# Low tech tank questions



## xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx (Jul 12, 2011)

1. Yes you can dose dry ferts, it's pretty easy if you follow EI dosing for low tech tanks. Here's the calculator I use for all of my tanks http://calc.petalphile.com/ you just enter how many gallons your tank is, select us gallons, click DIY, select which fert you're dosing, select dry dosing, then select EI low light/weekly and it gives you the amount to dose into your tank, and you can just dose the ferts dry right into the tank.

I use a digital milligram/gram/ounce scale to measure out the exact amount of each fert, so I would recommend getting one. So because you'll be following EI dosing for low tech, it means you'll only be dosing your tank once a week.

I have a 45 gallon long high tech tank so I use EI dosing weekly schedule like this

Mon/Weds/Fri - Macro's (potassium nitrate KNO3/monopotassium phosphate KH2PO4/Potassium sulfate K2SO4)
Tues/Thurs/Sat - Micro's Plantex CSM+B 
Sun - 50% water change

2. Co2 will depend on how much lighting you intend to have on the tank, example - I have a 45 gallon long tank (48" x 13" x 19") with a T5HO quad lighting system which means I'm forced to have co2 because of the high lighting. With a low tech set up there's really not a need for a co2 injection system, and you can dose flourish excel which is a liquid carbon supplement for plants and replaces the need for a co2 injection system on a low tech tank.

3. Diatoms are very common in new tanks, and tend to go away after a few weeks as the tank matures. Also Otocinclus algae eaters love diatoms...


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## TECKSPEED (Jan 2, 2013)

Where did you get your dry ferts? GLA? Also I had an oto but he must of gotten taken out my one of my angels or platys. I'm not fond of them because after they clean the tank of diatoms I have had terrible luck with getting the to eat anything, not even cucumber. Amy other alternatives? 

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## TECKSPEED (Jan 2, 2013)

I thought if I start dosing ferts I would need co2? Plants rely on co2 heavily do they not? 

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## MondoBongo (Jul 21, 2013)

TECKSPEED said:


> I thought if I start dosing ferts I would need co2? Plants rely on co2 heavily do they not?
> 
> Sent from my LG-E980 using Tapatalk 4


depends on what kind of ferts, how much you're dosing, and how high your light is.

i am dosing micro nutrients to my low tech tanks right now, in addition to a liquid carbon source (SeaChem Excel).


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## tattooedfool83 (Mar 15, 2013)

TECKSPEED said:


> I thought if I start dosing ferts I would need co2? Plants rely on co2 heavily do they not?
> 
> Sent from my LG-E980 using Tapatalk 4


I watched a video earlier where the kid was explaining dosing the ei method on a low tech no co2 tank. He only dosed the dry ferts once a week opposed to every day. Said hes seen no algae problems.


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## TECKSPEED (Jan 2, 2013)

MondoBongo said:


> depends on what kind of ferts, how much you're dosing, and how high your light is.
> 
> i am dosing micro nutrients to my low tech tanks right now, in addition to a liquid carbon source (SeaChem Excel).


I have a finnex Fugeray for my fixture and a 20 gallon standard tank, its 14" from light fixture to substrate. Also, the liquid co2 (SeaChem) gets expensive...


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## TECKSPEED (Jan 2, 2013)

tattooedfool83 said:


> I watched a video earlier where the kid was explaining dosing the ei method on a low tech no co2 tank. He only dosed the dry ferts once a week opposed to every day. Said hes seen no algae problems.


Was he dosing all of the ferts at the same time? would he just combine them together on lets say monday let it go until sunday when he did a water change?


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## tattooedfool83 (Mar 15, 2013)

TECKSPEED said:


> Was he dosing all of the ferts at the same time? would he just combine them together on lets say monday let it go until sunday when he did a water change?


Yes exactly. He would get aquarium water, measure out the dry ferts and stir to dissolve in the aquarium. And still did 30-50% weekly water changes. He said he doses the ferts after his water change


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## TECKSPEED (Jan 2, 2013)

I have no co2 do you think that would work? I'm wondering if my light has high enough output

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## Lornek8 (Jul 3, 2013)

Tom Barr has written some articles about low-tech tanks using no co2 and using excel. In the articles he describes dosing once to a few times per week.

Water changes are done every few weeks to months.


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## tattooedfool83 (Mar 15, 2013)

Lornek8 said:


> Tom Barr has written some articles about low-tech tanks using no co2 and using excel. In the articles he describes dosing once to a few times per week.
> 
> Water changes are done every few weeks to months.


That's what this kids video was based off of. Tim barrs site


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## TECKSPEED (Jan 2, 2013)

Where is the best price for dry ferts? GLA, or from a member on here? I'm battling diatoms right now they aren't too bad but still bother me. Will this help or hurt the cause, by adding dry ferts? I'm guess once I add ferts the plants will grow faster and out compete the diatoms for nutrients which will help the diatoms dissappear 

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## Lornek8 (Jul 3, 2013)

tattooedfool83 said:


> That's what this kids video was based off of. Tim barrs site


Figured so much. Just thought I'd mention it as why go to the kid when you can go to the master.


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## xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx (Jul 12, 2011)

I get my dry fertilizers from GLA - http://greenleafaquariums.com/aquarium-fertilizer.html


With a low tech tank you'll only dose once a week, whereas since I have a high tech tank, I'm dosing macro's 3 times a week, and micro's 3 times a week on alternating days like this.

Here's my weekly dosing schedule for my high tech tank...

Mon-Weds-Fri - Macro's (kNO3/KH2PO4/K2SO4)
Tues-Thurs-Sat - Micro's (plantex csm+b)
Sun - 50% water change

Whereas for a low tech tank your dosing schedule will be

Monday - Macro's
Tuesday - Micro's
Sunday - water change


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## TECKSPEED (Jan 2, 2013)

I just ordered the dry ferts for the EI dosing method and picked up some cheap tubberware to put the ferts in. Just need measuring spoons.

Im battling diatoms right now, will the ferts help the plants grow faster which will dwindle the diatoms? Please clearify this for me.

Thanks


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## xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx (Jul 12, 2011)

Diatoms occur in newly set up tank, and should go away once the tank starts to mature. Fertilizers will help the plants get the nutrients they need in order to grow, but co2 helps plants to correctly process the nutrients, so I would suggest either a co2 system or dosing flourish excel to the tank.


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## TECKSPEED (Jan 2, 2013)

Update guys, I ordered metricide 14 and dilute that with distilled water, been adding that for a while now gonna start dosing the dry ferts this Monday, macros on Monday and micros on Tuesday then water change sunday

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