Test Kit for Liquid Fertilizer

Jasey

I am considering buying the pfertz fertilizers because of the discount it is offering this month. However I am very new to planted tanks. My 55g has 5 plants: 2 anachris, 1 Java Fern, 1 red Ludwigia, and 1 frilly plant. I have Flourish root tabs installed, and my substrate is mounds of pea gravel around the base of the plants, with play sand poured lightly on top and play sand in all other areas of the tank. Lighting are 2 18W fluorescent. The tank just finished cycling within the past couple of days (ammonia=0, nitrite=0, nitrate=7).

Will using the liquid fertilizers mess up the cycling of my new tank? Do I need to use a test kit to monitor the levels of phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen, and if so where can I get the test kit?

fish_4_all

Standard test kit for phosphates, and nitrates. As for everything else, no need to bother. And to be honest, at the levels you dose with Pfertz I don't think that the fertilizers could ever be the cause of high levels of anything if you do at least a 25% water weekly changes and dose as directed.

Jasey

Thanks for the reply fish_4_all, I will look for a test kit that tests for phosphates. My frilly plant has grown a lot, but the anachris plants aren't doing very well. Several stems have faded, browning leaves and I've had to take a few out. The Java Fern seems to have stayed the same since I bought it, and the Ludwigia has grown a little bit. But I think the liquid fertilizer would be a lot more beneficial to the plants.

herefishy

Liquid ferts a most beneficial to leaf feeding plants. They also help with "nutrient hog" root feeders. Also, read this: http://www.fishforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=14439

Jasey

Thanks, I read your post and it really swayed me towards the liquid fertilizers. I'm afraid it might be too late for my anachris plants, though. Is there another easy to grow, low maintenance plant that could take its place?

fish_4_all

If you have any Anacharis that is still green it should survive fine. Trim off all the brown/yellow stuff and it should recover. Once you get the ferts and maybe even without once it acclimates if new it will become a weed and you won't know what to do with it.

Jasey

If I were to trim off all the brown/faded leaves, it would basically just be a stem at the bottom. Is that okay, will the leaves grow back in these places? The stem looks pretty faded as well. I tried to get some photos on my camera phone. Most of the individual stems have these browning leaves on the bottom half.

On another note, I ordered the pfertz and it is currently being shipped.

fish_4_all

Hmmm, I can't tell for certain but I think oyu might have the cold water version of Anacharis/Elodea. If you do it may not thrive in warm water and may eventually die off completely.

http://www.plantgeek.net/plantguide_...?search=egeria

I wish I could remember which is warm and which is cold water but I don't. Hopefully someone will.

herefishy

Try floating the plant rather than anchoring it in the substrate.

Jasey

Well after looking at that site about cold water vs. warm water anachris, I think I may have had the cold water version. At any rate, all of the stems became uprooted and so I took them out of the tank. Now I think I might move my Java Fern to the place where the anachris used to be, and put another frilly plant in the back right corner. The frilly plant I have now is growing exceptionally. It has grown about 6 inches in a matter of weeks.

If I were to float anachris, how would I keep it at the top and not be blown about by the filter outflow? Are there clips to clip it onto the side?