Should I be dosing my low tech?

[Manisha]

Hi, how's it going?
I run a low tech big & small tank & think 6 hours should be fine to begin with so I don't think increasing from 4 - 6 hours after a couple of weeks should be a problem!
Did you figure out whether your light was high/low? I noticed you are growing limnophila sessiflora & there have been discussion here about it's growth & appearance under high/low light. It seems to go against the grain and seems under low light grow more compact & under high light grows more long & leggy. The appearance of the new growth might help identify what lighting level you have?

 

[Hooky]

Hi Manisha

Well had abit of a nightmare to be honest with the current scape. Although I had extensively cleaned the Dragon stone I was constantly having dust from the rockets covering the plants so have decided to ditch it and will pick up some bogwood next time at my local LFS.

I have put lights to 6 hours and things are looking good new growth on all the plants apart from giant hairgrass that has totally melted so had to be removed. The sessiflora is growing more bushy with the new growth. I will maybe give it another week and maybe give it a trim.

I am still not dosing frets but reasonably happy with new growth admittedly slow, will growth speed up in low tech if I start to dose IE frets on a regular basis?

 

[Manisha]

Sorry about you bad experience with dragon stone. I've not used it but have found a similar effect when using aquasoil - dust everywhere for ages! I know you've now removed but for future reference - I found agitating anywhere covered in it with my hand, so that it's in 'suspension' (probably the wrong word!) and remove during water change - it does eventually subside in time!
Bushy sessiflora might suggest low light, so if you decide to start I'd like Roy & Marcel suggested try a lower dose. Clive's EI thread is based on high light levels of 5/6 watt per gallon & co2 injection as a comparison.
I dose TNC complete (liquid fertiliser) three times per week. It should be 24mls each time & I tried 10mls instead & it seems ok.
If you don't dose at all, you may find you get less than optimum growth & have to troubleshoot what is lacking. I think @dw1305 discussed "Liebig's law of the minimum" & explains that the plant can have plenty of most nutrients but it's growth will be limited by whichever nutrient that is low. So dosing in excess means you only have to worry about balancing your light & co2.

 

[Hooky]

Would you recommend TNC complete for low tech? I dont mind dosing ferts but would rather stay clear of adding CO2 at the moment. Do you think using something like TNC complete alone will benefit the plant?

Also I am using dennerle scaper's soil should this not give off enough nutrients alone in a low tech set up?

 

[Manisha]

I like using TNC Complete for my low tech without co2 but you can use other brands or mix your own dry salts if you'd prefer? Though when I started my planted tanks I used aquasoil & was unsure how to introduce a fertilising regime in my low tech. I tried adding Tropica premium (trace nutrients) after a few weeks but started adding TNC Complete when another member recommended it for a different tank.
My most recent low tech nano tank I used aquasoil & added TNC Complete from the start & have had consistent growth without any problems so far.
I think enriched soils are a great start to a planted tank low or high tech but I think the nutrient supply it provides will exhaust overtime. I guess this will happen more slowly in a low tech but will vary depending on the plant mass & type you keep. I just prefer to cover myself from the start with adding fertilisers!

 

[Hooky]

I might give the Tropica premium a go, can pick some up tonight on my way home. Also going to add some ludwigia palustris and fissidens fontanus if they have some at LFS

 

[HannahFergusonFan]

Adding a bit of Liquid CO2 will do good job for you, having good light but not providing enough CO2 will be like giving half food to a man. Liquid CO2 won't cost much. I have dwarf hair grass it scares me every time I plant it, it turns the whole bunch will turn brown as if it is going to die soo after 1-2 days I can see the new growth.

 

[linkinruss]

Reason being is that your strong lighting is telling your plants to grow, it tries to pull nutrients from the bottom but roots aren't developed so it ends up eating itself, which may explain why plants melt from the bottom up or the leaves die off first.

I never thought of it like this and is the likely explanation for my plants doing the same thing.
I always tend to shorten the duration of lights on when a mass of new plants have been added.