. What are some suggestions for beginner, hardy floating plants that would thrive in my tank?

Edit: sorry for the upside down pics. Don't know why that happened but hopefully you get the idea.

Roadmaster,

Was mentioned above that fertz are only needed with high light,or stem plant's.(phooey)
I believe all plant's will benefit from fertz whether it be from enhanced substrates,or water column dosing.(or both)
Plant's can and do take up nutrient's from both area's if they are available.[/QUOTE]

I do not think you fully understood my concept. Yes, all plants regardless of light requirements will benefit from fertilization. However, that is not the point of this thread. The context of this thread was that CFox was asking whether or not adding fertilizers would benefit his current tank at low light. I gave a simple answer based on his questions. Yes, adding fertilizers would help, but then CFox might have to adjust his lighting (possibly upgrade) and the potential addition of CO2.

CFox,

Your parameters look great to me (based on your tank). I would watch your plants after increasing your light photoperiod. You might have to go back to 8hrs depending on how your plants respond. As far as your anubia tip, yellowing can be a sign of potassium deficiency. So you might have to start adding a small amount of potassium when you do water changes. Anacharis and water sprite are great plants as Roadmaster recommended.

I really appreciate the dialogue as I am learning a lot. As it pertains to my tank, and keying on Mr. Barr's comment that "a tiny bit [of fertilization] once a week doesn't hurt" along with the idea that my yellowing tips could indicate a potassium deficiency, here is what I think I will do.

*Use flourish comprehensive conservatively (once weekly) to provide trace/micro fertilization
*complete my fish stocking level which will give a bit of a nitrate boost
*Since my phosphates are at 0, dose conservatively with KPO4 to target around 0.5 ppm
*dose conservatively with potassium (KSO4 or KCL); I understand you don't test for this?
*keep photoperiod conservative at around 8 hours daily to keep carbon demand down (so that I won't need to dose excel) and to discourage algae growth

Please comment on whether this plan sounds balanced. Also, I only currently know how to dose the flourish comprehensive. I could use advice on where to acquire the macro fertilizers, how to dose them, etc.

Thanks again.