# Amano style of fertilizing



## alexanderM (Sep 6, 2005)

ive read a lot lately on fertilizing and have come across many different "styles" of fertilizing. I was just wondering what some of you thought about the "Amano" style where ferts are dosed in steps according to what stage the layout is in. for example....

the Green Brighty step 1 bottle reads,
"A balanced existence of trace elements is vital in the initial period, to stimulate the sprouting of new roots and buds. Nitrogen, Phosphorus or Potassium are not included, as these may only induce algae development at this stage when the plants nutrient requirements are low."

Green Brighty Step 2 reads,
“3 months after planting, roots and leaves of aquatic plans have matured and begun normal growth. Among other trace elements, aquatic plants require Iron in this period, and iron deficiency often causes whitening of plants buds or leaves. Green Brighty STEP 2 is rich in Iron.”

And Green Brighty step 3 reads,
“An aquarium older than one year often has a hardened substrate which prevents development of roots and eventually impedes the growth of aquatic plants in general. Green Brighty STEP 3, formulated with Iron and Potassium, helps photosynthesis and improves the conditions of the aquatic plants which are often obstructed by an hardened substrate.”

do any of you follow this phylosophy? do any of you dose this way using non-ADA products?


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

He doses based basically on plant biomass.
He does large weekly water changes.

The ADA substrate provides some macro nutrients in the start up, so all that's needed is the traces for the water column, which is odd, since these can be added to the substrate as well.

Plants need Fe long before 3 months. Even if you add more, they still need it before and it's likely coming from the substrate during this peroid.
Why deal with a hardened substrate to begin with? 

Adding K+ and more Fe is not going to solve that.......that notion does not follow. It is a mechanical thing, not a chemical one. 

You can dose KNO3, KH2PO4, GH, Traces easily enough and achieve the same growth as ADA stuff and with every plant.

Some folks have said their tplants do better with the ADA substrates, well, from everything I've done, I beg to differ.
They were not adding enough nutrients to start with. 
I have the same plants they supposedly could not grow in Flourite etc, yet I can. Now if I can do it to the same level the ADA products can do it, is it the product or is it the aquarist?????????

I can grow these same plants without the substrates(as well as with them), and focus more on the water column.

If someone does not do well with the water column dosing, then they will have a better success using ADA type substrates.

During the start up, when plant biomass is lower, this causes issues, but if done properly, wc dosing works fine. 

Many folks use their own KNO3 etc for the wc ferts, rather than the ADA products from what I've seen. 

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## brad (Jul 10, 2005)

That`s what I like best about EI. You don`t need to listen to all kinds of mumbo jumbo about plants needing certain nutrients at certain points in time. Do plants really wait 3 months to start using Iron? who cares. I add it. If the plants want it, there it is, if they don`t, I`m gonna do 50% water change anyway. When they do decide to use it, be it right away, 3 months down the road, or 2 years from now, it`ll be there, ready and available for them.

I know that doesn`t help anybody, just thought I`d share.


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

And that's why Amano can suggest this instead of using test kits and measurments.

His advice if the plants look not good, add more.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

It might work as a part of his whole system, but if I did that in my tank, it would be in bad shape. I just did my 44 gallon not long ago. Absolutely everything the plants could ever need has been available to them from the first day. That includes carbon dioxide, macro nutrients, micro nutrients (8 mls Flourish and 12 ml Flourish Iron per day). The result? A big healthy stand of _Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Cuba'_ and almost no algae at all. There was some green spot and diatom growth, but the green spot is pretty much gone and the diatoms are nowhere to be seen. No other algae of any kind has appeared the whole time (two weeks).

I don't mean to knock ADA stuff, but again, I wouldn't take the fertilization system as something that should be done outside of their whole system.


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

Cavan et al, 

If you know what makes plants grow(these are defined and known reasons), it does not matter what method, system you use. As long as they have enough nutrients for a given growth rate(light/CO2), the plants will do well.

It's either in the sub or the water column or almost always both to some degree.

Light, CO2 will be similar no matter what.
All that's left is where the nutrients are and how much.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

FYI, I just did a ADA substrate and I am comparing it to a flourite only substrate using the water column dosing for both.

I plan on setting up at least one or two more to compare to. I've also been eyeballing and talking to some folks that have the full ADA system in SF, Af has 5 ADA tanks from 20 up to 180 gal. My growth appears as good if not better in my flourite tank with all the so called wimpy plants. Same with the onyx sand vs their ADA substrate with HC.

I think folks need to use diffuser stones + canisters and similar flow also when making the comparison. 

That is another thread................

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

plantbrain said:


> If you know what makes plants grow(these are defined and known reasons), it does not matter what method, system you use. As long as they have enough nutrients for a given growth rate(light/CO2), the plants will do well.


Of course, but that wasn't my point. My point was that I wouldn't use Amano's system of water column fertilizing without the substrate and whatever else he uses.


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## alexanderM (Sep 6, 2005)

Cavan Allen said:


> Of course, but that wasn't my point. My point was that I wouldn't use Amano's system of water column fertilizing without the substrate and whatever else he uses.


Interesting, so what your saying is that Amano's WC fertilizing routine is dependant, or rather, an integral part of an entire "nutrient" system&#8230; i.e. substrates, substrate fertilizers as well as WC fertilizers and any one component of Amano's fertilizing routine used alone would not yield desirable or optimal results. Which goes back to what was stated earlier, so long as you supply the nutrients known to be needed by plants, how you administer the dosing of those nutrients is less important so long as you dose the required nutrients in the proper proportions.


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

Cavan Allen said:


> Of course, but that wasn't my point. My point was that I wouldn't use Amano's system of water column fertilizing without the substrate and whatever else he uses.


Yeper sirey!

As far L cuba, jezze, I have some that's huge, about 5-6" across, truly massive plants.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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