Hi All
I have been keeping low tech planted tanks for about 3 years with varying degrees of success with the plants. I set up a small 30l cube aquarium (no CO2) about 2 months back, heavily planted with 'easy' plant species (Rotala rotundifolia, hygrophila polysperma, lobelia cardinalis to name a few) with a decent light (providing 30 lumens per litre) and an aquasoil substrate with root tabs and capped off with sand. I set up the tank to see if i could crack it with growing easy plants in a low tech scape.
I dose pre-made fertiliser (Aquadip Plant Food +) according to the bottle for heavily planted tanks which says 10ml per 100l twice a week. This works out at 3ml twice a week. I have been dosing this but the plant growth is painfully slow - its been set up a good couple of months and a i barely have to trim it and some leaves are showing deficiencies such as holes in leaves.
When I test for nitrates they are always virtually nil. This sounds like a daft question but if i up the fert dosing to say 3 or 4 times a week rather than 2 at present, would i expect to see better plant growth and also the reading of zero nitrates would this go up? I have read you are meant to maintain nitrates of about 20 ppm? If i were to just keep upping the ferts until i maintain a level of 20 ppm is that a good approach when doisng ferts like this?
Any help would be appreciated
.
Many thanks
Ade
I have been keeping low tech planted tanks for about 3 years with varying degrees of success with the plants. I set up a small 30l cube aquarium (no CO2) about 2 months back, heavily planted with 'easy' plant species (Rotala rotundifolia, hygrophila polysperma, lobelia cardinalis to name a few) with a decent light (providing 30 lumens per litre) and an aquasoil substrate with root tabs and capped off with sand. I set up the tank to see if i could crack it with growing easy plants in a low tech scape.
I dose pre-made fertiliser (Aquadip Plant Food +) according to the bottle for heavily planted tanks which says 10ml per 100l twice a week. This works out at 3ml twice a week. I have been dosing this but the plant growth is painfully slow - its been set up a good couple of months and a i barely have to trim it and some leaves are showing deficiencies such as holes in leaves.
When I test for nitrates they are always virtually nil. This sounds like a daft question but if i up the fert dosing to say 3 or 4 times a week rather than 2 at present, would i expect to see better plant growth and also the reading of zero nitrates would this go up? I have read you are meant to maintain nitrates of about 20 ppm? If i were to just keep upping the ferts until i maintain a level of 20 ppm is that a good approach when doisng ferts like this?
Any help would be appreciated
.Many thanks
Ade
