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Re: [APD] RE: why algae will not grow



My recommendation is to get dry chemicals (mono-potassium
phoshate and potassium nitrate) for the macronutrients  and
then also use a trace (micronutrient) mix like Flourish or
Tropica Master Grow. You can get the dry chems at
hydroponic stores like litemanu.com or here:

www.gregwatson.com 


You can get them lots of other places.

How much you dose will depend on how fast your plants use
the nutrients, which depends on fish load, lighting, etc.

Start with about 1/5th tsp of postassium nitrate and just a
smidgeon of mono-potassium phosphate.

dose the trace mix according to the bottle or a bit
heavier. 

dothis 2 or three times per week. Then do a 50% water
change each week, to ensure you are not accumulating more
than you want to.

Or you can get the NOtrogen and phosphate chems in liquid
ofrm from, for example, SeaChem. There are dosing
directions on the bottles.

If yo don't want to do the large water changes so often,
then get some quality test kits and aim for about 0.5-1 ppm
phosphate and about ten times that level of nitrate.


Scott H.


--- Aga Skotowski <aga at stowetel_com> wrote:
> 
> >Of course, it doesn't mean everyone should go to there
> >tanks and just start pouring in ferts through a huge
> >funnel. And certainly not all accomplished aquatic
> >gardeners run high dosing regimens. However, I'll wager
> >that newbies' problems, whether algae or weak or dieing
> >plants, are more often due to a lack of one or more
> >nutrients than excesses.
> 
> This looks like a fantastic moment for me to jump in. 
> *g*  Newbie, lurker 
> for several months.  My tank is a 20 gallon with a 55W
> light kit from 
> AHS.  The substrate is Seachem Flourite and I use a
> biowheel filter.  The 
> fish are a big angel, a few leopard danios, and three
> otos.  The plants are 
> lots of elodea densa and something I don't know the name
> of, with narrow, 
> 2-3" leaves.  I do a 10% water change every other week;
> haven't tested pH 
> or nitrates in ages though.  This has been the setup for
> about a year now, 
> though the elodea is only a few months old.
> 
> My problem is that I always have lots of algae growing
> over the 
> plants.  Long bright green clumpy thread stuff as well as
> dark green stuff 
> that's like rough threads.  Also, the plants don't look
> very good after the 
> first few weeks.  Also also, they don't want to stay in
> the substrate but 
> end up drifting around the tank.  (They look like they're
> sending down thin 
> white rooting things, but they're not doing a very good
> job of holding on 
> if that's what they are.)
> 
> Apparently I'm supposed to be adding fertilizers-- great,
> I can do 
> that!  Would somebody just tell me what and how often? 
> Actual brand names 
> would be ideal since this really isn't something I know a
> lot about.  :)
> 
> Thanks bunches,
> Aga Skotowski
> Boston MA 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
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> Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
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> 


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