When to use IRON???

[GinnyFinny]

I have purchased all my plants from Aquarium Co-Op since I started my first 20-gallon long tank in February. 4 out of 6 have died off since then, probably due to my errors in fertilizing (for sure!). I keep buying more plants. The rhizome plants definitely does the best. But the ones remaining, other than the rhizome plants are a bit sad looking, to where I need to but them off at the base, or completely remove them. Some (not many) are flourishing. I can't identify the two plants (used to be four) that I've given up on and just taken out of the tank. None were cheapies - I've bought everything from Aquarium Co-Op in Edmonds where I live. (Have I talked to Cory - NO!) He's a busy man. Through my own research, I've added Flourish Excel daily, besides the weekly dosing of Flourish and occasional dosing of Flourish tabs to several plants. 3 weeks of the Excel and I still haven't noticed any change - yet. But. this is a low-light, slow growing tank, so I don't expect miracles overnight. I must say that my fish are happy as hell, though!

I bought Flourish Iron on the off chance that I may need to use it one day (sad-looking, some holes, etc. in plants). I haven't used it yet.

Sadly (because I'm an ignoramous when it comes to downloading pics), I'm not able to upload photos of my aquarium to show you the problem, so my main question is: can I dose a little less then required with Flourish Iron to see if certain plants improve? In my case, in a 20 gallon (but only 18 gallons with sand) I would dose 1.25 ml of Flourish Iron, unless one of you says "whoa, not that much!"

All the plants are from Aquarium-Co-Op, including the ones I purchased early on in my start-up of this tank (several that died early one - probably my fault). The use of Flourish and Flourish Excel have greatly increased the health of the remaining plants. I have this bottle of Flourish Iron that I'm tempted to use for the unknown remaining plants that appear to be deficient because of either their lack of color, tiny holes, or just slowing dying.

Without photos and more details, anyone have experience with Flourish Iron on plants that look kind of sad and/or need yanking from the tank?

 

[PokeSephiroth]

In my experience, low-light and slower growing plants (mainly Anubias, Java Ferns, Crypts, and most mosses) don't need as much nutrients. So you can cut back the dosing, to maybe twice-three times a week for the liquid ferts.

Iron is primarily meant for plants with red colors, although some plants that aren't red also benefit from it... but not many, in my experience.

I'd hold off on the excel to every other day instead of everyday.
As far as ferts are concerned, I'd really only just stick with Flourish Comprehensive (which is what I'm assuming you're already using, when you say that you're using Flourish "weekly")

Basically flip the dosing schedules for Excel and Comprehensive around

Tiny Holes usually means that there's a potassium deficiency, so you could also get a bottle of Seachem Flourish Potassium when you're over at ACO again.

Often times, when you buy plants at a pet store, they are grown emersed (out of water, like a normal plant growing on land). When an aquatic plant is submerged into water, and is a true aquatic plant, it will cast off its emersed grown leaves (known as melting) and will start to grow their submersed version. This is common in plants that have been grown in nurseries emersed, so maybe that's what happened to your other plants.

The reason why most plants are grown emersed is because it takes less effort to grow them, and they tend to grow faster when grown emersed. More plants = more sales, at least from a nursery's stand point. ;-)

 

[Cory]

These are the plants you've bought from us. The top being the beginning, the bottom being most recent.

anubias nana petite - doesn't melt when submerged
willow hygro - this was hobbyist grown under water
stellatus - this was hobbyist grown under water
crypt lutea - was already transtitioned
Java Fern Windelov - doesn't melt when submerged
anubias barteri - doesn't melt when submerged
Moss Ball - already grown under water
anubias nana petite - doesn't melt when submerged
crypt parva - was most likely already converted when bought.
2x water sprite - this was emersed grown but should be an easy convert.
2x jungle val - only grown under water by farms.
dwarf lily bulb - bulb doesn't have an emersed state
2 anubias nana petite - doesn't melt when submerged.


Knowing the most about Ginny's tank, from working with her at the store. I'd say the main problem is the 25% water changes weekly, being too frequent. The use of R/O water then reconstituting it with equilibrium. This is leading to much less nutrients in the water column for the plants.

The average tap water will have some iron in it. R/O water plus equilibrium will have 0. There are many other nutrients that will be this was also. It also seems like you are missing the trace elements. With no trace elements in your starting water, using flourish trace will be important if you continue R/O water.

Also flourish excel is known to be hard on Jungle Val, so that may explain your problem with that plant.

In general I'd say you're probably light on nitrogen in the tank, and possibly potassium and phosphate. The main problem with starting with pure R/O water, is you as the hobbyist are now responsible for every nutrient that the plants need as nothing is coming from the Tap anymore.

Also knowing that it's a 20 long with a stingray light fixture, this puts you in the medium to high light category which will create a high demand for nutrients.

I'd recommend cutting water changes back until you have nitrates above 30, or once a month whichever comes first. Also I'd be either using the full line of ferts or switching back to tapwater to help with the nutrient levels.

 

[GinnyFinny]

I'm glad you read my post. I did have the hair-brained idea to use DI water, but hot over that.....but I've used tap water & Ultimate Conditioner from the very beginning. I've also been using Flourish once a week as advised, and Flourish tabs once a month, or when a new plant is added. I just started using the Excel on the advice of YouTube videos based on my low-light fixture (as advertised) for my shallow 20-gallon long tank. I've been purchasing low-light plants because I was told that the Stingray would be a good fit for my tank. I'm a little confused.

My nitrates are very low - between 2.5 and 5 ppm. As you say, probably because of the frequent water changes. My GH is 170 ppm (thus the hair-brained idea to use DI H2[emoji97])

I will cut back on water changes for now. I'll keep checking the nitrate level so when it nears 30 ppm, I'll change out water.....So now water changes every 30 days or sooner if the Nitrogen level goes much over 30 ppm.

Because I am using tap water, I will stick to the Flourish regimen that was suggested early on.

Now will incorporate Flourish Nitrogen weekly, possibly upping the dose or frequency a bit - will consult you first. Will also stop Excel dosing and see if my Jungle Vals improve.

Thanks for your help, Cory! [emoji844]

 

[Caseyf]

Great looking tank btw!

 

[GinnyFinny]

Really, Holdmybeer? I don't have the knack for aquascaping yet. I hope after my 2nd or 3rd tank I'll get more creative. Did another remodel today, taking out the Manzanita wood that just didn't fit in the tank well, even after trimming numerous branches [emoji266].

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Caseyf]

I'm just saying that from a distance, your tank has a good look. Hopefully, now, it will fill out for you the way you are wanting.

For what it's worth, I was having some serious issues getting my planted tank to fill out. I was dosing with Excel and Flourish. It turns out I was doing too many water changes, and didn't really have enough minerals in my tank. I added a Wonder Shell for minerals (which almost completely dissoved in a week), didn't change my water for a month, fed my fish way more food, and added some crushed shells to raise the PH. I kept dosing Excel daily and Flourish once a week. My tank exploded after that.

Once I had that dialed in, I added CO2, still doing Excel, Flourish twice a week and I don't think I'll ever go back.

 

[GinnyFinny]

Maybe I look at my aquarium too much! You know the saying, "can't see the forest for the trees"

My weekly water changes have down been decreased to every 2-3 weeks, depending on the nitrate level. I have almost no nitrate reading and never had. I've been advised to stop Excel, and to dose with Flourish Nitrogen weekly.

I probably should call ACO to find out if I can dose Flourish comprehensive more than once weekly, even at a lower dosing.

Of course, now another possible kink - I have to move my aquarium over to a WA Fish Box member's house for about 5 weeks. I'm moving from Edmonds to Mill Creek and then taking off for SoCal for 3 weeks. Oh, the trauma, whoa the stress! The fish probably won't care, but I will! Separation Anxiety :

 

[flamechica]

From what I can see in the pic, your lily doesn't have much red in it, so Iron definitely wouldn't hurt. My lillies I got from Aquarium Co Op are deep red as I dose some Iron once a week. My lillies really took off when I started adding a little iron to my regimen. They started sprouting little baby plants and showing gorgeous colors that I can't even describe or pick up with a camera. They are by far my favorite plant I have in my aquariums.

 

[Caseyf]

Well you know how to get more nitrates right? Fish poo... How do you get more fish poo? More food.