[PlantedTankLover]

I switched my substrait a few months ago from fluorite and gravel mix to pfs a few months back, and since then my plants are no longer thriving and weekly trimming is no longer needed. I still dose with the fluorite excel fertilizer. Any ideas?

 

[Kathyy]

Guess you need to add in some fertilizer now. At the very least get some Seachem Flourish for micros and potassium but with your brightly lit tank you probably need all of them, nitrogen/phosphorus/potassium+micros. If you are running all those bulbs then you would be better off with pressurized CO2 gas as well. If you don't want to use CO2 gas then turn 2 bulbs off. If you don't want to fertilize then maybe use only 1 bulb.

 

[OverStocked]

All you dose is seachem excel? That isn't a fertilizer. It is a carbon supplement.

 

[PlantedTankLover]

I thought it was excel but after looking at the bottles all they say is "Comprehensive supplement for the Planted Aquarium."

Before there was no need for C02, my plants were growning like CRAZY and taking over the tank, so trying to figure out why the huge change. I hardly have any Jungle Val left, when I would cut about 2 feet off the tips every week.

 

[BBradbury]

Plants Not Thriving

Hello Planted...

You might try what I do. Plants are living things and I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to eat the same thing all the time and neither do aquatic plants. When I notice growth slowing, I change the fert.

I prefer organic, hydroponics liquids, because they're easy to dose when I do my weekly 50 percent water changes. Anyway, every few months, if there's slow growth, I change the ferts I use. Fortunately, the company I get the ferts from has several kinds. This way, the plants get a variety of nutrients and stay healthy.

May sound strange, but it works for me.

B

 

[Centromochlus]

Interesting concept Brad... personally, i've found that inconsistency in the amount that you fertilize--as well as how often--is usually what causes problems.

 

[OverStocked]

Can we get answers to the other questions we asked? Need details or were all waisting time.

 

[Rainer]

All you dose is seachem excel? That isn't a fertilizer. It is a carbon supplement.

What is a fertilizer if not a supplement of an element essential for proper growth?

 

[PlantedTankLover]

What is a fertilizer if not a supplement of an element essential for proper growth?

I was thinking the same thing. I did however turn two bulbs off. But this has made the horible snails come out all day, rather then just at night. My assassin snails are not doing their job, at all.

What ferts do you all recommend? Looking for simple and budget friendly. Still trying to figure out why the sudden change from a jungle like tank, so on that look about 1/4 of what I had.

 

[jccaclimber]

If your assassin snails can't keep up either they need more time or something else is giving you a snail bloom such as overfeeding or an excess of algae/rotting matter.