AHHHH! He used the "plastic" word! :lol: Just kidding.
Glad you moved on to the real thing.
The point of fertilization is the provide the plants you have in your aquarium with the amount of fertilizer they need to be healthy and grow. As you know, this mean providing them with the right amount of light and fertilization.
Assuming you have the light correct, fertilization is the focus. The ratios that have developed that seem to work are an NPK of 10:1:10. Fe should be maintained between .1 - .3 ppm. Trace elements are typically adequate if you provide a full-spectrum trace fertilizer mix. I assume Ca and Mg are covered with adequate GH/KH.
How you choose to get to those numbers is up to you. Fluctuations from those numbers will impact the health of your plants. Therefore, you can either invest in a good set of test kits (my preferred method) or do the math in order to ensure you are providing your plants with the required amounts.
As to what to dose, it is up to you. If you are not economically minded, buy the commercial products (I like TMG and Flourish). If you prefer to roll your own, follow the PMDD instructions and look at the sticky on this page for where to buy the ingredients.
Glad you moved on to the real thing.
The point of fertilization is the provide the plants you have in your aquarium with the amount of fertilizer they need to be healthy and grow. As you know, this mean providing them with the right amount of light and fertilization.
Assuming you have the light correct, fertilization is the focus. The ratios that have developed that seem to work are an NPK of 10:1:10. Fe should be maintained between .1 - .3 ppm. Trace elements are typically adequate if you provide a full-spectrum trace fertilizer mix. I assume Ca and Mg are covered with adequate GH/KH.
How you choose to get to those numbers is up to you. Fluctuations from those numbers will impact the health of your plants. Therefore, you can either invest in a good set of test kits (my preferred method) or do the math in order to ensure you are providing your plants with the required amounts.
As to what to dose, it is up to you. If you are not economically minded, buy the commercial products (I like TMG and Flourish). If you prefer to roll your own, follow the PMDD instructions and look at the sticky on this page for where to buy the ingredients.
