need help with plants

[DiscusMan]

i have a 75 gal. tank, 22 in. deep with 1.6 watts per gallon trying to keep swords,onion.Dosing once every five days with flourish.what else can i do
please help!!!

[Danni]

You sound in the same boat that I am in. I also have a 75 gal tank that is moderatly planted with low light plants. I am going to generally go by the Seachem chart but cut the doses in half because of my lighting which is 1.73 wpg. A few things that I am going to do differently are dosing the Nitrogen and the Excel. I am not going to do the Nitrogen until my tank is established with fish. I am presently doing a fishless cycle and I have been told that the plants are getting plenty of Nitrogen from the Ammonia I am using. The Excel is going to be dosed every second day because I have Vals in the tank. I am not going to use the Flourish Trace that they have in their product line. I was also told to keep my Nitrates at ~10 ppm which I am doing through water changes. Here is a copy of what I am going to do as soon as I get the fertilizers that I need. My lfs was closed and PetSmart did not carry the stuff I needed.

Day 1   
Flourish   2.5 ml
Flourish Iron   3 ml
Flourish Phosphorus   1.9 ml
Day 2   
Flourish Iron   3 ml
Flourish Excel   3 ml
Day 3   
Flourish Potassium   5 ml
Flourish Iron   3 ml
Day 4   
Flourish Iron   3 ml
Flourish Phosphorus   1.9 ml
Flourish Excel    3 ml
Day 5   
Flourish Potassium   5 ml
Flourish Iron   3 ml
Day 6   
Flourish   2.5 ml
Flourish Iron    3 ml
Flourish Excel    3 ml
Day 7
50% Water Change   Prime    1.5 capfuls
      
I based my info on two sources. One is the Seachem dosing chart available on their website and the other is a Microsoft Excel chart available here: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/attachment.phpattachmentid=5525&d=1192589007

Hope this helps.

[charlie]

i have a 75 gal. tank, 22 in. deep with 1.6 watts per gallon trying to keep swords,onion.Dosing once every five days with flourish.what else can i do
please help!!!

I`m assuming you have discuss in the tank ?, added to your present routine of Seachem flourish (comprehensive?), i would suggest seachem root tabs & see how the plants do & monitor for any deficiency.

[DiscusMan]

Thanks Charlie,i bought the flourish tabs and iron last night.Is my lighting too low,you tanks look much brighter than mine

[dan2x38]

Day 1   
Flourish   2.5 ml
Flourish Iron   3 ml
Flourish Phosphorus   1.9 ml
Day 2   
Flourish Iron   3 ml
Flourish Excel   3 ml
Day 3   
Flourish Potassium   5 ml
Flourish Iron   3 ml
Day 4   
Flourish Iron   3 ml
Flourish Phosphorus   1.9 ml
Flourish Excel    3 ml
Day 5   
Flourish Potassium   5 ml
Flourish Iron   3 ml
Day 6   
Flourish   2.5 ml
Flourish Iron    3 ml
Flourish Excel    3 ml
Day 7
50% Water Change   Prime    1.5 capfuls
      
I based my info on two sources. One is the Seachem dosing chart available on their website and the other is a Microsoft Excel chart available here: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/attachment.phpattachmentid=5525&d=1192589007

Hope this helps.

Man this would cost him/you a small fortune. If anyone needs this much fertilizing you better have a ton of light & plants... go dry ferts in that case. With Discus in his tank he needs to watch what & how much he dumps in the water.

[BigDaddy]

For swords and onion plants, your lighting will be fine.  As well, as charlie already mentioned a few strategically placed root tabs will be more than enough for what you have without needing to do a ton of water-based ferts.

[Danni]

Ah but it is so much fun spending money  Seriously, very little of it is being used at a time and from what I have researched, once the tank is established, the amount of ferts will be very much reduced. I didn't see that he was keeping Discus in the tank so I don't know how all those fertilizers would affect them.

[dan2x38]

I didn't see that he was keeping Discus in the tank so I don't know how all those fertilizers would affect them.

A deduction from his online name, 'DiscusMan'...