Sure u can use Sera Long as substrate alone.......50 bucks says u will have a carpet of algae within 2 weeks.

as u said its nutrient rich...what plants do u have that extract that nutrient from the top surface????...MR ALGAE.

holland sand is use to cover the nutrients...if your plants are healty the roots will find its way to those nutrient.

mixture....fill the bottom of thank with 2 inch of holland sand...then ...pour in the long term fert...in 3 footer...a 5kg pack would get u an inch in thickness...on top of that ...put in 2 inches of holland sand.

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

With Mr. Algae alone can't propagating so fast. You need Mrs.Algae also...

In easier way to to understand why using holland sand. coz holland sand just pure gravel without any fertilizer. Covering the base fert to prevent it to release to water. If you are just using the base fert without any gravel cover it on top. Then, the water will full of nitrient. Once the photoperiod is on, the algae will first grow before your plants. Beside that, too many base fertilizer released in water will kill some of your fishes.

If you guys hv any problem to understand the 'term and condition' of setting of a planted tank. I am welcome anyone of you to come over to my place. Please ring me to arrange the date n time. But pls don't FFK after arranged.

Hahahaha! Joker!

Sera long? Are you guys talking about Sera floredepot?

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

Lucky I ask. If not I am going to put Sera fertilizer on top and will end up with Mr and Mrs Algae.
The reason I intend to use this method is because ADA have their fertilizer soil on top. That's why I thought I can use this method as well for Sera fertilizer.
Thanks to Ari and Dom for their advise.

By the way Dom I am from Penang. Anyway to post the 'term and condition' in this forum?

What? ADA using fertilizer on top?
Are you read it wrongly?

Normally we are using ADA power sand or power sand special at the bottom. Then only the Bacter 100 and the rest of powder form fertilizer. After that, put a layer of ADA soil which can be amazonia, malayan, africania...etc.

If you are using Power Sand Special. Then you dont need the powder fertilizer. This is because of the Power Sand Special contained the fertilizer. Remember...Power Sand or Power Sand Special is not the sand or gravel which we use on top layer in planted tank. That is the processed pumice + peat which is for bacteria to grow.

Missed this, so KG, are you doing stock clearance anytime soon? haha
---------

Hi Ryan,
Sera floredepot is meant to be a base fertiliser. if you pour the contents out and pour water in, there will be a lot of floating dried peat like substance. So it is always recommended to cover it with some heavy gravel like holland/lapis over it before adding water.
Base fert is generally meant to be a thin 1.5-2 in layer at the back and sloped to zero at the front then a 2 inch layer of inert gravel like holland/lapis sand over it.
Some use netting[plastic ones] to keep the layers separate so that when they do rescape or pull out a plant, the layers don't mix.

Same with ADA Aquasoil[top layer]+Powersand/Powersand special[base layer] which according to witness reports, work very well in combination as some plant roots actually glued themselves to the bottom layer glass!
Powersand is all about feeding the aerobic bacteria that converts organic detritus into nitrate and other harmless substances for a healthy aquarium.

The reason the nutrient rich base is separated from the water column is because initial breakdown of proteins/mulm are NH4+ which are algae food and is a known green water cause.

FYI, the substrate and plants leaches nutrients into the water, so always aim to plant heavily in the beginning stages to reduce algae problems. The idea of starving algae is really outdated. The new picture is more about getting the plants growing well.

As an analogy, algae is like cancer, if you live long enough, you'll get all sorts of cancer.
If your plants are really slow growing/not growing and doesn't renew it's leaves quick enough, chances are high some algae will be able to attach to it.

Regards

Stan

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

HI Dom
To be more precise what I meant is ADA Amozonia powder put on top.
The bottom will be power sand.

ADA Amazonia soil and powder are the same. (Not Amozonia) Just The soil is bigger size and powder is the smallest size. It is not the fertilizer.

Power Sand is not the fertilizer as well. Power Sand Special contained the neccessary fertilizer and material needed.

Hi DOM
Thanks for the correction.
As per my understaind ADA soil such as Amazonia (ha ha I spell it correctly this time) do contain some chemical which plant use as fertilizer. That's why it is call fertile soil. I read thru some forum and a lot of people think the same.
Maybe we are wrong and you are right.
Anyway thanks.

Yes. It is fertile soil. But it is not contained very high fert. But just some neccessary mineral and nutrien for the root to grow. You can use it as base fert if you want to. But then, if you are using the whole set of ADA. And Amazonia, Africana and Malayan playing as a role of soil instead of base fert.