When considering this question, one also must consider the amount required. Not only from the cost perspective, but adding "stuff" to a fish tank should preferably be minimal to achieve the goal.
One-half a teaspoon, or 2.5 ml, of Flourish Comprehensive treats 30g. It can be used once or twice a week (this is determined by the response of the plants in relation to the light, fish load, water parameters).
According to Tom Barr, the botanist who formulated the EI (Estimated Index) system of fertilizing high-tech tanks, Tropica worked well when he used 5ml for a 20g tank three times each week. That's roughly six times as much as Flourish. Now, I don't know how "planted" Tom's tank was, but he considered my tanks (from photos) were lush and thriving, and I have been using Flourish twice a week for almost two years.
The other issue that enters into any such comparison is the type of planted tank; low-tech requires less, high-tech considerably more in the way of additional nutrients.
Actually, Flourish does have nitrogen and phosphate. Check the ingredients here: Seachem. Flourish
I have so far not come across any other product that has all necessary nutrients; the only two missing are oxygen (obvious why that isn't included) and nickel. I know of no preparation containing nickel, so either it is sufficient from somewhere (?) or it is not crucial.
Ok so I will try and get the Seachem Flourish. Also in heavily planted and fully stocked fish I should fertilize twice a week or more? Also how much ml should i dose for 450 litre tank?
Ok so I will try and get the Seachem Flourish. Also in heavily planted and fully stocked fish I should fertilize twice a week or more? Also how much ml should i dose for 450 litre tank?
On the amount of each dose, follow the label; if you're thinking Flourish, 2.5 ml (= 1/2 a teaspoon) does 30g. Don't overdose as some micro nutrients (iron, copper, manganese...) are heavy metals, though it would take a fiar bit to "overdose."
Once or twice a week depens upon the plants, fish, parameters, light and using CO2. This is all relative within each aquarium. I've no personal experience with CO2 being added so I wouldn't hesitate a guess on frequency.
Observe their appearance. If leaves start yellowing or browning, normally it means lack of sufficient nutrients. This is how I got to my twice a week Flourish; 3 times over the course of a year I reduced it to once a week, and each time within 1-2 weeks the larger leaves on the swords started yellowing. I increased Flourish to twice a week, and within 1-2 weeks yellowing stopped. Once leaves start to yellow they never recover, so don't expect partly-yellow leaves to turn green again.
Algae is another guide; if it begins to increase beyond "normal" [and before you ask, "normal" is relative to each aquarium] light needs to be reduced, not nutrients. Light should be the limiting factor in plant growth, otherwise algae will always take advantage.
So if algae start i reduce time of lights and then should I ever increase timing. I am going to start with 10 hours light per day. 216W T5 for 450 litres.
So if algae start i reduce time of lights and then should I ever increase timing. I am going to start with 10 hours light per day. 216W T5 for 450 litres.
Normally 12 hours is recommended with CO2. But if nutrients are not sufficient to balance the light, this could be too much light. Again, this is not easy to predict, because so many factors play into the equation.
Remember that algae will always be present; only when it obviously shows signs of becoming excessive should light then be reduced, and duration usually first. An hour can make a lot of difference. I went from 12 to 11 hours last year and algae slowed considerably. I still have algae of varing types, but it is not smothering the plant leaves.
All algae (except the brown diatoms) is "normal." Different tanks attract different algae. I have 2 tanks that have brush algae, yet it never shows up in the other tanks. Or a tank that gets hair algae, but none of the others. Rhonda Wilson has frequently written in TFH of the same in her tanks.
"Normal" is to see algae, on wood and rocks (I never bother to remove this); brush algae loves filter tubes, some think probably because of the current. On plants, you have to be careful as it can smother the plant's ability to respirate.
I am going to try and circulate more the aquarium water maybe this is will attract less algae. If i get algae on the leaves then i have no option but to remove the leaves right?
As algae eater i am going to get bristlenose and amano shrimps. Do not fancy SAE because they also eat moss :evil:
It depends on the tank size and your algae growth when you can add otos, the larger the tank and the more surfaces for it to grow on, the sooner you can add a few otos. I'd say by 3 months it would be pretty safe to add some otos in a decent sized tank because even when you cant see algae they seem to find microscopic food all over to sustain them if there are enough surfaces to graze on. You can also try to get them on an algae wafer diet if you don't think there is enough surface area to graze on but this will take a while for them to learn it is food you are dropping for them.
At first I will go for bristlenose since i have some in my other aquarium and would like to move them. Also i like them and their bushy nose hehe. My wife does not like them haha.
I think that otos and bristlenose eats very much the same things
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