This is another one of my experimentation threads which BB and I discussed.
This thread is only intended for planted tanks obviously.
The literature indicates that when "fighting algae" discontinue the induction of fertilizers into the tank.
I have found this theorem to be incorrect.
When I was "fighting" very serious algae:
algae on the walls;
thread algae on the plants, wood and rocks and
an algae bloom;
I induced significant Flourish (several other changes were made which affected the ecosystem also).
I believe that the induction of Flourish caused the plants to increase their consumption of nutrients which would have otherwise been available to the algae.
Flourish (period full stop), or flourish Excel. I've bee using Excel semi successfully on BBA. I've been using Kent's line of ferts otherwise (Not wedded to them, mind, just started there and haven't finished the bottles yet.)
Flourish (period full stop), or flourish Excel. I've bee using Excel semi successfully on BBA. I've been using Kent's line of ferts otherwise (Not wedded to them, mind, just started there and haven't finished the bottles yet.)
Flourish is their general fert. Supposedly pretty good. I'm going to go with dry ferts when I run out, since it's allegedly 44x less expensive. EI here I come. :S
I agree that getting your ferts babalnced and not stoppiong your dosing is the best way to get rid of or control algae. Even if you stop dosing, NO3 and PO4 are being produced in the tanks but you are not adding K, iron nor toher needed elements which leads to an imbalance and imblanaces CAUSE algae.
There is a falacy, IMHO, that is still out there that too much ferts cause algae. The number of people that have switched to EI, PPA and other methods that basically overdose everything and have pristine tanks with no algae.
The thing to remember is balance:
NO3O4 10:1 or there abouts 20ppm:2ppm
CA:MG 4:1 40ppm:10ppm
Iron below 0.4ppm but above what the plants need to prevent deficiencies
I agree that getting your ferts babalnced and not stoppiong your dosing is the best way to get rid of or control algae.
There is a falacy, IMHO, that is still out there that too much ferts cause algae.
EI is the Estmiative index, basically dosing enough to make sure there is always and abundance of nutrients and never a lack of them.
PPA is Actually PPS, sorry, it is basically a way that has been developed that you test, test, test and retest your tank in order to determine exactly how much you need to dose for your plants. I dose EI because I don't like to test but once a week and if there is a problem.
Other methods are to get nutrient rich substrate and only dose the substrate so nutrients can leech out into the water column. Some say that this eliminates the need for dosing at all except to add a root tab, which in most cases are home made for cost. Another methods is to test once a week, before the water change and after the water change, 50% change is needed or as close as posible because this uses averages to establish plant uptake and dosing needs.
I use EI, simple, effective, easy and my plants thrive. I also dose Excel now because I don't like the instability of DIY CO2 and it caused really bad BBA algae in my tanks.
im learning myself so excuse my naiveness. i think seachem does a bad job naming their products! isnt 'Flourish' a fert? 'Flourish Excel' is an alternative to C02 and not a fert, right? why would they have 2 completely different products, used for 2 different reasons, that have almost the same name?? is flourish a micro or macro? what chemicals are in 'Flourish'?
Seachem site . this should answer most of your questions, I hope. And yes it is very confusing, this is why I only use Flourish Excel and the rest is dry ferts, well that and the cost. :wink:
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