[sollie7]

I have a 10 gal and a 6 gal

I have been putting around 1 mil of flourish and flourish iron in each tank a week

Is that enough?

Been dosing a cap of excel a day is that good?

 

[nismo tetra]

The bottles should tell you a general idea. Some say once a week, some say once to three times a week. It really depends on what your plants are looking like. If they have a deficiency somewhere you may want to up a certain fert. I noticed some of my sag getting white/transparent leaves on new growth. At the same time, i realized i was only dosing half the recommended amount of potassium. I have upped the potassium dosing and have noticed them turning back to a green color after 2 weeks.

I dose mine on Monday and on Friday(WC day). I dose excel everyday though. 10ml on wc day and 2 ml every day after.

You should only dose 5ml of excel per 10 gallons after a 40% or more water change. So if you do a 5 gallon WC then add 5ml. You should dose 1ml everyday or every other day after that. As the recommendation states 5ml per 50 gallons....1ml per 10 gallons.

hope this helps.

 

[jabbott]

I follow the Seachem Dosing Chart. I'm tempted to try dry ferts one of these days to reduce costs.

 

[nismo tetra]

nice chart wish i had microsoft excel. But from that example chart I seem to be doing it like that already. But I don't dose phosphorus/nitrogen as much as they seem to be high naturally. I to will be going to dry ferts and maybe finish of the liquids on my smaller tanks, since they would last forever lol.

 

[JoePhish]

On my 10g. I do water changes twice a week. (Can never do too many in my opinion)
I dose 1ml of Flourish and 1ml fo Flourish Iron at every water change.

Seems to be working good for me so far but I really don't know my levels of anything.

What do you guys recommend for test kits?

 

[nismo tetra]

I don't use test kits really to measure ferts etc. I heard that all Iron test kits are really crappy anyways.

If your doing 2 water changes a week, I wouldn't think you would have to worry about to much. You may even have a lower nutrient count than if you did one 50% or bigger.

I read a nice article in TFH about water changes. Your right you can never do to many, but it depends on the quantity that your changing each time. 1 50% change is better than 2-3 10-20% water changes a week. 2-3 50% changes is even better obviously. But for planted purposes I would say that at least 50% a week is plenty due to adding ferts purposes. The more often you change, the more often you add. It's really up to the individual.

 

[JoePhish]

I don't use test kits really to measure ferts etc. I heard that all Iron test kits are really crappy anyways.

If your doing 2 water changes a week, I wouldn't think you would have to worry about to much. You may even have a lower nutrient count than if you did one 50% or bigger.

I read a nice article in TFH about water changes. Your right you can never do to many, but it depends on the quantity that your changing each time. 1 50% change is better than 2-3 10-20% water changes a week. 2-3 50% changes is even better obviously. But for planted purposes I would say that at least 50% a week is plenty due to adding ferts purposes. The more often you change, the more often you add. It's really up to the individual.

I agree with all that you posted above, just wanted to add a couple of things.

I do W/C twice a week. Every Sunday and Wednsday, 50% each time.

Are you suggesting that I decrease this to 1 50% W/C a week?

 

[Left C]

nismo tetra has the dosing nailed. roud:

Seachem has dosing charts on their site now. They have them for all their plant products and more.
http://www.seachem.com/Products/Planted.html

'Microsoft Works Spreadsheet' should work with Excel.

I wrote the Seachem dosing calculator over at APC.
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/fertilizing/45119-seachem-dosing-calculator-chart.html

Here is something that may help.

10g dosing
Excel: 5 mL after w/c and 1 mL daily
Flourish: 0.8 mL 2x weekly
F. Iron: 1 mL daily
F. Phosphorus: 0.6 mL 2x weekly
F. Nitrogen: 0.6 mL
F. Potassium: 1.7 mL 2x weekly
F. Trace: 2.5 mL 2x weekly

If your tap water has a low GH, you may want to dose their Equilibrium. Some people have enough Calcium in their tap water, but they don't have enough Magnesium. You can use Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulfate Heptahydrate MgSO4∙7H2O) for Magnesium.


From: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...achem-dosing-calculator-chart.html#post336492

Using – Mixing Dry Chemicals for Seachem’s Dosing

Seachem’s products are a little expensive, but they are very good. I know some people would like to cut the cost some and use some of the dry fertilizers that are available.

The following dosing solutions will be practically the same strength as Seachem's macronutrient products according to the online calculators. You then go by Seachem's recommended dosing amounts on the calculator.

Dosing Solutions
- Add 62.2 grams or 11⅛ tsp of KNO3 to 500 mL of distilled water for F. Nitrogen Substitute
- Add 3.5 grams or ¾ tsp of KH2PO4 to 500 mL of distilled water for F. Phosphorus Substitute
- Add 51.0 grams or 8½ tsp of K2SO4 to 500 mL of distilled water for F. Potassium Substitute*

*(This amount approaches the maximum solubility of K2SO4 of 12 grams per 100 mL of distilled water. You will probably need to shake the container each time prior to dosing.)

Online Calculators Used:
http://www.fishfriend.com/fertfriend.html
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_p...osage_calc.htm
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/fertilator.php

IMO, you may omit F. Trace even though it is included in the calculator.

I do not have a substitute for Flourish, F. Excel and F. Iron at this time.


I hope this helps you. Let me know if it works well.

Left C

 

[nismo tetra]

I agree with all that you posted above, just wanted to add a couple of things.

I do W/C twice a week. Every Sunday and Wednsday, 50% each time.

Are you suggesting that I decrease this to 1 50% W/C a week?

I would say don't change, if your tank is seemingly OK with your current agenda. I was just stating, that if you change twice a week, your taking out nutrients from the first fert dose, so your going to need to add even more on the second WC day in a 1 week period. Since the "norm" of a fertilization schedule seems to usually be completed throughout 1 week with 1 50% WC and repeat again. Does that make sense? Don't know if I worded it in an understandable way lol. 50% each time is good, 50% is the minimum I would do on a WC. So I'm sure your fish are really happy and your tank is very free of pollution.

 

[JoePhish]

Fish love it. (Boat load of male guppies, 1 panda cory, 1 clown loach, 1 buble bee gobbie, 1 otto)

Tank is very clean and all is going well.
Lately, my growth rate has "stoped".
Nothing is dieing, but it's not growing either. I was having to trim about evry two weeks, now I don't have to trim at all and I'm trying to figure out why my growth has stopped.
I am starting to get some hair algae (mainly on my annubias) and have had to remove a couple of leaves off the plant to get rid of it. Now I'm starting to see some come back.

I think what I will try to do is go to 1 WC a week and up the Iron dosing to twice a week. Also, I'm going to get some excell because I don't think I'm getting very good Co2 concentrations off my DIY system.