# Planted Tanks > Fertilisation and Algae >  lushgro fertilizer for plant tank?

## Wst

Hi sifu im confuse what sort of fertilizer i need to dose?looking at lushgro product.

Tank 5x2.5x2.5
Lighting: t5ho 80wx06 on for 8 hours
Co2 inline diffuse.
Ada soil

Plant consist of staurogyne repens,blyxa japonica,fissdens on lava rock.
And monte carlo carpet plant.

So for this setup which types fertilizer will be good.

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## milk_vanilla

Looking at your light intensity and diffuser, I would suggest you start from EI method, and customize your best recipes, according the plant observation .

There's lot of EI calculator and kick start ingredients from google. 


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## Wst

> Looking at your light intensity and diffuser, I would suggest you start from EI method, and customize your best recipes, according the plant observation .
> 
> There's lot of EI calculator and kick start ingredients from google. 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Hi how to i do the calculation?as im quite new to plant.tks for the advice

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## Wst

If I'm using lushgro Aqua for my 800 litre tank so I will be dosing 80ml for the tank right?so 1 weeks have to dose how many time?

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## Wst

examples if I want my N to reach 10ppm.i should do alternate dosing like 3 x a week per dosing try to reach 3ppm or one shot.quite confusing?EI mean weekly target?

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## milk_vanilla

Lushgro may not meant for EI, though it's still possible to achieve certain nutrients parameter for EI purposes, however it may not so cost effective and other unintended nutrients might build. You may try dry fertilizer instead or some specific liquid fertilizer (if budget is not really matter)


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## chong99

Hi, I use LushGro for all my planted tank. For me it is good and value for money.
As for EI methode, do a search on Tom Barr's posts on EI (estimative index) . 
In short, it is a estimate dosing methode, need not to be exact amount, dose more is ok but you MUST do water change weekly 30~50% and this may be challenging for you 800L tank... 
Happy aquascaping!...

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## Suzerolt

> Lushgro may not meant for EI, though it's still possible to achieve certain nutrients parameter for EI purposes, however it may not so cost effective and other unintended nutrients might build. You may try dry fertilizer instead or some specific liquid fertilizer (if budget is not really matter)
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I agree on this statement. Lushgro Aqua was created for PMDD methodology. This method provides supposedly 'just enough nutrients for plants'. This methodology limits phosphates (hence the reason why Lushgro Aqua does not contain phosphate) so that plants out compete algae for phosphates -> algae control.

Lushgro was not created for EI. 
You can still dose sufficient Lushgro Aqua to achieve EI methodology (i.e. non nutrient limiting => excess nutrients all the time. But execute a 50% water change to 'reset' the system weekly). As what Milk_Vanilla mentioned, its not the most cost effective method.

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## Suzerolt

> If I'm using lushgro Aqua for my 800 litre tank so I will be dosing 80ml for the tank right?so 1 weeks have to dose how many time?


Ideally you want to spread it out as much as you can. Best to split the weekly requirement to dose daily. If not practical, then once every 2 days is just as good.

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## Wst

Tks for all the advice.so that mean I can dose 3 time a weeks to achieve weekly ppm?let said I need 10ppm that mean per dose 3ppm a week 3 time?or 1 dose 10ppm 3 time a week?

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## Wst

Hi if im looking at dry fert any suggestion which 1 to buy?

N?
P?
K?

So which dry fert to buy ?even looking at lushgro website still confused with 1 to get

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## Suzerolt

Items in bold font are from Singapore Hydroponics website. The rest can be found in LFS.


I would get the following for the macros :

*- 1L bottle KNO3 (5%) liquid (SGP law allow only 5% solution to be sold. No dry powder allowed). Buy directly from Singapore Hydroponics shop in Lavender - For K & N
- 1 bottle Potassium Dihydrogen Phosphate (KH2PO4). Get the smallest bottle because you need very little. - For P*

For trace elements : *Get Lushgro Micro (liquid).* Or Seachem trace
For GH booster, get Seachem Equilibrium (for Calcium & Magnesium). About $8 per bottle

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## Wst

Ok tks for the advice shall go check it out

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## matashi

This EI method is so confusing. I have lushgro too and got no idea how to follow the dosing methods. I just follow the instructions on the bottles. So far I notice algae bloom fast every single week I dose. Treat it as food source for my ever hungry SAEs.

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## Wst

So what the ideas for individual ppm should I achieve for a week?

N ppm?
p ppm?
k ppm?

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## Suzerolt

I chatted with Dr Mallick & he specifically mentioned that his Lushgro Aqua series was created for the PPMD regime.
I too had algae bloom with Lushgro Aqua when attempting "EI" methodology with it. Just dial down on the amount added & your algae can be managed. From there, increase slowly.

IMO, always measure what you dose.
Know how much your take up rate for Nitrate (N) & phosphate (P) using a test kit. Not necessary to measure Potassium (K) as the test kits are quite expensive.
What i did for example : Measure on Sunday, then measure a couple of days later. From there, you know the take up rate per day.
Then dose accordingly using the excel or online calculator.

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## Wst

So if i want u dry fert for N i should get CaNo3+k2so4?is 2 different powder form right?how should i add in?add in directly into tank or mix this 2 power in a container then pour into tank?tks pls advice

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## Wst

How any advice of mixing the dry fert

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## Shadow

> So what the ideas for individual ppm should I achieve for a week?
> 
> N ppm?
> p ppm?
> k ppm?


NO3 range 10-30 ppm
K+ range 10-30 ppm
PO4 range 1-2 ppm
Fe range 0.2-0.5 ppm or higher

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## Shadow

> How any advice of mixing the dry fert


You can visit my blog http://www.aquatic-art.blogspot.sg/
scroll a bit and you should see fertilizer calculator on right hand side, not that use friendly though  :Razz: .

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## Wst

Yes looking at the roughly ppm target

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## Shadow

50 gram of CaNO3 will give you 29 ppm N
2.5 gram of KH2PO4 will give you 2 ppm P and 0.8 ppm of K
55 gram of K2SO4 will give you 28 ppm of K

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## Wst

[QUOTE=Shadow;804732]50 gram of CaNO3 will give you 29 ppm N
2.5 gram of KH2PO4 will give you 2 ppm P and 0.8 ppm of K
55 gram of K2SO4 will give you 28 ppm of K[/QUOTE

so do I need to add in to and distill water or can add directly into tank?

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## Shadow

You can dose directly since your tank is big. For smaller tank, it is necessary to dilute because small tank require few gram only and it is more difficult to measure few gram. As a solution, dilute it with distilled water and dose few ml each time.

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## Wst

> You can dose directly since your tank is big. For smaller tank, it is necessary to dilute because small tank require few gram only and it is more difficult to measure few gram. As a solution, dilute it with distilled water and dose few ml each time.


so example if I'm aiming for 30ppm for N ,I can dose like 3 x a week alternate days dosing 17gram of Cano3 right?then a week I will get roughly 30ppm right?

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## Shadow

Correct, you can split it and dose at different day

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## Wst

Ok tks bro

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## Wst

I got the kno3 liquid and stated 10ml of kno3 solution for 100litre will gave me 30ppm.so for my 790 litre tank I will need roughly 75ml dosage.and my doing EI so if will be like 25ml for Monday ,Wednesday and Friday.is it correct way?

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## Wst

Any also i got the lushgro micro and how much to dose?as read up should not exceed 5 drop at 1 time but if large tank 1 capful for 100 litre.quite confusing this part.anyone can advice?

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## Shadow

I'm not sure about the liquid KNO3 solution, is it 5% solution? how many ppm of nitrate does 10ml for 100 liter? 5ppm? If correct then 80ml for 800 liter tank will give only 5ppm

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## Wst

> I'm not sure about the liquid KNO3 solution, is it 5% solution? how many ppm of nitrate does 10ml for 100 liter? 5ppm? If correct then 80ml for 800 liter tank will give only 5ppm


10mi for 100litre gave 31ppm

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## Shadow

is that written on the bottle? 10 ml to 100 liter give 31 ppm is equivalent to 5 gram to 100 liter. If I calculate correctly, that should be over the limit allowed by Singapore regulation.

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## Wst

> is that written on the bottle? 10 ml to 100 liter give 31 ppm is equivalent to 5 gram to 100 liter. If I calculate correctly, that should be over the limit allowed by Singapore regulation.


yes is a 5%kno3 in the 1000ml.and instruction written (adding 10ml of this solution to 100 litre of water will give 19ppm K and 31ppm no3)

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## Wst

Hi anyone using the lushgro kno3 liquid solution?how much should i dose for my 790 litre tank?

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## Wst

And I also purchase the lushgro micros and for this how much ppm I need?

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## Wst

Sorry for the noob question but hopeless to get thing right.quite confuse at the lushgro micro.how much Fe do I need to achieve minimum ?

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## Shadow

Fe and Micro, just follow the instruction. Increase and decrease as needed, but normally the instruction is good enough.

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## sbladerz

> yes is a 5%kno3 in the 1000ml.and instruction written (adding 10ml of this solution to 100 litre of water will give 19ppm K and 31ppm no3)


Hi WST, so have you figured your dosage for the kno3 (5%) liquid? 
So are you dosing like 16ml of it 3 times a week on alternate days to give u 31ppm No3 and 19ppm K? 

Btw I am using the same one as you for N and K and I think I have been dosing it wrongly all these while.  :Sad:

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## Wst

> Hi WST, so have you figured your dosage for the kno3 (5%) liquid? 
> So are you dosing like 16ml of it 3 times a week on alternate days to give u 31ppm No3 and 19ppm K? 
> 
> Btw I am using the same one as you for N and K and I think I have been dosing it wrongly all these while.


i think I will be like per dosing 26ml for 3x a week .as my tank is 790 litre.what your tank size?

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## Shadow

If you have Nitrate test kit, you might want to test it. Dose 80 ml to your tank and it should register as ~30 ppm.

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## sbladerz

> i think I will be like per dosing 26ml for 3x a week .as my tank is 790 litre.what your tank size?


Mine is just a 20L tank and I have been dosing 4ml 3 times a week alternate days. 
I dose that based on some ei calculator. I guess that explain why my last water parameter check. My nitrate Lvl is about 80ppm. 
At least I still have no fauna yet.

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## Wst

I think u don't need to dose so much

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## sbladerz

> I think u don't need to dose so much


Yea. I guess 0.7ml 3times a week will do the job.

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## Shadow

based on 10ml -> 100L = 30ppm, you only need to dose around 0.7 ml each time.

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## sbladerz

> based on 10ml -> 100L = 30ppm, you only need to dose around 0.7 ml each time.


Thanks shadow! I have been dosing it wrongly for two weeks Le. Will there be any adverse effect on my plant growth? I still don't notice any algae as of now. Should I do more water change to bring down the nitrate level to around 30ppm?

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## Shadow

nope the plant would be very happy  :Laughing: , I miscalculate dosing for couple of years, I was though 30ppm is daily target  :Opps: . The nitrate level is high above test kit can measure, which is 160ppm. Plant healthy, algae non existence but cherry shrimps start dying that is when I re-read EI and discovered 30 ppm is weekly dose  :Exasperated:

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## sbladerz

> nope the plant would be very happy , I miscalculate dosing for couple of years, I was though 30ppm is daily target . The nitrate level is high above test kit can measure, which is 160ppm. Plant healthy, algae non existence but cherry shrimps start dying that is when I re-read EI and discovered 30 ppm is weekly dose


Haha. Poor Shrimps. But wouldn't there be excess nutrients which algae will make use of with the inaccurate excess dosage?

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## Wst

Hi shadow so mine tank is 790 litre ,so am i looking at 26ml per dose?3 x aweek to achieve 30ppm?

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## Shadow

> Haha. Poor Shrimps. But wouldn't there be excess nutrients which algae will make use of with the inaccurate excess dosage?


I do not believe to limit algae grow by limiting the nutrient. Freshwater algae is single cell, based on its dry body mass, it required negligible amount of nutrient to grow compare to plant. How are you going to limit nutrient where its needs are negligible?

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## sbladerz

> I do not believe to limit algae grow by limiting the nutrient. Freshwater algae is single cell, based on its dry body mass, it required negligible amount of nutrient to grow compare to plant. How are you going to limit nutrient where its needs are negligible?


I have never thought of it this way. Thanks for the elaboration!

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