RE: Confusing SeaChem Product Line

["Joe Kopanski" <kopanski at earthlink_net>]

I too am confused, but I've got these big bottles of Seachem products that I
need to use up :).  I choose the Seachem line because it was available
everywhere and seemed to offer the most flexibility (and confusion) in
dosing. 18 months into my first high tech plant tank it has finally dawned
on me: **No single water chemistry is perfect for all plants**

Here's how I've learned to use the poly-Flourish line:

1) Flourish Iron (Fe) -- This was easy because there is a good Iron test kit
(Hach IR-21)and a concentration goal (~0.05 ppm).  I dose 2.5 ml for my 54
gal daily.  This raises Fe to 0.05 ppm, and it falls to 0.02 by the next
day.

2) Flourish Potassium (K) -- Riccia is a good indicator plant for K.  I
think I have "enough" K when it is growing rapidly.  When I stop dosing K,
riccia starts to decline.  I have an Aquarium Landscapes K test kit, it
always tells me I have a very high level of K.  I've gone to dosing dry KSO4
(1/4 tsp twice a week).

3) Flourish/Flourish Trace -- I've been gradually increasing my dose until
signs of deficiency disappear.  Now I dose 2 ml Flourish twice a week and 5
mL of Flourish Trace on the other days.  Still get black spots and stunted
leaves on my Aponogeton crispus, so I'm still lacking something.  My Vals
have finally taken off.  A plant that did well with softer water and less
traces, Rotala Mac., seems to have stalled.  => No one water condition makes
everything happy.

Flourish seems to have vitamins and other organics in it that F. Trace dose
not.  I've noticed a decrease in surface scum dosing Flourish Trace instead
of Flourish. YMMV.

4) Flourish Excel -- I inject CO2, haven't seen any good effect for adding
small doses of Excel daily.

Joe K

Garden at mid-spring peak!