# Should I add Ferts to new tank with ADA Aqua Soil???



## genetao (May 10, 2008)

My stats:

- 2.5 Gallon (only 6 weeks old)

- Medium to heavy planted

- 20 Watt fluorescent bulb 6700K (10 Hours a day)

- ADA Aquasoil Amazonia II

- Use Seachem ferts (Flourish, Excel, Iron, Phosphorus, Nitrogen, and Potassium) following Seachem's dosing schedule

- 30% water changes once a week

- PH 7.2, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 15-20

- Only occupant is a Betta and a nerite.

Ever since I started this tank, I've been battling some sort of thread or hair algae, and now some brush algae. See this post.
I've added sufficient lighting and have been following Seachem's dosing regiment, but this this thread/hair algae is getting out of control. Even with manual removal, it just comes back the next day. I recently added a nerite in hopes that it'll eat the stuff, but it doesn't look like the nerite is interested in thread/hair algae.

I'm following the EI method, and fertilizing and then doing large weekly water changes, but still growing algae like crazy. I've started double dosing Excel in hopes that it'll kill the algae, but nothing yet. The rest of the plants still look healthy, albeit with some thread algae attached to them.

I was thinking that maybe I should halt any ferts for a while, except for maybe Flourish Excel and Potassium because there might be wayyyy to much nutrients in the water column. I'm so frustrated,:frusty::frusty::frusty: but don't want to give up yet. I've read until my eyes bleed, and can't seem to get rid of this algae. I'd appreciate any sage wisdom from your plant gurus out there. Thanks for reading.


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

_20 Watt fluorescent bulb 6700K (10 Hours a day)_

Did you do this from the getgo? If yes too long duration. Should start around 7 hrs and once the tank matures increase to 9 hrs.

Did you do daily water changes for the first few weeks? If not, this would cause alot of ammonia to be in the water and would cause algae.

Did you use carbon when you started up the tank? If no, this might have let algae get a hold while the plants were getting used to the setup.

Do you dose Excel daily? It's most effective that way.

As far as ferts, all you really need is Potassium and micros for the first 6 months or so, but the other things shouldn't really cause algae unless your really overdosing.


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## genetao (May 10, 2008)

Thanks for your advice Houseofcards. That's really helpful. 
To answer your questions:



> 20 Watt fluorescent bulb 6700K (10 Hours a day) Did you do this from the getgo? If yes too long duration. Should start around 7 hrs and once the tank matures increase to 9 hrs.


Yes I've been doing this from the start with a ciesta period. 5 hours on, two hours off, and 5 hours on again. I thought 10 hours was the standard norm in light duration for a planted aquarium? Most people seem to recommend about 10-12 hours of light a day, right? In my 10 gallon planted (with gravel), I have the lights on for 10 hours a day too, and virtually no algae. So I just figured it would be the same with this 2.5g nano tank, especially with the rich AquaSoil that's in there, No?



> Did you do daily water changes for the first few weeks? If not, this would cause alot of ammonia to be in the water and would cause algae.


I did only a few water changes. But here's the thing, I seeded the soil with mulm from my other established tank <thank you Tom Barr for your idea>. Then I also put in a "seasoned" filter cartridge in the HOB Red Sea filter in the 2.5 nano. Finally, I put in some plants that came from an established tank, thinking that there would be enough bacteria to consume all the ammonia. After about 5 days, the Ammonia was 0, the Nitrite was 0, and the Nitrate was 5.0. So I figured I cycled the tank in a short amount of time because of all the bacteria I added in. After that, only two water changes were done that same week before I put the Betta in there.



> Did you use carbon when you started up the tank? If no, this might have let algae get a hold while the plants were getting used to the setup.


Yup, I put in Excel Carbon as soon as I put the plants in. From my understanding, this is the most crucial additive for plants.



> Do you dose Excel daily? It's most effective that way.


For the most part I do dose daily. But every now and then, I slack off and skip a day because I get lazy.



> As far as ferts, all you really need is Potassium and micros for the first 6 months or so, but the other things shouldn't really cause algae unless your really overdosing.


Okay then, that's what I was thinking too. I will just put in Potassium, micros and Excel for the first 6 months.

But then what about iron? Should I be dosing iron daily too? Or is there enough iron in the AquaSoil to keep the plants happy for the next several months?

Thanks again for your insightful advice. I'll start doing what you suggested, and report back in a couple of weeks.:thumbsup:


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## chagovatoloco (Nov 17, 2007)

I think the carbon he is referring to is in the filter. Takashi amano uses carbon in his setup for the first few weeks, some do not agree with this. It is his soil so I'd do it his way. I have had great success with just running a 6 hour photo period when starting my tanks.


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