# Seaweed Extract



## Gordow (Jul 10, 2005)

Has anyone tried using liquid seaweed extract as fertiliser in their planted tank? It works wonders for garden plants and I'm curious to know if it is safe to use in aquariums. The seaweed extract we have locally is called Seasol and is made from sea kelp.

There is a PDF available with analysis of the product found here. It has a fair amount of Iron (300ppm) and Iodine in it as well (120ppm) and stacks of other trace elements. I did notice that it is fairly alkaline (9.5-10.5 pH) so it may adjust pH levels over time.


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## jake (Feb 20, 2004)

Besides having 9 or 10 things (including iodine) I'm not too sure I'd want in my tank, it certainly doesn't look like it allows for separate dosing of macros and micros.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

Why add anything to the tank unless you believe it will solve some problem you have? Fertilizing isn't difficult just using basic, cheap chemicals, so I haven't seen a reason to look for an alternative.


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## TINNGG (Mar 9, 2005)

Ooo the burning question. I found a package of some seaweed mix in some seeds I'd forgotten I had. Ooops. I kinda figured it ranked up there with fish emulsion though for plant fertilizer.

Now, what I want to know is has anyone been brave enough to see if SuperThrive is safe. I've heard some amusing results from overdoing it on garden plants (it's not a fertilizer; more of a vitamin supplement).

BTW, for those of us who are "organic", the word "chemical" has a whole bunch of unpleasant associations and also brings about the question: There are oodles of organic alternatives for our garden plants - alfalfa meal, blood and bone meals, sea weed, fish emulsion, various manures. Why has nobody come up with an alternative for our aquarium plants? (well, besides feeding the fish too much)


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## New 2 fish (Dec 26, 2004)

Hmm.. interesting question. To me, something as simple as nitrate, phosphate or potassium sulfate is about as basic and clean as it gets. You're talking about one or two different elements in each compound. Is this worse than organic, or is it as clean? To me, it sounds clean.
No methylethylbadstuff, just what is needed....


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## Gordow (Jul 10, 2005)

I just saw it as a possible simplified means to replace the other fertilising methods people use. It only costs ~$12AUS for a litre and far cheaper then buying Seachem or Duplaplant.


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## jake (Feb 20, 2004)

Using dry ferts is cheaper than $12 a litre... probably about by $11.65 or more, for the same nutrients.

The thing about organics is that you're adding organic matter to a closed and limited system, and not on the ground in your garden which is connected to the continent on which you live. I know that hydroponic growers use a lot of organic fertilizers and you could probably grow some pretty good plants using the same stuff, but I doubt they have livestock in their water.
When you get right down to it, a person is adding that organic stuff in hydroponics because it contains the same chemicals that most of us add straight. They probably need some of the extra mojo that comes with the organic ferts because they don't have some of the natural processes where they grow their plants that we have going on by their own accord in the aquarium.

That and I am not going to dose bat poop for phosphates.


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## Ransom (Mar 3, 2006)

TINNGG said:


> ...BTW, for those of us who are "organic", the word "chemical" has a whole bunch of unpleasant associations...


At this very moment, your aquarium may contain potentially dangerous levels of dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO)!!! Read more about it here: http://www.dhmo.org/ :icon_eek:


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

We are all free to experiment with whatever equipment or fertilizers we want to try. So, if someone wants to try a seaweed extract in their tank, then they should do so, but all of us benefit when the results of such trials are reported here. So, my vote is for Gordow trying the stuff, but promising to let us know what happens when he does. A lot of things that sound "wrong" are found to work well by some people - using cat litter as a substrate, for example.


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## TINNGG (Mar 9, 2005)

Ransom said:


> At this very moment, your aquarium may contain potentially dangerous levels of dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO)!!! Read more about it here: http://www.dhmo.org/ :icon_eek:


I read that... Isn't that like...H2O? Am I missing something?


The reasoning behind organic fertilizers in the garden is that it actually improves the soil whereas straight fertilizer (say, 10-10-10) tends to do little other than help the plants grow at the expense of the soil. Errr.... There are no trace elements or anything in it.

What - nobody wants to toss bat guano in their tanks? LOL!


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

Several have used guano.
Several use worm castings.


The soil is better with organics due to the carbon sources added, NPK alone is not much and does not foster and diversed community of bacteria and by products of their metabolism.

This can impact different taste etc .
Ecologically this is better and from many folk's taste buds it does also.
But farming, the rawness of of it, the inorganic ferts tend to be the best.

For our tanks, well, we have a fair amount of carbon from the plants/mulm accumulation is fine initially but as things get gooey and dirty, we do not want "mud" like a terrestrial system.

So in organic ferts work well, they are also easy to test for and measure and are bioavailable, whereas many organic ferts are broken down slowly etc.

This makes them very hard to measure and needing different test methods to do so.

I toyed with the idea of oerganic ferts for planted tanks about 5 years ago.

But non CO2 tanks do this well as it is.
You will get the best results by adding a bit of both in there.

As we do anyway(unless you have no shrimp, snails, fish etc).

Of course many of you love to herbicides(simazine, copper, peroxide, bleach etc)

I generally don't unless it's on non living equipment etc.



Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## SammyP (Apr 26, 2006)

TINNGG said:


> BTW, for those of us who are "organic", the word "chemical" has a whole bunch of unpleasant associations and also brings about the question: There are oodles of organic alternatives for our garden plants - alfalfa meal, blood and bone meals, sea weed, fish emulsion, various manures. Why has nobody come up with an alternative for our aquarium plants? (well, besides feeding the fish too much)


if i was eating or smoking my aquarium plants i probably would want to grow them organically. since i'm not ingesting it, i see no reason for it.


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## TINNGG (Mar 9, 2005)

SammyP said:


> if i was eating or smoking my aquarium plants i probably would want to grow them organically. since i'm not ingesting it, i see no reason for it.


<slight laugh> I don't eat or smoke my hostas or roses, but other than some bulb food I dumped on my daffodiles this year, they haven't seen anything inorganic since they left the nursery - 6-7 years ago. Should take a picture of the hosta that decided it liked the hooch I was dumping out of a DIY co2 bottle - and I was trying to avoid getting it on the plant. Darned thing still doubled in size from last year to this.


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## Hypancistrus (Oct 28, 2004)

Robert Hudson has some exclusive root tabs he calls _Natural Advantage RootGrow Tabs_ available at Aqua Botanic. They contain sea kelp, which he says "...provides a natural hormone that enhances root and leaf growth."


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

Why not name the *chemical* hormone?

hehe

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## Bombay (Mar 3, 2006)

Ransom said:


> At this very moment, your aquarium may contain potentially dangerous levels of dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO)!!! Read more about it here: http://www.dhmo.org/ :icon_eek:


Ramson, I failed to see how DHMO would be present in an aquarium. I didn't see any parallels between uses and aquariums. I am sure I missed something. Perhaps you can elaborate for all of us.

Oh, wait. I do think my loaches belong to the Church of Scientology. :icon_eek: 

I've wondered about the organic benefits also. I do try to use organics in my terrestrial gardening. As mentioned in other posts, continued use (perhaps overuse) of synthetic ferts in the garden leads to salt build-up...which, from what I understand, kills off the microbe activity in the soil...basically making it sterile. That is the argument anyway. Organic ferts seem to be higher priced than their synthetic counterparts too. That has been my experience when shopping for organic lawn ferts.

Tom brought up a good point though. Synthetics are readily avail for plant uptake, while organics have to breakdown before they are used. This might pose a problem with keeping consistent levels of the ferts in the water column. I certainly see this when using the organic ferts on the lawn. It takes forever to get an organic greenup.


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## Ransom (Mar 3, 2006)

Bombay said:


> Ramson, I failed to see how DHMO would be present in an aquarium. I didn't see any parallels between uses and aquariums.


Dihydrogen monoxide.... di-hydrogen mon-oxide... 2-hydrogen 1-oxygen... Are you quite sure there's none of that in your aquarium?:eek5:


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## Bombay (Mar 3, 2006)

Ransom said:


> Dihydrogen monoxide.... di-hydrogen mon-oxide... 2-hydrogen 1-oxygen... Are you quite sure there's none of that in your aquarium?:eek5:


Completely POSITIVE! I use 100% MonOxy Dihydrogen. It is more readily available in this part of the country.

I've been had! Ok, I confess, I bit the hook. You and Rex must be in cahoots. I think that made my day.

Okay Ransom. Remind me to take you Snipe hunting the next time you are in Houston. Or perhaps you are interested in buying a dozen ECO-Aqualizers?


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## TINNGG (Mar 9, 2005)

Bombay said:


> I've wondered about the organic benefits also. I do try to use organics in my terrestrial gardening. As mentioned in other posts, continued use (perhaps overuse) of synthetic ferts in the garden leads to salt build-up...which, from what I understand, kills off the microbe activity in the soil...basically making it sterile. That is the argument anyway. Organic ferts seem to be higher priced than their synthetic counterparts too. That has been my experience when shopping for organic lawn ferts.
> 
> Tom brought up a good point though. Synthetics are readily avail for plant uptake, while organics have to breakdown before they are used. This might pose a problem with keeping consistent levels of the ferts in the water column. I certainly see this when using the organic ferts on the lawn. It takes forever to get an organic greenup.


Compost man. I'm surrounded by trees, and have horses. Plenty of organic fertilizer there. LOL!

Blood meal breaks down faster than most nitrogen sources, which incidentally can be a mixed blessing in a rose garden - the sudden burst of energy draws aphids like a magnet, and if the lady bug larvae aren't out yet... aiiiii!


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## SammyP (Apr 26, 2006)

plantbrain said:


> Why not name the *chemical* hormone?


yeah its kindof funny to me. my moms an organic nut! shes always buying organic milk and vegetables and anythign organic because they dont contain 'chemicals'. i'm like... my whole body is made of chemicals! the whole plantet is chemicals! everything is made up of chemicals of some kind! i know thats not what she means though. i just like messing with her.


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## TINNGG (Mar 9, 2005)

SammyP said:


> yeah its kindof funny to me. my moms an organic nut! shes always buying organic milk and vegetables and anythign organic because they dont contain 'chemicals'. i'm like... my whole body is made of chemicals! the whole plantet is chemicals! everything is made up of chemicals of some kind! i know thats not what she means though. i just like messing with her.


Some of the chemicals used in commercial agriculture aren't found in nature though. And they're forever deciding some pesticide is too risky to use anymore. (likely because it was pushed through and approved with inadequate testing to start with but that's neither here nor there)

But...as I commented to my riding instructor a few weeks ago when I went to the grocery store with her, just because a pesticide is organic does not mean it's safe. Some I can think of offhand are the nicotine based one and sulfur.


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## badassone (Sep 30, 2013)

I use Alaska liquid kelp fertilizer for hydroponics(get it at homedepot) works well for all plants in my tank and cheaper than aquarium liquid ferts .I don't add salt to my tank so not an issue of too much salt. but it discolors the water a bit. i just stick to 1 drop per gallon. learned it from an old friend he uses it in his pond .


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## badassone (Sep 30, 2013)

As with anything you put in your tank do your research first plants as well as fish may be sensitive to ingredients in the fertilizer. but algae dont discriminate they grow faster with terrestrial fertilizers so beware.


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## WendyF (Sep 19, 2013)

Two guys at my LFS have both recommended I try it one drop per gallon once a week as a starting point then to adjust the dosing as my plants and/or algae respond. They're pretty well respected by the hobbyists in my area. I just did my 1st dose last night. It did discolor the water for a few hours & it left small slimy clumps on some of my leaves. They dissolved when I swished them around with my hand. I am new at plants, but the guys who told me to try it say they have been using it for over a year with very good results. I will let you know how it goes. I think I will dilute it in some tank water before dosing next week as I don't like things collecting on my leaves.


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## badassone (Sep 30, 2013)

my plants are thriving.but you need to be careful with the amount you use, one drop per gallon once a week seems to work well for me.but like I always say everyone says it wont work till someone tries it and proves them wrong.as for the clumps you have to shake the bottle well before you dose.


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## Greg Dickson (Mar 25, 2021)

WendyF said:


> Two guys at my LFS have both recommended I try it one drop per gallon once a week as a starting point then to adjust the dosing as my plants and/or algae respond. They're pretty well respected by the hobbyists in my area. I just did my 1st dose last night. It did discolor the water for a few hours & it left small slimy clumps on some of my leaves. They dissolved when I swished them around with my hand. I am new at plants, but the guys who told me to try it say they have been using it for over a year with very good results. I will let you know how it goes. I think I will dilute it in some tank water before dosing next week as I don't like things collecting on my leaves.


I've just joined this forum, and 7 years later am wondering the same thing. Interestingly, if you compare the Seachem analysis with Seasol, they're similar. The only ingredient in the Seasol that varies significantly is the sodium content. I'm going to try for the 1 drop per gallon rule, which I'll round in metric to 1 drop per 4 litres per week.


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