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Good Starting Point on Ferts?

NotoriousENG

Member
Joined
17 Jul 2021
Messages
144
Location
Eastern USA
Hi All,

Going into week two on the new setup and think it's time I get a fert plan figured out. I've been dosing but its been kinda willy nilly and the ludwigia new growth is looking like it's showing an iron deficiency.

My goal for dosing is to be a bit leaner than EI since I can only easily do a 40% water change at most. I can change more, but it requires manually emptying the sump with pitchers. I also was thinking a bit leaner since there aren't a ton of stems and will long term likely focus on crypts, buce, anubias, and the DHG carpet.

Tank details:
20 gallon long with 10-gallon sump - still cycling in the high nitrite phase
Substrated: Boiled and baked worm castings, and red clay mixed 50/50 with blasting sand, additional blasting sand cap over top. A light sprinkle of osmocote plus, KCL, and dolomite on the glass
CO2: injected via cerges to 1 ish drop - I think... I need to get a pH pen! (a bit more then 1 bubble per second)
Light: 36" Finnex Ray2 DS on 8 hours a day, about 5.5" from the water surface (no idea where this falls since I can't find a par chart anymore)

Proposed dosing plan:
View attachment 1032437
I am also planning to dose 1 cap of flourish trace a day since I have a bottle but did not include it in the above since its so dilute.

My tap water is bit on the alkaline side (pH around 7.6) so I am wondering if I should order some Fe-DTPA and possibly a trace mix with DTPA like GLA's micro mix. If I do order more ferts should I also consider getting some magnesium sulphate and/or Fe-gluconate (since I already dose daily)?
 
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That is a spectacular substrate mix!
One bubble per second does not sound like much for 30 gallons, it might well be enough but I would be double checking that one point drop!
Why not just use the tried and tested EI fertiliser method ?
 
One bubble per second does not sound like much for 30 gallons, it might well be enough but I would be double checking that one point drop!

Agree, 1 BPS for a 1.0pH drop DC light green 30 Gallons doesn't seem possible.

My tap water is bit on the alkaline side (pH around 7.6)

Best ay to get your stating pH is tank a clean glass of tank water and leave it 24hrs to fully degas.
so I am wondering if I should order some Fe-DTPA and possibly a trace mix with DTPA like GLA's micro mix.

Its dependant on your tanks (glass of waters pH ), once you have that info then allow for your pH drop you may be fine, just dose trace at lights on, Fe DTPA is light sensitive but plants have their fill within a couple of hours.

Clive (aka @ceg4048 ) has posted that much of the using Fe DTPA is unnecessary, as the plants are masters at getting what they need so even if the plant doesn't get what it needs from the water column and the Fe EDTA does precipitate out to the bottom of tank, the plants roots have other mechanisms for fulling their needs. I am sure he will correct me if I miss quote him ;)
 
Hi Everyone, thanks for the responses!

Realized the picture of my proposed dosing plan didn't seem to post. Here it is:
1628683088738.png


The CO2 is giving a 1 pH drop as best as I can tell from the liquid test kits. Just to be safe I bumped it up a bit and will get a pH probe or drop checker on order this week.

The substrate is indeed a strange mix... It was originally supposed to be mineralized topsoil and blasting sand. Unfortunately, on the last wet-dry cycle of the dirt, the landscapers were spraying pesticide and due to the proximity of the dirt to a bush, I suspected it got hit with some overspray. Not wanting to wait a few weeks for the next batch of dirt I decided to follow a method from Barr Report using boiled worm castings and sand. The other additives are mainly because I already had them from my previous dirt tank. So far no issues. Hopefully non develop down the road.

As for full EI, nothing against it I was just thinking that since I can only do 40% water changes easily that the accumulation would of nutrients get very high. Especially with the nitrogen in my tap water and slower growing plants. If I'm honest, there's a bit of my own desire/need to tweak everything driving as well
 
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Snapped a few pics of the yellowing new growth I mentioned
Plant 1.jpg

Plant 2.jpg

Plant 3.jpg


I also checked my water report again and it's a bit strange since the county buys its water from a water wholesaler. If I checked the correct report from the wholesaler my tap water has 28 mg/L of Ca, 7 mg/L of Mg, and 2.1 mg/L of K.
 
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