Fertilizing a newly started high light tank.. Yes or No?

[ibanezfrelon]

There's a discution i'm having on a local forum about this subject, and it's starting to be more of an argument
The guy is starting a high light tank (probably cf light) , adding co2 , comercial supstrate (no NPK inside) and he's asking should he fertilize the water from the beginning or not.
I wrote that he should because his plants would starve to death under high light and no ferts, but most of the other suggestions were not to fertilize until the tank is cycled.
There's a lot of fear of fertilizing on that forum and it's pretty hard to change when it's probably been like that for a longer time and people that are considered authority there are spreading that fear.

I somehow doubled the thread , could someone delete this one? Thnx!

 

[scottward]

Not that I'm an expert on this stuff but, my 2 cents worth, I suppose the uptake of nutrients in a newly set up tank would start off relatively slowly and then start to ramp up as the plants settle in and adjust. Gunning the plants with high light and non-limiting levels of CO2 on day 1 wouldn't cause the plants to immediately start taking onboard their full compliment of nutrients; I'm guessing that the plants will be 'busy' adjusting their mechanics/resources to best utilise the high-light and CO2 and then, once this is done, after say a week or two, the plants will then start needing the full load of nutrients.

However, while the plants are settling in, I'm sure they will be drawing in and storing whatever nutrients are floating about in the water.

I suppose the best strategy would be to perhaps dose at, say, 1/2 what the normal dosing strategy would be from day 1, and then bring this up to full dosing once the plants have settled in and are starting to grow.

 

[scottward]

So..rather than a definite YES/NO answer, perhaps the answer lies somewhere in between. Dose SOME nutrients.

It's a good question.

 

[ibanezfrelon]

Actualy, thisthread was opened by mistake , it was doubled , maybe some moderator can delete this thread and copy-paste here : http://www.barrreport.com/showthrea...g-a-newly-started-high-light-tank..-Yes-or-No

...thee's also a poll..

It wasn't debatable should there be full EI dosing from the start , the debate was about should there even be fertilizing in the first month or two while the tank is being cycled..
The tank is a high light tank , with co2 added , no fish and no nitrates , phosphates or potassium in the supstrate. (just traces)
The guy was getting advices not to add any fertilizers AT ALL because his tank would get covered with algae..
...advices that plants can uptake all they need from the supstrate...

Although you say your anwser is somewhere in between , by saying ''dose SOME nutrients'' you're anwser really is YES ..

 

[Tom Barr]

Maybe chose a not so high light tank? Add more light after the first 2 months?

Sounds like a better plan.
I dose, but I know that the plants will not use all the ppm's up till the tank is really full/filled in.
So I often dose about 1/2 for the first month, but both 1/2 or full is still non limiting.

Better advice is add more plants from day one.
More Plants= faster establishment/plant dominance.
So fast growing "dither plants" can be used, then phased out as the slower/more costly species fill in.

There is no cycling really in a planted tank.

Regards,
Tom Barr





Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[scottward]

Although you say your anwser is somewhere in between , by saying ''dose SOME nutrients'' you're anwser really is YES ..

Sorry, I've been 'Barr-arized' (i.e. spent too much time on the Barr report website), so I only think in terms of full EI, half EI etc. So yeah, my answer is really YES. Dose right from the get go.

Not that my 2 cents matters any more now that Tom has spoken. Haha. ;-)

Fortunately my thinking was pretty much right!

 

[Tom Barr]

Fortunately my thinking was pretty much right!

Which is good! That's the most important thing here.


Regards,
Tom Barr