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Re: How much do I add?

> Tom wrote:
>> I use the SeaChem Flourish line or Tropica Master Grow for traces.
>> Lots easier, not to mention more consistent when comparing notes with
>> others and my own mixing errors so I can focus more on the macro nutrients
>> which are used in greater amounts.
> 
> Speaking of comparing notes, I've been using Flourish for about a
> year now, at 2 drops per 100 liters of water, every day.  Is this
> more/less than average?  How much do you add Tom?

A lot more than that. 1ml is about 20 drops. I add at least 20mls weekly to
that volume. You may only need 10 to 15mls though. Start with 10 and work
your way up to 15 later. Daily doesn't matter as long as you add them every
2-3 days or so and the same goes for P and N. K can be added weekly after
the water change. Simple enough? My iron sits about 1.0ppm. Juicy. I only
keep my NO3 lower(2-5ppm or so) the rest is very high and is supposedly
great for algae(P and Fe).
I add about 1/4 teaspoon of KNO3, 1/4 of K2SO4 and 1/4-1/2 gram of KH2PO4 3
times a week or so along with a 5ml dose of TMG or F. KNO3 and F at the same
time, PO4 the off days. K2SO4 after the water change. Repeat. Attack any
glass algae prune pinch any dead leaves etc. Feed fish etc. Same old same
old repeated weekly.

> Everyone else?  I also
> add chelated iron (NaFeDTPA) about every other day, along with some boric
> acid at water changes.  I initially started out at twice the recommended
> dosage (Flourish) but always ended up with pea soup.  No filament/hair
> algaes though, if you can believe that......

Yes, I can. There may be a NO3 limitation and/or your filter's bacteria is
not getting enough to eat perhaps. Or your messing the tank's bio cycle
up(cleaning the filter real good then doing a huge water change the same
day/filter not producing enough flow bio filtration etc) or doing a big
pruning etc without doing the water change after etc...... so your holding
the plants back(NO3 most likely or a short spike in NH4 from lack of N
cycling -see filter problem) and the bacteria for fear of desmids (GW). Up
your NO3 for awhile (a week or so to about 5-10ppm) THEN try adding more
since then it will be used by the plants. Have a fair amount of plant mass
also. If you have only a small amount of plant mass in your tank then it's
not going to use much. It may seem obvious but folks have asked why they
have problems and I come over and there's a lot of wood, rocks and two
swords in the whole tank and that's it.
Regards, 
Tom Barr
> 
> Regards,
> Andrew