# hardness for anubias???



## dukydaf (Dec 27, 2004)

You can have Anubias at KH~0° dKH. That being said, in tank without CO2 injection they tend to do better when they can use the carbonates (KH) to get CO2. They are some of the few aquarium plants which can do this. A low GH (<3°dGH) would be more likely to cause problems.

If you plant to continue to use RO water to lower your KH, I would strongly recommend getting a GH and KH test.


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## Cookie_discus (Aug 22, 2015)

I have API kh test kit but I dont have the gh one but will purchase one soo . So dont never let the gh drop below 3?


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## dukydaf (Dec 27, 2004)

Basically yes. It would be more safe with GH ~ 5. You can use a remineralizer product targeted for Crystal Red Shrimps, like Shrimp King GH+ or Salty shrimp. This will only increase your GH and not your KH.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi Cookie_discus,

Most Anubias species are terrestrial or semi-terrestrial growing along the waters' edge. That said they can be grown submerged without CO2 but they will grow more quickly with CO2. All plants need calcium and magnesium as nutrients for proper growth so some water hardness is necessary. I agree with dukydaf that a 5.0 dGH is probably a good target number; you should be able to grow both soft and harder water species with that amount of hardness.


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## Cookie_discus (Aug 22, 2015)

Ok I will try stable the GH at 5 by mixing a little bit tap water with the ro water or I just get something like GH plus. Those GH plus they dont increase KH and PH? By the way I do have feed my fish once a day so do I need to add any nutrient on the side?


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## dukydaf (Dec 27, 2004)

Cookie_discus said:


> Ok I will try stable the GH at 5 by mixing a little bit tap water with the ro water or I just get something like GH plus. Those GH plus they dont increase KH and PH? By the way I do have feed my fish once a day so do I need to add any nutrient on the side?


Shrimp King BeeSalt GH+ or SaltyShrimp Bee Shrimp Mineral GH+ are designed for shrimps that also like KH~0 and a lower pH, thus they will be what you want. 

On the nutrient side of things it is harder to answer. If the anubias and other slow growing plants ( java fern, bucephalandra etc.) are the only ones present in the aquarium and the light level is low,you can likely omit the extra fertilizer. A small dose of trace fertilizer with extra K (Potassium) once a week might be enough


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## Cookie_discus (Aug 22, 2015)

dukydaf said:


> Shrimp King BeeSalt GH+ or SaltyShrimp Bee Shrimp Mineral GH+ are designed for shrimps that also like KH~0 and a lower pH, thus they will be what you want.
> 
> On the nutrient side of things it is harder to answer. If the anubias and other slow growing plants ( java fern, bucephalandra etc.) are the only ones present in the aquarium and the light level is low,you can likely omit the extra fertilizer. A small dose of trace fertilizer with extra K (Potassium) once a week might be enough


Yes Anubias is the only specie plant I do and my light is just the current usa freshwater satellite which is only 15W in total with white and blue light but I only use the white light and dim it to around 70-80% power. I am wondering if API Leaf Zone will going to work for the extra K and iron?


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## dukydaf (Dec 27, 2004)

I don't know the conc of API Leafzone but it seems to cover those, minimal fertilization is enough. 

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk


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## Cookie_discus (Aug 22, 2015)

dukydaf said:


> I don't know the conc of API Leafzone but it seems to cover those, minimal fertilization is enough.
> 
> Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk


Any other brand is good?


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## dukydaf (Dec 27, 2004)

Frankly for Anubias only I would not bother with fertilizers, they get most of what they need from the fish food/metabolism and water changes. If you have specific problems it helps to know which problems and remedy only those. 

However if you want to be sure and an easy way, you could get Seachem Flourish, JBL Florapol ( also has a lot of K and traces), Easy Life line or Tropica Plant Fertilizer. You could also make your own solution for K from K2SO4. As Anubias are mainly slow growers, I do not see there is a risk of running low on traces really.


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## Savetheplants (May 24, 2016)

I don't think you need to add traces because the Anubias will get that from water changes. You should pamper them with micro nutrients and add some Potassium Sulfate or Potassium Chloride. I get a Potassium deficiency in my Anubias when I don't add K. I add 1/8 teaspoon per 20 gallons Potassium Sulfate 3 times a week. This eliminated my problem with holes in leaves. Dustin at Dustin's Fishtanks says his friend Scott melted his Anubias with water that was too soft. I wouldn't worry about traces, Nitrate or Phosphate. Just add micros and some Potassium and don't let the water get too soft.


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## spidrman68 (Feb 15, 2017)

I grow anubias in water of PH6.6 and a KH3. It grows great and flowers frequently.


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## Cookie_discus (Aug 22, 2015)

So I just need something like Seachem Flourish Potassium? For trace which is something like Seachem Flourish right? Also what about iron, do I need to worry about that?


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## dukydaf (Dec 27, 2004)

Seachem Flourish has Potassium, iron and traces. There are also very small amounts of Nitrogen and phosphate. So seachem Flourish alone is enough, maybe you could 3ven get by at half the recommended dose


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## Cookie_discus (Aug 22, 2015)

dukydaf said:


> Seachem Flourish has Potassium, iron and traces. There are also very small amounts of Nitrogen and phosphate. So seachem Flourish alone is enough, maybe you could 3ven get by at half the recommended dose


Isnt I have to avoid supplement that contains many different kind of elements in it which will casing problem? I am thinking of getting the Flourish potassium for weekly dose and Flouish iron when I need to dose and keep my gh at 5. Is this sound great? I have many fish in the tank and I feeding them a lot so I think addition nitrogen and phosphate would be too much and cause algae?


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## dukydaf (Dec 27, 2004)

Yep that sounds even better. But i would switch Iron with Flourish and keep the schedule you stated. 

At the amounts stated by Seachem, they will likely be a small % of what you get from fish metabolism but Flourish will also add some traces. Better add enough to be sureplants are healthy. Like I said, Anubias are undemanding slow growing plants. This is perfect as it gives you a lot of playroom with regards to fertilizers and lets you focus on fish.


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## Cookie_discus (Aug 22, 2015)

dukydaf said:


> Yep that sounds even better. But i would switch Iron with Flourish and keep the schedule you stated.
> 
> At the amounts stated by Seachem, they will likely be a small % of what you get from fish metabolism but Flourish will also add some traces. Better add enough to be sureplants are healthy. Like I said, Anubias are undemanding slow growing plants. This is perfect as it gives you a lot of playroom with regards to fertilizers and lets you focus on fish.


So full dose of the Flourish potassium and half dose of the Flourish once a week? I dont really need iron supplement right? By the way I just noticed that the tips of some of the leaves are getting a little bit yellow or brown.


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