Need ferts help - Fertilizing

iris600 · 03-26-2006, 03:19 PM

Co2= 42ppm (according to redsea test kits)
iron= 0-.05ppm
ph 6.8- 7.0
17 degrees gh
10 degrees kh
no2= 0.00ppm
soluable inorganic phosphate approx .05-.08
Nh3/Nh4= 0ppm

20 gallon high tank, low stocking level (two german blues and a couple cherry barbs).
Light is 65 watt 6500K light.
Plants are a jumple of low and high light plants. Includes the likes of glosso, mexican oak leaf, hemigraphis triain, ludwigia, stargrass, and other misc stems.

I know my ferts are off, and I need help with that. I need to order some DIY ferts, because I'm a grad student on a limited income and flourish can get expensive (esp when you have to buy trace, iron, and regular). I use the regular flourish still but when I ran out of flourish iron and trace a few weeks back I didn't reorder and (foolishly, due to time restraints) didn't have time to figure out a good DIY program for my 20 and order the chems I need. Now I am having some misc algae problems (brown algae on the glass, hair algae on my java, algae on the lower/older leaves of my stem plants, etc).

Can someone please give me some hints on how to get started on an easy to maintain ferts program? How to control the algae?

My plants are growing well still, but the algae is quickly becoming a problem, and I know I'll start to have problems with my plants if I don't figure out a good dosing schedule right away. I've been browsing Greg Watson's site, and I read an article on EI by Tom Barr, but with the hard water and other issues, I'm just not sure how it translates to my situation.

If anyone could give me a hand I'd be most grateful, I'll get it eventually, but being a neophyte to home mixed ferts I'm terrified I'll order the wrong stuff, or that I'll dose incorrectly and kill my critters.

Eventually I'd like to get my ten gallons on DIY ferts as well, but they aren't as high light and are doing ok for now.
All are Co2 injected.
20gal has aquameidc reactor and co2 tank...

MatPat · 03-26-2006, 07:37 PM

Follow the advice in Tom's EI article. He even gives advice on how to dose a 20g tank in the article. I don't think your Gh or KH will prove problematic with the plants you are keeping. EI works pretty well for most folks who have tried it.

If you decide to follow EI, get a pound of Potassium Nitrate (KNO3) and Mono Potassium Phosphate (KH2PO4) and Plantex CSM+B or Plantex CSM+B with extra Iron. You could use Seachem's Flourish or Tropica Master grow versus the Plantex for your micros. With your tanks, the $20 or so on dry ferts from Greg should last you more than a year. Cut the 20g dosage in half for the 10g if they are similarly planted.

iris600 · 03-26-2006, 09:24 PM

In the ten I have a few stems in my planted ten, but it's mostly crypts, driftwood with weeping moss and A. nana petite (all of which are doing well). I do have one Downoi that I got in a trade, and it's not dying, but it hasn't done particularly well either. The ten is also on Co2 dosing, pressurized system. My two others tens are a moss only CRS tank, and a moss only breeder tank, so I'm not too concerned about ferts on those.

I have a bunch of stems that should be showing more reddish coloration than they are, I am almost certain the recent lack of color (they are now more green than red) is due to an iron deficeincy. If you have quite a few red colored plants is it best to go with a higher iron fert?

**turbomkt** · 03-26-2006, 09:35 PM

Something else to consider until you get your fertilizers is to drop your lighting period. How long are your lights on right now?

Maybe consider cutting it to 6-8 hours per day. If you do, maybe cut back on CO2 or at least watch the fish.

Icu P Kin · 03-27-2006, 08:56 AM

I agree with MatPat on Tom's EI method. If you need some dry ferts to get you buy, I have KNO3, KH2PO4, and CSM+B with extra iron. Let me know.

iris600 · 03-27-2006, 08:33 PM

Question, where did you get the CSM=B with extra iron?
I wanted to purchase from Gred Watson, but I only see the regular CSM+b and I really would like the extra iron (I know from former dosing that my 20 loves the iron and the stems get quite brillant)

Icu P Kin · 03-28-2006, 03:04 AM

I purchased the csm+b with extra iron fom Greg Watson a short while back. It is mt understanding that this item is unavailable currently. He does offer iron chelate that you could use to supplement the csm. This would be cheaper than using the flourish iron, but would be another step. But it would also allow greater control of the dosing of iron which your could ''dial'' into your specific plant needs. Just my two cents

billykid7171 · 04-06-2006, 11:16 AM

Quote from Tom Barr....
Why does a red plant need more iron than a green plant?
This is a huge myth(red plants need more Fe than green ones). Always has been. There is absolutely no iron in red pigment in plants, your blood has iron, but anthrocyanins possess none, that's the red color pigment in our plants. That pathway that makes those also makes plenty of other things and has a few Fe enzymes in place, but not much, most is used in PS and in electron transport chains.
This discussion occurred -->>http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...ants+iron+barr