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I want to know what the people here choose to use for their plants Nutrients/Fertilizer.
I'm still trying to learn about the requirements and what's best to use.

I've been using Florish Liquid by Seachem.
However, I learned that it has Phosphate in it, and I already have enough of a problem with algae, I don't want to help it along.
So I have switched to Florish Tabs which does NOT contain any Phosphate, perhaps this will help. But I wonder if that alone is enough for my plants to grow?

As I have recently learned, your algea is only made worse by adding plant ferts, so I'd cut back on the ferts altogether until your algea is under control. Then add ferts when your plants show deficiency, because plants will be able to live better than the algea when a nutrient is lacking.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

No, neither idea is right.

That's like saying an elephant needs less food than a mouse.

It's the other way around. Algae grows when there is not enough for the plants.

I add PO4, NO3, K+ 4x a week to my tanks.

Flourish is fine and what I use.
The amount of PO4 is extremely small and plays no role in that product.

PO4 does not cause algae blooms in a planted tank BTW.
I have a lot of PO4, I have no algae. Thsi has been occuring for oh, well over a decade:-)

SeaChem makes a PO4 fertilizer for planted tanks BTW(which I am responsible for).

So you might reconsider the idea PO4 causes algae and is the root of the problem.


Trace elements like Flourish are the last thing on the list for algae causes when they are too low for plants.

The flow goes like this:
Light(is it enough or too much?)
CO2(is there enough for the plants)? 20-30ppm
NO3, 5-20ppm is a good range
PO4 0.5-1.5ppm
K+10-30ppm
GH 3 degrees or higher
Traces, add 5mls 3x a week per 25 gal(for high light/CO2 enriched tank)

This is a good generalized pattern.
CO2 and NO3 cause about 95% of algae issues as far nutriernts go.

This are because these 2 are too low, not too much.

How to keep good nutrients?
Good CO2 is critical.
The rest is fairly easy:
http://www.aquatic-plants.org/est_index1.html

Regards,
Tom Barr

Well I guess it was my mistake to assume that Angelzoo wasn't dosing a lot of CO2 and therefore shouldn't be dosing a lot of ferts because his/her plants aren't using it all and creating an imbalance and the algea he/she is seeing. As you said, the CO2 comes before the ferts(not in time, but in importance), and I guess I should have asked:

Angelzoo, are you dosing CO2, how much light do you have, and what kinds of plants do you have?

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Quoting from Angelzoo's post in water quality forum:

I have a AquaClear 200 running on the tank at "top speed". I also have 2 air stones in each corner of the tank (it's a 30 Extra High). So I've tried to do what I can to help with water movement.

I'm using 2 Hagen Power Glo lights not sure the watts... 15 each? I can look when I get home. I also have an additional regular Florescent light running on there, probably also 15watts.

I knew I had read that somewhere. I stand by my first post, cut the ferts, or cut the bubblers and add CO2.

If you are trying to achieve the balance that Tom is talking about, then you will need more light and CO2. There are a lot of posts here about cheap lighting and DIY CO2. Or you can ask, if that's the way you want to go, and I and others will help.

Or if you don't want to get into it, slow growth can be achieved by low light, low CO2, low ferts, and low demand plants. It's been done.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

AngelZoo

I use a locally made liquid fertilizer at the rate of 2.5ml twice a week. At the weekly water change and mid week as well.

Keith

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