AR380 "planted" tank: Flourish Excel & API Leafzone dosages?

[Romeo]

Gidday all,

We've got an AR380 34 litre lightly planted tank that we're trying to plant up. Looking to create a moderate maintenance, low tech and clean looking tank.

Today I picked up some fine gravel (2-3mm), 250ml of Flourish Excel and a small bottle of API leaf zone. I'm going to get either some of those Klugen balls, or some Daltons aquatic mix from Bunnings. I'm not after an uber planted setup, I'm just jealous of the planted display tank at Organism that's on the counter - so I'm trying to replicate it. Everything in the tank has been growing fine for the last month, some of the leaves are a bit brown - the crypts are going great though.

Main question:

How much, and how often should I be dosing Flourish Excel, and API leafzone?

Second question:

School me as to how I should continue to plant this tank.

-----------------------------------Photo taken before redoing the tank

Current plants are:

Various Crypts

Dwarf sagittaria

Windelov Java fern

Normal Java fern

Indian Fern

Ambulia

Cherry leaf

Green algae

Wanted:

More Windelov Java fern

Anubias

Get more Ambulia and move it to the back

Stocking - the "Bowie" tank (from the 1986 movie Labyrinth):

4 Sparkling Gouramis

2 young female Fighters

1 CAE

Moving the 3 Guppies out in a few days

PS: Don't say "increase your light" - because the tank at Organism is in MINT condition [using these plants with only a couple of water changes a month and weekly dosing]!

Thanks for your time,

Romeo

[supasi]

Personally, I say leave it.

Id be inclined to dose the tank every second day.

Remember that if you change the tank and replant, you dont want to start dosing ferts until you see obvious plant growth.

Dosing before then will just feed algae.

I prefer DIY CO2 instead of Excel(much cheaper), but thats just me.

[phoenix44]

i think the tank looks great as is. I'd leave it too. but if you have already bought the excel and leafzone - underdose the excel, and use the plantzone as is directed on the bottle. i think it should be along the lines of 5ml for 37.5L or something like that.

[oeminx]

I would change one thing, top the water up :lol:

[alanmin4304]

If you add too much ferts before the plants get established and start utilizing them you will feed algae. Excel has an algacidal effect so a little can be good and also can be increased when plants are growing.

[Romeo]

Thanks for the advice guys.

Flourish excel says add 5ml for every 40L after a 40% waterchange/initial use. Then 1ml per day/other day per 40L.

Leaf Zone says add 5ml per week for every 40 litres.

So to start off I'd be sweet to dose 3ml of Flourish, then dose 5ml of leafzone a week, and 1ml of Flourish every 3rd day? All of the plants have been in the tank for over a month now.

[phoenix44]

id reduce the flourish treatment to twice a week. its just that it can be quite dangerous, and it doesn't help to have a small volume of water.

I coordinate my fert treatments with waterchanges cause there is no point putting a fert in if you do a wc the next day :lol:

[AquaVitamins]

Personally, I say leave it.

Id be inclined to dose the tank every second day.

Remember that if you change the tank and replant, you dont want to start dosing ferts until you see obvious plant growth.

Dosing before then will just feed algae.

I've read on many sites that say that Ferts Will NOT feed algae.

Check this out :

http://www.aquariumalgae.blogspot.com/

[supasi]

I've read on many sites that say that Ferts Will NOT feed algae.

Check this out :

http://www.aquariumalgae.blogspot.com/

Ok firstly, Where did you find that link in the first place????

Cut and paste from above link:

Let’s name the real reasons behind algae issues in planted aquariums which are dosed with nutrients on regular bases:

Low Oxygen level

Insufficient water circulation

Organic build-up

Un-cycled aquarium

It is talknig about an established Planted tank that has been regularly dosed.

Although it does state uncycled aquarium

The statement I brought up was about a freshly started tank, where the plants are not yet established therefore not actively using any dosed ferts. Imediate dosing to plants that are not using nutrients will cause a build up of nutrients in the water colomn. Allowing algae to get a start.

Please note, When I talk about dosing ferts, I am talking about adding to the water colomn, NOT under substrate or root tabs.

[Romeo]

Just for those who are interested...

02/03/2009 - Day 1

10/03/2009 - Day 8

I got the Sagittaria from a FNZAS member

11/04/2009 - Day 40

I started dosing Flourish Excel and ans API leaf zone, but the leaves started to really show signs of fatigue.

24/05/2009 - Day 83

So now I've just switched to Seachem Flourish Comprehensive. Hopefully the Java Fern will start to look a bit better, and quickly!

Clearly the Crypts are loving the Flourish Excel, they seem to be thriving the most.

10/07/2009 - Day 130

-

The crypts have responded really well to the Flourish Comprehensive, so has the Java Fern and Ambulia. The rest haven't particularly flourished, the Sagittaria hasn't shown much progress. We've now got 2x Sparkling Gouramis, 1x Whiptail catfish and 1x Female Bristlenose catfish (and an uncountable number of Red Ramshorn snails).