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when do you start dosing a newly planted tank with...

jarthel

Member
Joined
12 Nov 2009
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212
enriched substrate (commercial like ADA, eco-complete and etc and DIY substrates using worm castings and etc)?

since the substrate is already enriched with some nutrients, when should I start dosing?

thank you
 
I start dosing straight away, theres no reason not to, as the ferts don't cause algae, but lack of ferts do... why wait is my logic.


Chris
 
just to add confusion:

I only dosed Brighty K for the first 4 weeks as i expected ammonia spike from the ADA amazonia, then i gradually introduced Step 1. Worked well for me, and the growth was still fantastic and no algae.

See my kitchen tank journal below, for more info.
 
You want confusion? :lol:

I'm NOT the person to take advice from, but I started my first-ever aquarium last week, with Aquasoil substrate and EI from the off. I got green water and one of the pieces of advice yesterday from Graeme at TGM was to leave off EI until growth begins in earnest, and just stick to dosing phosphate [edit: NOT phosphate - potash!] for now.

Sorry if this just muddies the water (not literally, of course...)
 
I understand the argument to say when you're using a planted substrate to give dosing the water column a while.
However, the planted substrate will release the ferts over a longer period of time, so dosing the water column will aid plant growth.
As chump54 said, excess ferts don't cause algae and limiting plant growth through insufficient nutrients can cause plant decay and then algae.

The ADA range of ferts (Step 1, 2 & 3) provide different ferts at the specific age of a scape and I've been using them for nearly a week after doing dry salt EI for a number of years.
 
Now I'm starting to wade into the deep without my water wings on - But, although excess ferts don't CAUSE algae, once you've got algae (in my case green water) excess ferts give them what they need to flourish - don't they?
 
paul.in.kendal said:
Now I'm starting to wade into the deep without my water wings on - But, although excess ferts don't CAUSE algae, once you've got algae (in my case green water) excess ferts give them what they need to flourish - don't they?

yes. algae are very good at using any ferts excess or otherwise (I know this cos Ceg said it was so :lol: ) they don't wait for the plants to say ok we're done you can have whats left. You'll need to get rid of the algae using one of the green water fixing methods. I only managed to get rid of mine using a uv filter. I would keep dosing as you don't want your plants to starve and release ammonia into the water triggering more varieties of algae.

Chris
 
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