You can dose SeaChem Excel...other than that, you probably won't need any other ferts. Maybe Flourish for trace elements once in a while.
Nano newb fert question
Hi
After prowling these boards for several weeks, I have set up a small (5.5gal) tank. It has been up for about 3 weeks now. These are the basics:
1. 5.5 gal with 13 watt AH light kit, no CO2
2. Eco-complete substrate
3. 3 pieces of petrified wood
4. Several Crypts, anubias, chain sword, and some spiral Vals
5. 1 otto, 1 guppy, 5 red cherry shrimp
6. Been using RO water
6. Water parameters:
pH =7
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
KH/GH both at 53.7 ppm
Nothing has died so far, and the fish and shrimp seem happy. Its hard to gauge the plant growth since I expect them all to grow slowly without CO2 and my low lighting, but I do get new leaves/leaf growth. Do you think that I need to add fertilizers, given this relatively simple set-up? If so, can you recommend something simple (i.e. 1 or 2 market products).
P.S. One of these days, I will take a picture but I keep forgetting my camera at home.
After prowling these boards for several weeks, I have set up a small (5.5gal) tank. It has been up for about 3 weeks now. These are the basics:
1. 5.5 gal with 13 watt AH light kit, no CO2
2. Eco-complete substrate
3. 3 pieces of petrified wood
4. Several Crypts, anubias, chain sword, and some spiral Vals
5. 1 otto, 1 guppy, 5 red cherry shrimp
6. Been using RO water
6. Water parameters:
pH =7
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
KH/GH both at 53.7 ppm
Nothing has died so far, and the fish and shrimp seem happy. Its hard to gauge the plant growth since I expect them all to grow slowly without CO2 and my low lighting, but I do get new leaves/leaf growth. Do you think that I need to add fertilizers, given this relatively simple set-up? If so, can you recommend something simple (i.e. 1 or 2 market products).
P.S. One of these days, I will take a picture but I keep forgetting my camera at home.
1 - 5 of 5 Posts
Plants need some sort of nutrition. If you feed your guppy/shrimp, there might be enough Nitrates and Phosphates floating around. Initially the Ecocomplete might provide for some traces.
Why do you use RO water? It is stripped of all the goodies that plants need. Your hardness indicates that you are not using pure RO, or you reconstitute it?
Going forward, if you keep using RO water, you will need to add (tiny amounts of) traces, and maybe some NPK to keep things growing.
Why do you use RO water? It is stripped of all the goodies that plants need. Your hardness indicates that you are not using pure RO, or you reconstitute it?
Going forward, if you keep using RO water, you will need to add (tiny amounts of) traces, and maybe some NPK to keep things growing.
I acutally posted a queery as to whether I should use RO or tap, but didn't get a response when I had set up the tank. The tap water in the city I came from was horribly high in phosphates and nitrates and also had a disgustingly high hardness, so I figured using RO would be the way to go, and then adding supplements as necessary. I would rather have slow plant growth than explosive algal growth, but I am new to this so maybe I am off-base.Plants need some sort of nutrition. If you feed your guppy/shrimp, there might be enough Nitrates and Phosphates floating around. Initially the Ecocomplete might provide for some traces.
Why do you use RO water? It is stripped of all the goodies that plants need. Your hardness indicates that you are not using pure RO, or you reconstitute it?
Going forward, if you keep using RO water, you will need to add (tiny amounts of) traces, and maybe some NPK to keep things growing.
I don't know, tap water always scared me since you never know what you are gonna get. Maybe I will switch to a mix of tap and RO, and see how that goes. As for my hardness, I cannot explain it either. The RO I use is generated at a University, so maybe its picking up something from the pipes? Alternatively, could something be leeching from the Eco-complete or my petrified wood? I haven't tested the RO directly, so maybe I will do that.
High nitrates and phosphates will only be good for your plants, same thing with the hardness. The only consideration is whether the nitrates are too high for fish, but they would have to be pretty high. Algae usually starts because there is a deficiency and/or too much lighting without sufficient co2, not because there are too many nutrients. With high nitrates and phosphates you'll just need potassium and traces and you're good. The best way to avoid algae is to give your plants everything they need, they will then outcompete the algae. They won't grow fast under low lighting and with no co2.
1 - 5 of 5 Posts
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