Good Plant Supplements

Chaos553 · 07-14-2008, 04:12 PM

So I don't want my tank to end up the way it did before, aka all my plants dying and turning gross. I kind of don't want to use a CO2 cycle as well only because I really don't have the room for it. What's the best type of fertilizer/supplement/plant food would you guys recommend? I'm looking for something that's convenient in terms of a small amount of pollution but great results. Thanks in advance!

Blue Cray · 07-14-2008, 04:38 PM

Well do you have good lighting? You could use flourish excel to help the plants grow.

Chaos553 · 07-14-2008, 05:13 PM

I have a 120 volt, 20 watt, 60 hz fluorescent bulb in there at the moment. Is that too low of light to be growing amazons, anubias, crypts, and java ferns?

Blue Cray · 07-14-2008, 05:24 PM

You should get atleast a 40 watt light fixture for that size of tank. 1 watt per gallon rule works best.

Chaos553 · 07-14-2008, 05:44 PM

Alright, next time i drop in I'll pick one up. Other than the light fixture, what should I do about supplements? However I will look into Flourish Excel when I go to get the bulb. How much does that usually go for?

Blue Cray · 07-14-2008, 07:47 PM

If you have good lighting suppliments arent usually neccessary. As for the price I have no clue my lights were about $85 (for a 24'' T-5 double linear stip lighting)

Chaos553 · 07-14-2008, 07:49 PM

I'll probably get some sort of a discount anyway when I go in tomorrow, so it really shouldn't be TOO expensive....let's hope not =/

Chaos553 · 07-17-2008, 05:10 PM

bump

ive already gotten some decent info from blue cray, but hopefully someone like JustOneMore20 could possibly help me out since shes amazing with planted tanks ;D

**JustOneMore20** · 07-17-2008, 07:23 PM

What tank are we talking about?

If you have 20 watts over the 38g, then thats your issue. Fertilizers won't help the plants survive. If its the 20g, then fertilizers could possibly help, but the lighting is still low and could be the issue if you aren't choosing low light plants.

20 watts over the 20g is fine for Anubias, Crypts, and Java fern, but Swords need more light. 20 watts over the 38g and you'll be lucky to grow Java fern.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue Cray

If you have good lighting suppliments arent usually neccessary.

Not true. All plants need nutrients. The more lighting you have, the more you need to supplement nutrients because they use them up faster.

Chaos553 · 07-18-2008, 09:12 AM

Yeah it's the 38g, the 20g is just a tank full of guppies so I'm not really worried about the lighting situation. I think I'll pick up either a 40 watt or 60 watt at my buddy's pet store since I can get a discount and it really isn't too expensive, maybe 22 bucks at the most. But other than that, what do you recommend as a fertilizer, and how can a properly plant it?

**JustOneMore20** · 07-18-2008, 03:42 PM

I suggest the 60w if you want to have more than just Java fern. 40w is low for that size tank.

Then, you could pick up some regular Flourish to use 1 or 2 times a week. You really don't need more than that with that lighting.

Chaos553 · 07-18-2008, 03:58 PM

alright cool, thanks a bunch! btw, do you have any updated pics of your tanks? i was really interested in your betta setup and one of your planted tanks a while back and i just wanted to see what it looks like now.

**JustOneMore20** · 07-18-2008, 09:38 PM

I'll get some pics posted of my 29g and 40g this weekend. I'll try to clean up the betta tank and take a pic of that as well.

It looks the same though, plus some algae.

Chaos553 · 07-19-2008, 11:15 AM

haha...that darn algae ;D

**lohachata** · 07-20-2008, 10:00 AM

remember...god never heard of fluorish...fish poop is the number one aquatic plant fertilizer in the world...
while a 40 watt light would be ok on the 38 with a fair number of plants;there are some that just wouldn't do as well as others.so the extra wattage will help for plants like swords.
but if you want to become a plant wizard;then you best get out the big bucks..about a grand for your 38...

Chaos553 · 07-20-2008, 09:17 PM

now when you say a grand, you mean $1000 in supplies needed to get the best out of my tank? that is, if i DID want to just make a whole planted 38g which would look rather awesome done correctly that is.

i plan on going down to my LFS to pick up a 60 watt bulb tomorrow or tuesday, as well as a few more cories and some rasboras possibly. ill keep you guys updated.

emc7 · 07-20-2008, 09:52 PM

Flourish excel is supposed to allow you to do plants without CO2 because it supplies carbon. It is about $12 for a 500mL bottle and you are supposed to use a capful 5 mL every day or twice a day. Seachem has a lot of plant products that everyone says works, but the costs add up quick. I can see how getting the cylinder might be cheaper in long term. Personally, I love java fern and java moss and I use flourish excel for a couple weeks whenever I can't stand the algae anymore. It really does help with some types.

trashion · 07-20-2008, 10:02 PM

Flourish excel WILL melt Anacharis and Vallisnerias, however.

Good Wolf · 07-20-2008, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trashion

Flourish excel WILL melt Anacharis and Vallisnerias, however.

That is good to know. I've been using it in my 30g that has anacharis in it. So far I don't see any damage but I haven't used very much.

trashion · 07-20-2008, 11:40 PM

Yeah, haha, I learned that the hard way.

07-14-2008, 04:12 PM	#1
Chaos553 Guilty Gear Anyone? Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 410	Good Plant Supplements So I don't want my tank to end up the way it did before, aka all my plants dying and turning gross. I kind of don't want to use a CO2 cycle as well only because I really don't have the room for it. What's the best type of fertilizer/supplement/plant food would you guys recommend? I'm looking for something that's convenient in terms of a small amount of pollution but great results. Thanks in advance! __________________ 10-Gallon Tank Empty 20-Gallon -TONS of Fancy Guppies -3 Albino Corys 38-Gallon -1 Cherry Barb (hoping to get rid of possibly for more schools) -13 Neon Tetra -2 Geophagus Jurupari -1 Red-Eye Tetra -1 Bolivian Ram -1 Green Cory -1 Peppered Cory -2 Juli Cories -(a few more cories should do it)

07-14-2008, 04:38 PM	#2
Blue Cray Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Age: 17 Posts: 487	Well do you have good lighting? You could use flourish excel to help the plants grow. __________________ 55g Planted -golden zebra danios -striped raphael catfish -angelfish -bronze cories -gold gourami -SAE -brochis catfish -Boeseman's Rainbowfish -Flying Foxes -BGK -kribensis 22g Planted -zebra loach -glo lite tetras 5g Semi Planted -endlers

07-14-2008, 05:13 PM	#3
Chaos553 Guilty Gear Anyone? Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 410	I have a 120 volt, 20 watt, 60 hz fluorescent bulb in there at the moment. Is that too low of light to be growing amazons, anubias, crypts, and java ferns? __________________ 10-Gallon Tank Empty 20-Gallon -TONS of Fancy Guppies -3 Albino Corys 38-Gallon -1 Cherry Barb (hoping to get rid of possibly for more schools) -13 Neon Tetra -2 Geophagus Jurupari -1 Red-Eye Tetra -1 Bolivian Ram -1 Green Cory -1 Peppered Cory -2 Juli Cories -(a few more cories should do it)

07-14-2008, 05:24 PM	#4
Blue Cray Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Age: 17 Posts: 487	You should get atleast a 40 watt light fixture for that size of tank. 1 watt per gallon rule works best. __________________ 55g Planted -golden zebra danios -striped raphael catfish -angelfish -bronze cories -gold gourami -SAE -brochis catfish -Boeseman's Rainbowfish -Flying Foxes -BGK -kribensis 22g Planted -zebra loach -glo lite tetras 5g Semi Planted -endlers

07-14-2008, 05:44 PM	#5
Chaos553 Guilty Gear Anyone? Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 410	Alright, next time i drop in I'll pick one up. Other than the light fixture, what should I do about supplements? However I will look into Flourish Excel when I go to get the bulb. How much does that usually go for? __________________ 10-Gallon Tank Empty 20-Gallon -TONS of Fancy Guppies -3 Albino Corys 38-Gallon -1 Cherry Barb (hoping to get rid of possibly for more schools) -13 Neon Tetra -2 Geophagus Jurupari -1 Red-Eye Tetra -1 Bolivian Ram -1 Green Cory -1 Peppered Cory -2 Juli Cories -(a few more cories should do it)

Members currently in the Chat:0
	Users In Chat Room: There are several users in chat now! Don't Be Shy - click here and come on in!

07-14-2008, 07:47 PM	#6
Blue Cray Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Age: 17 Posts: 487	If you have good lighting suppliments arent usually neccessary. As for the price I have no clue my lights were about $85 (for a 24'' T-5 double linear stip lighting) __________________ 55g Planted -golden zebra danios -striped raphael catfish -angelfish -bronze cories -gold gourami -SAE -brochis catfish -Boeseman's Rainbowfish -Flying Foxes -BGK -kribensis 22g Planted -zebra loach -glo lite tetras 5g Semi Planted -endlers

07-14-2008, 07:49 PM	#7
Chaos553 Guilty Gear Anyone? Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 410	I'll probably get some sort of a discount anyway when I go in tomorrow, so it really shouldn't be TOO expensive....let's hope not =/ __________________ 10-Gallon Tank Empty 20-Gallon -TONS of Fancy Guppies -3 Albino Corys 38-Gallon -1 Cherry Barb (hoping to get rid of possibly for more schools) -13 Neon Tetra -2 Geophagus Jurupari -1 Red-Eye Tetra -1 Bolivian Ram -1 Green Cory -1 Peppered Cory -2 Juli Cories -(a few more cories should do it)

07-17-2008, 05:10 PM	#8
Chaos553 Guilty Gear Anyone? Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 410	bump ive already gotten some decent info from blue cray, but hopefully someone like JustOneMore20 could possibly help me out since shes amazing with planted tanks ;D __________________ 10-Gallon Tank Empty 20-Gallon -TONS of Fancy Guppies -3 Albino Corys 38-Gallon -1 Cherry Barb (hoping to get rid of possibly for more schools) -13 Neon Tetra -2 Geophagus Jurupari -1 Red-Eye Tetra -1 Bolivian Ram -1 Green Cory -1 Peppered Cory -2 Juli Cories -(a few more cories should do it)

07-18-2008, 09:12 AM	#10
Chaos553 Guilty Gear Anyone? Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 410	Yeah it's the 38g, the 20g is just a tank full of guppies so I'm not really worried about the lighting situation. I think I'll pick up either a 40 watt or 60 watt at my buddy's pet store since I can get a discount and it really isn't too expensive, maybe 22 bucks at the most. But other than that, what do you recommend as a fertilizer, and how can a properly plant it? __________________ 10-Gallon Tank Empty 20-Gallon -TONS of Fancy Guppies -3 Albino Corys 38-Gallon -1 Cherry Barb (hoping to get rid of possibly for more schools) -13 Neon Tetra -2 Geophagus Jurupari -1 Red-Eye Tetra -1 Bolivian Ram -1 Green Cory -1 Peppered Cory -2 Juli Cories -(a few more cories should do it)

07-18-2008, 03:42 PM	#11
JustOneMore20 Moderator Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Birmingham, AL Age: 22 Posts: 3,578	I suggest the 60w if you want to have more than just Java fern. 40w is low for that size tank. Then, you could pick up some regular Flourish to use 1 or 2 times a week. You really don't need more than that with that lighting. __________________ *Kristin* 5 Planted tanks: 55g, 40g, 29g, 20g, 5.5g

07-18-2008, 03:58 PM	#12
Chaos553 Guilty Gear Anyone? Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 410	alright cool, thanks a bunch! btw, do you have any updated pics of your tanks? i was really interested in your betta setup and one of your planted tanks a while back and i just wanted to see what it looks like now. __________________ 10-Gallon Tank Empty 20-Gallon -TONS of Fancy Guppies -3 Albino Corys 38-Gallon -1 Cherry Barb (hoping to get rid of possibly for more schools) -13 Neon Tetra -2 Geophagus Jurupari -1 Red-Eye Tetra -1 Bolivian Ram -1 Green Cory -1 Peppered Cory -2 Juli Cories -(a few more cories should do it)

07-18-2008, 09:38 PM	#13
JustOneMore20 Moderator Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Birmingham, AL Age: 22 Posts: 3,578	I'll get some pics posted of my 29g and 40g this weekend. I'll try to clean up the betta tank and take a pic of that as well. It looks the same though, plus some algae. __________________ *Kristin* 5 Planted tanks: 55g, 40g, 29g, 20g, 5.5g

07-19-2008, 11:15 AM	#14
Chaos553 Guilty Gear Anyone? Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 410	haha...that darn algae ;D __________________ 10-Gallon Tank Empty 20-Gallon -TONS of Fancy Guppies -3 Albino Corys 38-Gallon -1 Cherry Barb (hoping to get rid of possibly for more schools) -13 Neon Tetra -2 Geophagus Jurupari -1 Red-Eye Tetra -1 Bolivian Ram -1 Green Cory -1 Peppered Cory -2 Juli Cories -(a few more cories should do it)

07-20-2008, 10:00 AM	#15
lohachata Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Cleveland,Ohio Age: 63 Posts: 539	remember...god never heard of fluorish...fish poop is the number one aquatic plant fertilizer in the world... while a 40 watt light would be ok on the 38 with a fair number of plants;there are some that just wouldn't do as well as others.so the extra wattage will help for plants like swords. but if you want to become a plant wizard;then you best get out the big bucks..about a grand for your 38... __________________ if we ignore nature;maybe it will go away 10 gallon..nothing but air 10 gallon...just more air 10 gallon...stale air just don't ask about the rest

07-20-2008, 09:17 PM	#16
Chaos553 Guilty Gear Anyone? Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 410	now when you say a grand, you mean $1000 in supplies needed to get the best out of my tank? that is, if i DID want to just make a whole planted 38g which would look rather awesome done correctly that is. i plan on going down to my LFS to pick up a 60 watt bulb tomorrow or tuesday, as well as a few more cories and some rasboras possibly. ill keep you guys updated. __________________ 10-Gallon Tank Empty 20-Gallon -TONS of Fancy Guppies -3 Albino Corys 38-Gallon -1 Cherry Barb (hoping to get rid of possibly for more schools) -13 Neon Tetra -2 Geophagus Jurupari -1 Red-Eye Tetra -1 Bolivian Ram -1 Green Cory -1 Peppered Cory -2 Juli Cories -(a few more cories should do it)

07-20-2008, 09:52 PM	#17
emc7 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Johns Creek, GA Posts: 3,272	Flourish excel is supposed to allow you to do plants without CO2 because it supplies carbon. It is about $12 for a 500mL bottle and you are supposed to use a capful 5 mL every day or twice a day. Seachem has a lot of plant products that everyone says works, but the costs add up quick. I can see how getting the cylinder might be cheaper in long term. Personally, I love java fern and java moss and I use flourish excel for a couple weeks whenever I can't stand the algae anymore. It really does help with some types.

07-20-2008, 10:02 PM	#18
trashion girl anachronism Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 1,312	Flourish excel WILL melt Anacharis and Vallisnerias, however. __________________ current setup: 5.5 gallon low-light planted tank -nothing....thinking a mini-community. for reference: my name is Julie

07-20-2008, 11:40 PM	#20
trashion girl anachronism Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 1,312	Yeah, haha, I learned that the hard way. __________________ current setup: 5.5 gallon low-light planted tank -nothing....thinking a mini-community. for reference: my name is Julie

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Just picked up a Natural Plant System CO2 is it good??	idle0095	General Freshwater	13	07-06-2007 11:15 AM
Calcium Supplements	Fishnewb1	Reef	2	12-05-2006 01:39 PM
Supplements	cheseboy	Beginner Saltwater	6	02-14-2006 10:22 AM
Good floating plant for Dwarf Gourami?	Mr Fish	Aquatic Plants