Best substrate/light/dosing combo?

Hello all I am getting tired of the old root tabs in gravel thing and it doesn't seem to work well. I am looking at getting a substrate specifically meant for a planted tank and I have looked at a few options but don't know what to go with. In addition to this new substrate its a low tech tank at .8 wpg for light at 6700k that I just dose with exell every day should I up the wpg or dose other things?

For substrate Ive looked at:
1) Mixing Seachem florite with my current regular gravel.
2) Mixing Laterite with my current regular gravel.
3) Using Just Eco-complete
But I don't know what the best option is :/

 

Root tabs are only for root feeders. What plants do you have? If you weren't dosing an all-around fert like Seachem Flourish, that may be why your plants weren't doing so well. And even if you switch substrates to one of the above, my understanding is that those nutrients in the substrate are eventually lost and you'd have to replace them.

 

I was dosing Seachem florish at 1ml in my 36g once a week but alge went nuts

 

It wouldn't have been one thing like adding Flourish that would have caused that much algae. Algae is caused by an imbalance of light, CO2 and nutrients. How long were you leaving the light on?

Here's some additional info on algae:

Algae problems and how to deal with them

 

8hrs a day

 

Could it have been not enough Flourish? Recommended dosage is 5mL per 60 gallons once a week so dosage for your tank would've been about 3mL per week?

And what plants do you have?

 

I have rotala, ludwigia, wisteria, and dwarf sagitaria (slaughtered those spellings I apologize)

 

Exactly what deficiency were you seeing and for which plants? Or was it just algae you were seeing? How long did you have the plants in your tank?

 

Ive had the plants going on a year now and the main issue has been algae but recently the edges of the leafs of some plants are turning brown.

 

Try adding more Flourish to the recommended dosage for your tank and put in new root tabs around the plants if it's been more than 2-3 months. I think your lighting should be ok for your tank.

 

I can tell you my experience with echo complete. I ended up with horrible carpet slime all over the aquarium. It was the reason I had to breakdown the I was not happy at all. I was using plant specific LED lights. I have gone back to root tabs and liquid ferts.

 

I use Excel every day and also will use Iron and Potas on ocassion if needed. But I only deal with the easier plants. Here's an old Seachem dosing schedule which of course can be modified to your plants as you see results.



Edit: It can be costly

 

Hmmm okay thanks guys!!! I will try dosing the recommended amount of florist and put new root tabs in.

 

ADA aqua soil and Brightwell Rio Escueo are both good substrates but rather expensive..a good beginner planted tank substrate is Eco complete..a major PITA to plant on tho


TAA, Signing Out