# Water column nutrients for low light tanks



## Steve Pituch (Jan 25, 2004)

I have a bunch of different tank setups. One of the best is a little 7.5 gallon AGA bowfront with 1 inch of soil under 1 inch of gravel. It has a 15W old darkened GE AquaRays bulb, and a mini Aquaclear and about six small fish. I have African bolbitus, Java fern, Anubias nana, and some American Cryptocryne becketti. I was getting a little algae on the old leaves about 4 months ago and started dosing the same as my hi light tanks: 10 ppm no3, 1 ppm po4, .4 ppm Fe and traces (all twice per week), and a 50% or more water change once per week. No co2 injection.

This tank now looks great and I am wondering if I can do the same with other tanks. I have a 30 gallon tank with 2 30W NO fluorescents, no CO2, and Schultz for a substrate. Once again I have placed the same kind of plants in this tank. I have started the same dosing scheme on this tank. 

Is it taboo to dose the water column in a low light tank? What I have found is that it is beneficial and seems to reduce algae. I have heard people say that the nutrients I add will cause a growth spurt and cause a co2 deficiency, but my tanks seem OK.

I am sort of doing the same thing on my 75 gallon tank with a soil substrate. I have 240 W of NO fl above it but the bulbs are 11 inches above the water, and I have no reflectors. I tend to consider this tank a low light tank. The only difference is that I am putting about 30 ppm co2 into this tank. Once again the algae is pretty light in this tank, since I have been dosing the above regimen.

I find dosing the water column in low light tanks in normal amounts of nutrients is beneficial. Is anyone else doing this?

Regards,
Steve Pituch


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