# Seachem Advance



## LFM

Has anyone tried this product yet? Is it any good? What plant fertilizer is it an improvement on or what does it replace?


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## Hazol

LFM said:


> What plant fertilizer is it an improvement on or what does it replace?


It doesn't replace anything. It's nothing else but plant hormones, amino acids and vitamins mixed with some fertilizer.

This is from their website:

Derived from: Potassium Chloride, Potassium Phosphate, Sodium Phosphate, Calcium Chloride, Magnesium Chloride, Amino acids, Ascorbic Acid, Sugar Alcohols, Phytohormone salts

I think it supposed to do the same thing as ADA green gain.

You can give it a try, but don't expect wonders from it.


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## LFM

Yeah I read the info on website but just wanted to bounce it off people on this site cause I'm already dosing with Flourish, Iron, Excel, Trace, and Potassium. Just wondering if Advance can replace some of these. To tell the truth I first started off with Flourish, Iron and Excel and I couldn't imagine how my plants could look any better just using the trio but I thought I'd give Trace and Potassium a try just to see.


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## Hazol

LFM said:


> Just wondering if Advance can replace some of these.


No it can't. It's not fertilizer.


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## LFM

Hazol said:


> No it can't. It's not fertilizer.


So then does anyone have any experience with it? Would anyone recommend it?

Bump:


Hazol said:


> I think it supposed to do the same thing as ADA green gain.
> 
> You can give it a try, but don't expect wonders from it.


Oops just noticed this comment...thanxs


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## spore

I bought a bottle and am currently dosing it. I am only two doses in, so nothing particularly magical has happened yet. 
I will say this though... Seachem has a knack for making all of their products smell palatable. For instance, I swear that Flourish Comprehensive is just bottled soy sauce. This Advance smells(and actually kind of looks) like sweet and sour sauce


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## Jeff5614

Hazol said:


> It doesn't replace anything. It's nothing else but plant hormones, amino acids and vitamins mixed with some fertilizer.
> 
> This is from their website:
> 
> Derived from: Potassium Chloride, Potassium Phosphate, Sodium Phosphate, Calcium Chloride, Magnesium Chloride, Amino acids, Ascorbic Acid, Sugar Alcohols, Phytohormone salts
> 
> I think it supposed to do the same thing as ADA green gain.
> 
> You can give it a try, but don't expect wonders from it.


Yep, sounds a lot like Green Gain, but it's a whole lot less expensive. I may give it a try and just fill up my Green Gain bottle with it . I do like those ADA bottles.

If you look at the whole Aquavitro planted lineup it seems to mimic ADA's line of ferts.


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## longgonedaddy

spore said:


> I bought a bottle and am currently dosing it. I am only two doses in, so nothing particularly magical has happened yet.
> I will say this though... Seachem has a knack for making all of their products smell palatable. For instance, I swear that Flourish Comprehensive is just bottled soy sauce. This Advance smells(and actually kind of looks) like sweet and sour sauce


You might be on to something with the Flourish! Phosphate and nitrate, eh, maybe not. :wink2:


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## LFM

spore said:


> i bought a bottle and am currently dosing it. I am only two doses in, so nothing particularly magical has happened yet.
> I will say this though... Seachem has a knack for making all of their products smell palatable. For instance, i swear that flourish comprehensive is just bottled soy sauce. This advance smells(and actually kind of looks) like sweet and sour sauce :d


lol


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## haydns

Seems similar to Florin Axis which was labelled by some as "snake oil" ???


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## longgonedaddy

spore said:


> I bought a bottle and am currently dosing it. I am only two doses in, so nothing particularly magical has happened yet.


Any updates? Other than putting in your stir-fry? :wink2:


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## dru

Anyone else using this?


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## longgonedaddy

I'm waiting for it to be available at my outlets. Looking forward to giving it a shot.


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## houseofcards

LFM said:


> Yeah I read the info on website but just wanted to bounce it off people on this site cause I'm already dosing with Flourish, Iron, Excel, Trace, and Potassium. Just wondering if Advance can replace some of these. To tell the truth I first started off with Flourish, Iron and Excel and I couldn't imagine how my plants could look any better just using the trio but I thought I'd give Trace and Potassium a try just to see.


Not sure what your setup is like, but in most cases you need Flourish, Potassium, Nitrogen, Phosphate and I guess Excel. You really don't need extra Iron and the Trace product. You could go a much cheaper route with dry ferts, but if your sticking with Seachem that's the way I would go.


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## latchdan

Saw this at the fish store, they said they were using it on their display tanks. I'm wondering if its like that root hormone that you use for terrestrial plants to get them to root better. Except this is dosed in the tank instead of directly to the cutting.

Any more updates on using this stuff?


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## longgonedaddy

I just started using it today. I have a Vesuvius sword that never really liked to root, so that will be my test plant. It has quite a few roots, but they are all less than a half inch. If it gets substantial roots, I'll call this a winner.


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## latchdan

longgonedaddy said:


> I just started using it today. I have a Vesuvius sword that never really liked to root, so that will be my test plant. It has quite a few roots, but they are all less than a half inch. If it gets substantial roots, I'll call this a winner.


My blyxa never roots. They have it for sale on Amazon but it must be new as it doesnt say the volume of the bottle.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01JS2UGAE/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473553628&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=seachem+advance


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## infolific

I used it not too long ago along with a bunch of the other Seachem ferts. I didn't notice anything I felt was related to Advance.

I've since switched to EI and I'm using up the bottle of Advance in part to supplement calcium and magnesium although I realize the amounts are low. I've got about 29 days left before the bottle runs out so I'll once again be looking for an impact at that time.


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## longgonedaddy

latchdan said:


> My blyxa never roots. They have it for sale on Amazon but it must be new as it doesnt say the volume of the bottle.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01J...sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=seachem+advance


I got mine from Drs. Foster and Smith


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## Bad Kitty

longgonedaddy said:


> I got mine from Drs. Foster and Smith


 I got mine from there as well, way cheaper. I used it in my 5 gallon with high light, injected c02 and the regular ferts. I got extreme root growth from "red rubin" and my DHG started sending shoots out like crazy. I introduced it to an already established routine and noticed difference. Fair warning the roots on the "red rubin" grew almost an inch over night and has feathers on it (no its not algae). It looks like white strands of moss streaming through my nano tank. I actually like the look of it.

On another note after using it for about 2 weeks and switching down to the twice a week I noticed that almost each node had new stem growth. Not sure if it was a direct result of the Advance but the plants were in there for near 2 months and had steady growth but now its like franken-plant.


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## longgonedaddy

Bad Kitty said:


> I got mine from there as well, way cheaper. I used it in my 5 gallon with high light, injected c02 and the regular ferts. I got extreme root growth from "red rubin" and my DHG started sending shoots out like crazy. I introduced it to an already established routine and noticed difference. Fair warning the roots on the "red rubin" grew almost an inch over night and has feathers on it (no its not algae). It looks like white strands of moss streaming through my nano tank. I actually like the look of it.
> 
> On another note after using it for about 2 weeks and switching down to the twice a week I noticed that almost each node had new stem growth. Not sure if it was a direct result of the Advance but the plants were in there for near 2 months and had steady growth but now its like franken-plant.



Red Rubin sword?


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## Bad Kitty

Oh sorry I always heard it called Red Rubin. Its a type of Ludwigia Repens. I grow it in the 5 gallon to sell trimmings because it is easier to get the leaves red with the low depth and when they get about 6" or so I sell them. But the growth is definitely increased once you get past the 10-14 daily dosage point and go to twice a week. I'm a believer.


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## longgonedaddy

longgonedaddy said:


> I just started using it today. I have a Vesuvius sword that never really liked to root, so that will be my test plant. It has quite a few roots, but they are all less than a half inch. If it gets substantial roots, I'll call this a winner.


Well, so far, nine days later, the Vesuvius still hasn't done much. My Frogbit however has seen significant root growth. 

All my other plants are well rooted, and non-floaters, so I dont have much to go on. So mixed results so far.


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## Hoppy

I'm in the thinking stage of developing something in a bottle that will use hypnosis on the plants to make them really, really want to grow nicely.:nerd:

I will test it on my H. pinnatifida. That plant really has a negative attitude.


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## PEdwards

I had the opportunity to pick Seachem's tech folks' brains this Summer and asked some questions about Flourish Advance. 

1. To say it's not a fertilizer is a mis-statement. It contains numerous elements needed for plant growth and as such is a fertilizer. It just doesn't have nitrogen.

2. It's best used as a growth aid when introducing new plants or after a trimming. The phytohormones (gibberellic acid, auxins, cytokinins, etc) it contains stimulate root growth and development of new buds/side shoots. 

3. Does it have a significant and "magical" effect on growth stimulation? Probably not to the level people expect when compared to growth gained from general fertilizing. In theory, and in my opinion as a plant scientist, all of the components of Flourish Advance will contribute to plant growth and health. Related to #6, I added pure kelp extract to running planted tanks and saw noticeable improvement in growth. I also saw an increase in algae growth. Dose carefully and don't exceed the recommended dose on the label.

4. Seachem has a proper lab staffed by knowledgable scientists and tests the [censored][censored][censored][censored] out of their products before releasing them. 

5. I haven't used it myself so take this with a grain of salt. My statements are based on one scientist asking pointed questions of other scientists away from all the marketing BS that most folks get.

6. I would only use it after major trimmings and wholesale rescapes, not as a regular supplement.

7. Florin Axis - I used to work for Brightwell and it's Critic Acid (a la the Krebs or Citric Acid Cycle) with some humate and kelp extracts mixed in. That being said, all of those things can and do contribute to plant growth and the kelp extract does contain phytohormones. I've tested it in multiple tanks and did notice a growth increase relative to no carbon systems. Again, that being said, it doesn't produce results like CO2 injection does; that's far and away the best option for carbon supplementation.

Cheers,
Phil


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## PEdwards

Oh yeah, as an aquarium industry related note from an industry insider: 

1. All manufacturers are businesses whose purpose is to make money and pay their employees. Most companies honestly do care about their customers and want to see them succeed. No success = no sales and a bad reputation. Most companies, and I emphasize MOST, aren't in business to rip off the consumer or squeeze blood from the proverbial hobbyist's stone.

2. Selling supplements in liquid form increases profits by diluting the raw ingredients, thereby reducing per-unit cost. The profit margin 15 lbs of dry KNO3 is much less than the same amount mixed into 50 gallons of water. See #1

3. VERY VERY VERY few companies target the advanced aquarist, especially the plant folks. The majority of freshwater, and to a lesser degree, saltwater supplements are targeted at the general consumer for a couple of reasons. a) There are a whole lot more of them, b) their standards are lower than ours; we demand a lot more of our plants than just adding a bit of green to a tank, c) serious hobbyists have different supplement demands than the general consumer and source materials from other businesses.

4. I know it's a hard pill to swallow, but other than perhaps the hardcore shrimp folks, serious planted tank hobbyists are the smallest fraction of an already niche segment of the *US* hobby/industry. No US manufacturer could stay in business if they depended solely on domestic sales of planted tank supplements. Small businesses like GLA and other boutique enterprises are a different matter entirely.


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## longgonedaddy

PEdwards said:


> I had the opportunity to pick Seachem's tech folks' brains this Summer and asked some questions about Flourish Advance.
> 
> 1. To say it's not a fertilizer is a mis-statement. It contains numerous elements needed for plant growth and as such is a fertilizer. It just doesn't have nitrogen.
> 
> 2. It's best used as a growth aid when introducing new plants or after a trimming. The phytohormones (gibberellic acid, auxins, cytokinins, etc) it contains stimulate root growth and development of new buds/side shoots.
> 
> 3. Does it have a significant and "magical" effect on growth stimulation? Probably not to the level people expect when compared to growth gained from general fertilizing. In theory, and in my opinion as a plant scientist, all of the components of Flourish Advance will contribute to plant growth and health. Related to #6, I added pure kelp extract to running planted tanks and saw noticeable improvement in growth. I also saw an increase in algae growth. Dose carefully and don't exceed the recommended dose on the label.
> 
> 4. Seachem has a proper lab staffed by knowledgable scientists and tests the [censored][censored][censored][censored] out of their products before releasing them.
> 
> 5. I haven't used it myself so take this with a grain of salt. My statements are based on one scientist asking pointed questions of other scientists away from all the marketing BS that most folks get.
> 
> 6. I would only use it after major trimmings and wholesale rescapes, not as a regular supplement.
> 
> 7. Florin Axis - I used to work for Brightwell and it's Critic Acid (a la the Krebs or Citric Acid Cycle) with some humate and kelp extracts mixed in. That being said, all of those things can and do contribute to plant growth and the kelp extract does contain phytohormones. I've tested it in multiple tanks and did notice a growth increase relative to no carbon systems. Again, that being said, it doesn't produce results like CO2 injection does; that's far and away the best option for carbon supplementation.
> 
> Cheers,
> Phil



Thanks for the insight Phil!


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## PEdwards

Sure thing!


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## irishspy

PEdwards said:


> I had the opportunity to pick Seachem's tech folks' brains this Summer and asked some questions about Flourish Advance.


Thanks for posting this: it's the kind of product information I've been looking for. I've been using Advance for the last couple of weeks to help start some crypt parva I planted. What's interesting is that there's not been nearly as much melt as I expected -- just a couple of leaves.


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## Baddi

Hi,

I know this thread is a little dated, but I thought I would share my observations with Flourish Advance. 

I have used it for a while last year, with a break of several months and have begun using it again last week and have verified the following:

It definitely promotes root growth in plants. They shoot out like crazy. 

It definitely produces a lot of brown goop. -At least in my tank. It could be that it interacts with something unique in my tank but I now have brown goo in my intake sponges for my filters, brown goo in my Fluval C3, and my new Eheim is probably loaded with it (Although I haven't opened it up as it has not yet been running a full month). The green tubes leading to and from the Eheim have the goo as well. 

So, I would have to agree with PEdwards:"I would only use it after major trimmings and wholesale rescapes, not as a regular supplement."

Anyone else have this experience?


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