how often to use plant fertilizer and id plant please

[supaflyz]

Hey guys one more question. I was looking around on ebay and saw some sweet sale on tek lights. My wpg right now is 1.2 which is way to low for a planted tank. I'm thinking of buying another 4x54 set.

[wesleydnunder]

So you use dry mix Wesley. Also 25ppm (25 bubbles per minute right). I think I have to boost my co2 or put in a good co2 diffuser for it to spread throughout the tank.

No, 25 ppm does not mean 25 bpm. PPM or part per million is the amount of co2 going into solution in the tank's water. BPM or bubbles per minute is the amount of co2 gas you're releasing into the aquarium. Your method of diffusion, tank size, temp and other factors determine how much co2 goes into solution for a given bpm. You test for ph to determine how much co2 is going into solution, as co2 injection lowers ph. If your tapwater ph is 7.6 then your ph drop from injecting co2 will be around 6.6 to achieve 25 to 30 ppm of co2 sat.

Mark

[myjohnson]

This is the chart I followed and it was very helpful to me.

General Dosing Guideline for High Light and Well Planted Aquariums
(wolfenxxx)

10- 20 Gallon Aquariums
+/- 1/8 tsp KN03 (N) 3x a week
+/- 1/32 tsp KH2P04 (P) 3x a week
+/- 1/32 tsp (2ml) Trace Elements 3x a week
50% weekly water change


20-40 Gallon Aquariums
+/- ¼ tsp KN03 3x a week
+/- 1/16 tsp KH2P04 3x a week
+/- 1/16 tsp (5ml) Trace Elements 3x a week
50% weekly water change


40-60 Gallon Aquariums
+/- 1/2 tsp KN03 3x a week
+/- 1/8 tsp KH2P04 3x a week
+/- 1/8 (10ml) Trace Elements 3x a week
50% weekly water change


60 – 80 Gallon Aquariums
+/- 3/4 tsp KN03 3x a week
+/- ¼ tsp KH2P04 3x a week
+/- ¼ tsp (20ml) Trace Elements 3x a week
50% weekly water change


100 - 125 Gallon Aquarium
+/- 1 1/2 tsp KN03 3x a week
+/- ½ tsp KH2P04 3x a week
+/- ½ tsp (30ml) Trace Elements 3x a week
50% weekly water change


I got the info here: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...ing-guide.html

[supaflyz]

Yeah I think I'm going to try them fertilizer tabs.

[myjohnson]

Diffusers sometime sucks b/c algae gets all over the plate.

Maybe consider an inline reactor set-up with your ehiem canister.

Seems like you got lighting and C02 down.

I would reconsider what you have been doing with ferts.

[Mzungu]

For how much CO2, I mean pretty much any way you're using to determine the amount of CO2 in your aquarium. Could be bubbles per minute, bubbles per second, you could be using CO2 indicator solution, or just gauging how much by eyeing your diffuser. What kind of diffuser are you using now?

What kind of Seachem ferts are you using? Is it just plain Seachem Flourish, or are you using the entire line of Seachem fertilizer products?

As for the rotala, it's doing what it needs to be doing. It's a stem plant, so unless you trim the tops off and leave the bottoms to branch out, it should just grow upright like you say it is. :)

[supaflyz]

So you use dry mix Wesley. Also 25ppm (25 bubbles per minute right). I think I have to boost my co2 or put in a good co2 diffuser for it to spread throughout the tank.

[supaflyz]

Hello Mz thank you for your advice. My co2 is pressurized. I'm fertilizing with seachem bottle. Like what you mean with how much co2 I'm injecting? Like how many bubbles per minute? That rotala grows well, but it doesn't branch out like others. It just grows upright.

[wesleydnunder]

When I had my hi tech tank going, I dosed 3 times a week and used PMDD dry mix from AquariumFertilizer.com. The light you have seems sufficient. What color temp(s) are the lamps? Most hi tech growers advocate co2 in the 25 to 30 ppm range. Dropping your ph down a full log from baseline with co2 will put you in the ball park. Just watch your fish for breathing stress when you increase co2. If they go to the top and seem to be gasping, decrease the co2 a little.

That's a very nice bunch of bolbitis there.

Mark

[Mzungu]

I cut and separated the roots and tied it with river rock. Should I tied it to lava rock or another rock instead. I try tying it to the driftwood but it doesn't look as nice.

If it attaches to the river rocks, you're good. Actually, it's fine if it doesn't attach, too. As long as the rhizome is out in the open, it will grow. :)

I also wanted to ask some questions regarding fertilizing the plants. I fertilize my plants like once a week is that enough? I also have 4x54 tek lights and run co2. However, the plants are not growing well. Well some of the plants grow really good, but my java moss looks brown.

Should I boost the co2 and fertilize more often?

What are you fertilizing with? What is your CO2 setup - pressurized? Do you have any way of knowing how much CO2 you're injecting? A lot of the plants you have in this tank tend to be slow growers, so you might not see the crazy growth you're expecting with ferts and CO2. I would use the rotala (or whatever that pink plant is you have) as the indicator. If it grows like mad, then you're on the right track. If it's slow growing, and you're not seeing any new growth almost every day, then you might want to step up the CO2 and ferts.

Hope that helps!

[Mzungu]

Bolbitis heudelotii.

I got money on it now.

Slow grower. Can be grown in lower light tanks.

Nice plant.

+1! That's a good amount of it you've got, too! It's a wonderful plant.

[supaflyz]

Thanks Thai!

[myjohnson]

Bolbitis heudelotii.

I got money on it now.

Slow grower. Can be grown in lower light tanks.

Nice plant.

[supaflyz]

Here's a few more pictures. I don't know why its so dark now. It was lighter than that when it was in the other person tank.

[myjohnson]

I use seachem bottle. I do got metal halides that I could run.

4x54 tek light is up there for planted tanks.

How deep is your tank?

I would dose Greg Watson 3 parts and just do a big water change once a week to keep it balanced out.