# API Leaf Zone



## JEilerts (Jul 6, 2012)

I have been using API Leaf Zone as a general-purpose water column fert. I use root tabs for heavy root feeders. I want to start doing the EI dosing when I have the money together to get everything I need, but right now, I've got lots of the API. Does anyone else use it? Opinions?


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi JEilerts,

API Leaf Zone only contains Potassium and Iron. It does not have any Nitrogen, Phosphorus, or micronutrients. I would strongly recommend Seachem Flourish Comprehensive, it contains macros and micro nutrients. See below.

Total Nitrogen 0.07%
Available Phosphate ( P2O5) 0.01%
Soluble Potash 0.37%
Calcium (Ca) 0.14%
Magnesium (Mg) 0.11%
Sulfur (S) 0.2773%
Boron (B) 0.009%
Chlorine (Cl) 1.15%
Cobalt (Co) 0.0004%
Copper (Cu) 0.0001%
Iron (Fe) 0.32%
Manganese (Mn) 0.0118%
Molybdenum (Mo) 0.0009%
Sodium (Na) 0.13%
Zinc (Zn) 0.0007%

Or if you are going to EI dosing you can use the API Leaf Zone to augment the potassium / iron dosing.


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

Go ahead and use up the Leaf Zone, then reuse the bottle for some of the other fertilizers that you can make starting with the dry ingredients. I used it when I was just starting to improve conditions in my tanks, these were the first nutrients my plants needed that were not supplied by fish food.


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## JEilerts (Jul 6, 2012)

I'll give the Seachem Flourish a try -- I like their products. I had been using the Excel, but it was melting my Java ferns so it's only going into the non-Java fern tanks now. I'll try to use up the Leaf Zone. It seems like a good product in general. I use it once a week in every tank, but I think a more broad-spectrum would be nice. I'm worried about doing the EI dosing, as I can't always do weekly water changes (sometimes it runs more like 10 days to two weeks) and have a pretty great bacterial colony in each tank that keeps things from going manky if I don't get around to it. Any input on this? I would love to be able to provide a really nice spectrum of nutrients to my plants.


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## chrislewistx (Jun 8, 2012)

Most people comment that the EI dosing method is flexible. For instance if you miss your water change one week then do not dose the next week, or dose less. This gives the plants time to use up the nutrients in the water column. 

Likewise you will see recommendations to start off dosing on the low side of the EI range. Give this some time to see how your plants react. You will notice on the sticky posts regarding EI it is geared toward higher light, CO2 supplemented tanks. However, if your running lower light or no CO2 supplementation then you can lower the amount you dose via the EI system. 

Along those lines you should match the EI dosing to your particular lighting, CO2 supply, and plant mass. IE high light and supplemented CO2 means more plant growth which will require more nutrients to sustain the growth. Where as a lower light tank with no CO2 supplement and slower growing plants would not require as much supplemental nutrient dosing. 

So what are the details on your current setup, light, substrate, CO2, plant species and how heavy did you plant?

I have a medium light tank with root tabs that contain macros and micros. Currently I am using Excel for a carbon source. The plants do not seem to require any additional nitrogen or phosphorous, but does need a little potassium. There was a bottle of API leaf zone that came with the used tank I bought so I use this to supplement the potassium. So far so good, and I keep a close eye on my plants to see how they are doing.


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