In my opinion, the first step is to find out how much nutrients the plants in your tank 'consumes' during the course of a single day. You can use test kits (which may not be all that accurate) but I prefer to look at things such as pearling rates etc which you will have a feel for with experience. Generally, fast growing plants, grown in high light and high temperature will consume more nutrients.

You will want to add nutrients to the point where adding more does not result in better growth/metabolism. In other words, you don't want the nutrients to be the limiting factor. However, you will also need to ask: is this what I want? To speed up growth so I have to prune/maintain/rescape more often?

Once you figure out how much to add in a day, you need to look whether dumping the whole amount in at one go will stress the inhabitants or not. I now add about 10 ppm Nitrates, 2 ppm Phosphates and 0.1 ppm Fe + traces each day but feel it might be too much in a single dose so I do it in the morning and once at night. If you don't have fish or invertebrates then it should not matter that much. The photoperiod begins around noon.

If you only add smaller amounts of nutrients each day, I don't think it makes much difference when it is done since the fluctuations won't be that large anyway.

If your Fe is not chelated or if the bond is easily broken, you want to make sure to dose it separate from the phosphates. I've not had any problems with Fe EDTA dosed with phosphates.

Hi Isaac,
i think this question has been posed in AQ and other forums. most say doesn't matter, except the question of whether anything is limiting or mixing the P's and Fe's. Some split the macro and micros on separate days to keep it from making Fe's useless.
These are in high light tanks ha. meaning >3WPG for a standard 3ft tank.

IMO, you don't have to worry about algae hairs like this if you dose weekly. Let the plants talk to you. So if you hear 'FEED ME In the morning' you know what to do.

Regards

Stan

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So many aquascapes, so little time...http://www.my-mac.net/forum/

BTW, that article refers to terrestrial plants-meaning the sun is their bio clock.
If you keep your tank in a dark place, the clock is reset according to lights on in time.

Regards

Stan

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So many aquascapes, so little time...http://www.my-mac.net/forum/

well Mr issac what can i say...i have said sorry to u in a very polite way ...if thats not good enough for you... i say no more

i wont call u names. either..im not the name calling type.


SORRY......ALL ....MY Fans...i must stopping giving advice and writting anymore in open forum.... im tired all this SIFU mania shit...ASK SIFU isaaac FOR ANY FUTURE QUESTIONS...FROM NOW NOW.

But if all u are interested to learn ...them come to cheras, tmn putera, 62 Aquarium.....and met all the real sifus..not the arm chair ones. and as usual kopi and roti banjir free one. oh ...dun look for any ah pek...u wont find one there...u are welcome too mr issac



BTW MR issac.... AGAIN I SAY SORRY TO u..... I FEEL BAD FOR OFFENDING u...Aiya i daytime want to work and...night time must sleep one ler...I FROM NOW ON I PROMISE TO RESPECT u...EVERY CHINESE CALENDAR 1ST AND 15TH I BURN JOSSTICK IN YOUR HONOUR...SEVEN MONTH TIME...I OFFER ROAST PIG and duck.
u preffer your mercedes in premium quality or export quality papers...pls state the colour u preffer.
we buisness people are very genegrous when it comes to making offerings to our good brader...hor heyahti


sifu issau u how many years keep fish?....MAX 3 tahun hor...dun think i dun know ah ...hehehe...

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Everyone Has a Photographic Memory..........some just dont have film!

Hi all,

I think we are here to learn and you guys should agree to disagree.

Ask yourself is this gonna make a noticeable difference?

Is it really that important? There's so many variables it's just mind boggling.

Peace guys

Regards

Stan

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So many aquascapes, so little time...http://www.my-mac.net/forum/

I tried to refrain from commenting, but Ari, you are really rude. Your comments about offering paper effigies and hell bank notes to Isaac is not just unpleasant but also very childish. You did mention something about 'armchair sifus'. Did you know that there are many important and interesting theories which were initially armchair theories? . In my opinion, these armchair theories are just as important as practical experience. Afterall, there will not be any experiments to carry out if there weren't any hypothesis to be proven in the first place. We cannot just push aside opinions without any coherent arguments. As times are changing, we cannot just stick to our old ways. If you look around, the fish shops that last are those that move with times. Not to say I disagree with your methods (have not tried them out), there are many ways to skin a cat. Your method of planting is not the only way to a successful planted tank ( something that you are trying to insinuate). The more experience you have does not mean you are better. There are 60 year old toilet cleaners and 30 year old millionaires, and vice versa.

Stan and guys,

Most ppl say that I don't have to worry because my tank is not giving me any problems. Yes, that is true but then I want to improve. I may not have that much experience in growing stem plants, so I guess it doesn't really matter if I dose on any time of the day. But one fine day when I'm bored with low light plants like mosses, bolbitis etc(which have relatively low requirements other than cool temperature) I might end planting with stem plants because of the challenges of trimming and fert dosing which is more demanding as compared to what I know now.

Did you guys see last year's ADA 4th place setup? Never have I seen a stem plants setup so 'loudly' presented. Now that is a sifu who knows the timing of of his stem plants and his mastering of trimming and fert dosing is really something I strive to learn.

Did you say that AQ has discussed this before? Hmm...I'll head over to digest and let you all know.

Updating this after Stan mentioned AQ. Didn't find it very useful especially with quotes like "Dose at 8.23am and 56seconds.. this is when the sun rises at an angle of 17degrees to the earth and the rotational field generated, along the axis of the moon on the other side, is just right for fertilizers."

Good one though. :P

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Isaac Goh©

Moss: Singapore, Taiwan, Weeping, Spiky, Erect, Xmas.

Pellia: Coral pellia, Normal pellia, Medium pellia?, Wild mini pellia.

Hi Isaac,
They obviously don't think it's important.
Good of you to strive for excellence and set goals.
Future Xiao kaki.
Me? i'm the opposite, stem plants to slow growers...crypts, mosses, ferns, echinodorus.
Life in the fast lane is only good if you do it for a living.
JMO

Regards

Stan

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So many aquascapes, so little time...http://www.my-mac.net/forum/

Not to insult anybody but fast plant are typically easy to be had and grown but a PITA to maintain.

[As if housework wasn't enough! there's the garden, the dishes, the discus food, etc]

Anyway for the sake of knowing at at least trying to some the i will ask around.

Regards

Stan ah

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So many aquascapes, so little time...http://www.my-mac.net/forum/