# Root tabs, and liquid ferts?



## hiyamoose (Nov 27, 2010)

I just got done battling a hair algae outbreak in a 20 long with 2 t5s and lots of plants and fish. I use pressurized CO2, which I turned up with PWCs every weekend to kill the algae.

I want to make sure I'm not OD'ing so I will not go through these algae issues again. 

I am using Seachem root tabs. Last put them in my Eco-Complete substrate @ new year's. Twice a week I am dosing Flourish comp supp for micros @ 1.5 mls. Up until recently, I was dosing twice a week with another 1.75 of Flourish Iron. I read excess Iron can cause the hair algae and stopped. (I also had some black algae on a nubia that would not scrape off, but I trimmed the leaves back, and it has not returned).

Tank is very full of plants including lots of rotala (rotundifola, wallichi, nanjenshan), anubia, val, swords, ludwigia, crypts, and riccia. Got good pearling going with rotundifola, wallichi, val and swords. Nanjenshan has been sluggish recently on growth, but most everything else, including wallichi is doing well (especially with the t5s I put in @ 6 weeks ago (had t8s)).

Am I OD'ing nutrients, especially iron? I want to replace the root tabs, but don't want another algae outbreak.

Thanks!


----------



## Basic (Feb 11, 2012)

I would say you are under dosing. You don't say how stro
ng your lights are or bpm you are adding in co2. That would help us figure if your nutrients are to high?


----------



## hiyamoose (Nov 27, 2010)

Co2 is approx 2-3 bps. Lighting is 2x24w t5s in a 30" aquaticlife dual light fixture (roseate lamp and 6k lamp).


----------



## Basic (Feb 11, 2012)

Go to the thread for wet calc and input the numbers that it ask for and it will tell you what you should be dosing to achieve the levels you need for your plants to thrive. Also I would recommend switching to diy fertilizers that way you can control what you put in. I believe you need to increase either how much you0put in or increase dosing


----------



## Basic (Feb 11, 2012)

Forgot you are not putting enough nutrients compare to your co2. You may want to check your kh and gh levels to


----------



## hiyamoose (Nov 27, 2010)

Thanks! I will check the kh and gh, and check that thread. My wallichi is coming back after dying considerably when the algae hit. Otherwise pearling is apparent, and lots of good growth. 

Can you direct me to the wet calc? Can't seem to find it. Found the fertilator...that it?

Any other hints are welcomed!


----------



## Basic (Feb 11, 2012)

Go to petalphile. Com/mobile also I dose my 5gl tank every day and then I do large water change every week and on that day I don't dose. Check out the estamative index thread and the pps thread is another good one. I use a combination of many different fertilizer styles. But it is in my opinion to over dose slightly and do large water changes. I do a 75% water change. Every one has there own opinion. You should take the knowledge you learn and come up with a plan works for you and you are comfortable with. And keep asking questions! I will help as much as I can and if I can't will find someone who can


----------



## Basic (Feb 11, 2012)

BTW you will always have algae. A little means you are doing it right. I have over 100 gallons of tanks and they're all planted and would be considered high tech and I still ask questions to learn as much as I can


----------



## Left C (Jun 14, 2005)

Go to yet another diy fertilizer calculator from wet's site: http://petalphile.com/#splash


----------



## hiyamoose (Nov 27, 2010)

I like that yet another calc because it gives you the ppm you should be shooting for on the EI, which I think I am weighing against the Seachem dosing chart at http://www.seachem.com/support/PlantDoseChart.pdf. Thoughts on which is better would be appreciated.

I do have one question though on the EI calcs. It seems that the calc shoots for an iron ppm when adding the Seachem Comp. Can anybody explain how I can measure the Comp when I am already dosing iron? I see a disastrous overdosing taking place. By the way, does the EI assume a heavily planted aquarium?

I posted elsewhere a question about my CO2 setup (pressurized), and wanted to know if running CO2 from a diffuser into the intake for the HOB filter would affect the beneficial bacteria. I have plenty of spare power heads, and can hook one up above the diffuser to help disseminate the CO2 if it would be more effective. I apologize in advance if this isn't the correct forum, but I got great responses from all of you earlier.

I am finding the challenge of developing my heavily planted tank addicting to say the least. I see great growth and pearling on some plants, especially the bright green riccia and green/pink rotundifola, which is motivating me to get the same from all the plants. The science is fascinating given the intertwined nature of the entire system.

Thanks again everybody!


----------

