Seachem dosing chart: what are your toughts?

[fablau]

Hello,
I checked out the Seachem Dosing Chart/Calculator:

http://www.virtualsheetmusic.com/storage/SEACHEMDOSING.xls

and I was wondering what are your thoughts about it. Do you think it is a valid guide for basic plant fertilization in heavily planted aquariums? Or not? Any thoughts are very welcome.

Thanks.

Fab.

 

[SuRje1976]

I'm not sure that the dosing that they recommend would be enough to achieve even the low-end of their recommended parameters.

 

[fablau]

What do you mean? Do you think their dosage is not "enough"?

 

[SuRje1976]

Well, I won't say that.

BUT I just ran the #'s for NO3 and PO4, dosing with Flourish Nitrogen and Flourish Phosphorus as directed by the dosing chart.

Assuming there is nothing in the water one does water changes with, if there is NO uptake whatsoever, and no additional input from fish waste etc, following the dosing chart would result in an average of 3.59ppm NO3 and 0.22ppm PO4.

So PO4 hits the low end of the recommended parameters, but NO3 doesn't quite make it. Again, this assumes NO uptake by the plants, which is not likely. In reality, parameters could be significantly lower (or higher to be fair, assuming a high fish load).

 

[fablau]

What about a good planted aquarium with a normal fish and other organisms load?

Really I thought the opposite, I was concerned to giving plants to much nutrients by following that chart, above all Iron supplemental which is already included in the regular Flourish.

Thank you.

Fab.

 

[Dmaaaaax]

However there is fishload to consider and other organisms that can add to the nitrates. Don't forget that on top of the nitrogen that gets added 2x weekly (nitrate) that Fluorish contains nitrogen, iron, potassium, and phosphorus.

The only thing I would change would be doing the second dose of Flourish around day 4-5. It seems like a waste to add it the day before the 50% change.

 

[SuRje1976]

Hard to say what a fish load would add. When I was tracking these parameters, I had about 15 otos, 10 SAE's, 65+ Cardinals and a few dozen shrimp in a 120P. Not a tremendous amount, but not really "light" either. Net "uptake" (what plants removed + what fish and waste added) in my aquarium was ~0.9ppm NO3 per day and ~0.35ppm PO4 per day. I was running mid light I'd say (2x54W for 8 hours with a 3 hour period in there with another 2x54W). If one was to factor this uptake into the Seachem dosing chart, final parameters would be pinned down at zero for NO3 and PO4.

Flourish has some Nitrogen and Phosphorus, but not enough (0.07% and 0.01% respectively) to affect the end numbers by much at all. Flourish Trace doesn't have N or P at all.

 

[fablau]

The only thing I would change would be doing the second dose of Flourish around day 4-5. It seems like a waste to add it the day before the 50% change.

I agree with that. What about the daily iron? Do you think that's really needed every day?

Thanks.

 

[Janflo]

I am currently following the seachem line of fertiilizers, as well, and follow it except for daily iron doses....I do just one dose..a week...I would like input on this as well..

 

[fablau]

No further thoughts about this issue? Thanks...

Best,
Fab.