What is the Growth Rate difference in: Lean Dosing vs Full Estimative Index?

[hn5624]

I'm kind of curious here, in my lean dosing buce tanks I don't think I see much growth on a week to week basis. I can only see growth if I view it from month to month.

I don't like doing water changes, but if keeping my nitrates at 30ppm will speed up growth rates a ton without too much algae I might make the switch.
Anyone have experiences they can share regarding the growth rates on slow growers such as anubias and buces?

 

[Bradders]

I'm kind of curious here, in my lean dosing buce tanks I don't think I see much growth on a week to week basis. I can only see growth if I view it from month to month.

What kind of growth were you expecting for the plants?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I'm kind of curious here, in my lean dosing buce tanks I don't think I see much growth on a week to week basis. I can only see growth if I view it from month to month.

You won't get fast growth whatever you do, they just don't have the capacity for fast growth.

I don't like doing water changes,

I'd really recommend some water changes, ideally probably little and often.

but if keeping my nitrates at 30ppm will speed up growth rates a ton without too much algae I might make the switch.

I'm pretty sure that isn't a recipe that is going to work. <"Most aroids are like orchids and bromeliads">, plants adapted to "petrol fumes".

You could add more nutrients if they were grown emersed, they would have access to aerial CO2 and you wouldn't have to worry about the leaves becoming algae ridden.

I'd guess even then that maximal growth is on fairly lean rations and that you could tip over into toxicity fairly quickly.

Cheers Darrel

 

[hn5624]

What kind of growth were you expecting for the plants?

It's at like 1 leaf every 2 weeks for most buces.
1 leaf per week would make this a lot more exciting.

 

[hn5624]

Hi all,

You won't get fast growth whatever you do, they just don't have the capacity for fast growth.

I'd really recommend some water changes, ideally probably little and often.

I'm pretty sure that isn't a recipe that is going to work. Most aroids are like orchids and bromeliads, plants adapted to "petrol fumes".

You could add more nutrients if they were grown emersed, they would have access to aerial CO2 and you wouldn't have to worry about the leaves becoming algae ridden.

I'd guess even then that maximal growth is on fairly lean rations and that you could tip over into toxicity fairly quickly.

Cheers Darrel

Yeah I figured this might have been the case.
I was thinking more so just dosing 30ppm of nitrates and a 80% water change once a month to reset. A 50% water change is the same amount of work as an 80-100% since I only have 10 gallon tanks.

Etc, maybe tank only consumes 15ppm per month since it's so slow.

YOu just dose for the water you replace. Etc, dose in a 8 gallon water change bucket to prevent build up.

Guess what I'm trying to ask is
What will plants grow faster on.
1-5 ppm of nitrates in the water column
Vs
25-30 ppm of nitrates in water column.

This is actually easier than dosing every other day etc.

Micros will just be dosed using lean dosing every few days as normal since they precipitate out too fast. But macros in water column will start high and go down constantly over a month.

 

[wearsbunnyslippers]

not buce specific, but interesting still

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I was thinking more so just dosing 30ppm of nitrates and a 80% water change once a month to reset. A 50% water change is the same amount of work as an 80-100% since I only have 10 gallon tanks.

I think that stability would be the issue at that point <"How to grow Bucephalandra">. Personally, for both water changes and fertiliser, I would definitely go <"little and often"> and I think that will work much better. Have a look at - <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?">

not buce specific, but interesting still

Good video, the only thing that was a little strange was the <"price comparison"> at the end, where he could have just dosed the EI mix at a lower rate and <"saved money that way">.

You can also see that <"Myriophyllum mattogrossense"> is a <"turned up to eleven"> - <"The scientific background to the "Leaf Colour Chart""> plant, where it can respond to <"enhanced nutrient levels with exponential growth"> in a way that <"Bolbitis heudelotii">, Anubias barteri or Bucephalandra spp. can't <"Lean dosing pros and cons">

cheers Darrel

 

[bazz]

My illogical reasoning tells me, you may get unnoticeably faster growth until the next limiting factor/nutrient is encountered. Are you using CO2 and how long have they been established?
You are never going to get superfast growth from Buce and in my experience, the bigger faster growing one's, up nearer the light usually become upright and leggy rather forming a compact bush, but that is in the conditions I provide and what I want.
As long as they are healthy and growing, just sit back and relax, or get yourself a bunch of Nomaphila Stricta 😉.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

My illogical reasoning tells me, you may get unnoticeably faster growth until the next limiting factor/nutrient is encountered.

Not illogical at all -<"Liebig's law of the minimum - Wikipedia">.

Are you using CO2

That is going to make the most difference <"Experiment: Finding optimal conditions for growing aquarium plants 2">.

how long have they been established?

Another <"important factor">.

You are never going to get superfast growth from Buce

You aren't.

As long as they are healthy and growing, just sit back and relax, or get yourself a bunch of Nomaphila Stricta

and that is the truth.

cheers Darrel

 

[yme]

In my experience, Bucephalandra like nutrients quite a bit (micro+macro). Too much micro's can however result in curling leaves (at least, in my tank).

Here is the regime for my low-light tank which I keep at 20 ppm CO2:
Traces: EI-style
NO3: Although I keep NO3 on purpose barely detectable, I need to add around 3 ppm of NO3 on a daily basis. (the tank contains mostly epifytes)
PO4: I keep PO4 levels around 2 ppm.

best,

Yme

 

[Zeus.]

EI dosing is dosing in abundance, meaning even with high light and CO2 there will still have nutrients in abundance at the end of the week then a WC is needed to reset the tank

Lean dosing with low light and/or CO2 may not use all the nutrients in a week, so at the end of the week if nutrients are still available/abundant then there may be no difference in this case if you EI dose.

So it a case of make adjustments and wait 4 to 6 weeks and see what changes compared to the pervious 4-6 weeks.

Many folk start on EI then slowly reduce there dosing levels to suit. The beauty of lean dosing is WC are not needed as much, with EI dosing a weekly WC is critical IMO
Darrel's Duckweed index is a great way to run nutrient levels IMO and just keep an eye on the TDS levels

 

[Miniandy]

I think the thing you'll notice more is colouration. My brownie ghost 2011 was scarlet red, small and compact in my shrimp tubs. It got occasional lean dosing (tnc lean) and had medium light with surface cover.

I've now got it in my high energy tank and it's thrown out more greeny leaves since. Its also on lean ferts, but higher light and CO2 at circa 30ppm. I will swap to full EI to bush out the stems once the tank is a bit more stable (its only 2 months old today).