# Switching to thrive but not sure which one



## p0tluck (Feb 17, 2017)

So I've decided that seachem comprehensive just is not giving my plants what they need so before i spend $30 I want to make sure I'm getting the right product and making the right decision, my tank is 55 gallon roughly 40 gallons of water as i have a thick substrate bed, Texas holey rock, drift wood etc etc which takes up water volume.. 

I don't know how to dose dry ferts so I'm not going to try until I actually research it, also I don't run co2 I use excel, so I'm in amazon looking at thrive and there are a lot if different ones but this one is what I think is what I need called thrive + but not sure, am I making the right decision on switching over? I already have a bit of green algae using just comprehensive which isn't as concentrated as thrive + excel every other day, if someone can show me which one I want /need would be greatly appriciated this is the one I thought I needed










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## AngeltheGypsy (May 2, 2017)

Thrive + is designed for tanks with shrimp. As far as I know that's the only difference. I have used Thrive, but I've also noticed it makes my nitrates shoot up by about 20 ppm. I don't dose more than once a week, and I've mostly switched back to flourish. My GBR doesn't seem to do as well with the higher nitrate. 


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## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

AngeltheGypsy said:


> Thrive + is designed for tanks with shrimp. As far as I know that's the only difference. I have used Thrive, but I've also noticed it makes my nitrates shoot up by about 20 ppm. I don't dose more than once a week, and I've mostly switched back to flourish. My GBR doesn't seem to do as well with the higher nitrate.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk




It's ThriveS that is for shrimp. That's what I use. It's different than Thrive or Thrive +. The OP just needs Thrive. 


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## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

This is what he needs. http://nilocg.com/thrive


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## AngeltheGypsy (May 2, 2017)

clownplanted said:


> It's ThriveS that is for shrimp. That's what I use. It's different than Thrive or Thrive +. The OP just needs Thrive.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk




Yep, you're right! 


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## p0tluck (Feb 17, 2017)

clownplanted said:


> This is what he needs. http://nilocg.com/thrive
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


That's cheaper than Amazon lol, so I honestly need to switch? I know its good and know dry dosing is better I just don't have the knowledge to do so I will either kill all the fish or I will have a full algae tank lol, my plants are not growing like they should and I constantly have to cut off bad leaves, ill be ordering that off the nilcog site as amazon is $10.00 more (baffled) 

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## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

p0tluck said:


> That's cheaper than Amazon lol, so I honestly need to switch? I know its good and know dry dosing is better I just don't have the knowledge to do so I will either kill all the fish or I will have a full algae tank lol, my plants are not growing like they should and I constantly have to cut off bad leaves, ill be ordering that off the nilcog site as amazon is $10.00 more (baffled)
> 
> Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk




Will end up saving about 2-3$ by ordering his site I think. Don't forget shipping cost where Amazon usually doesn't have. Why if I order NilocG stuff usually order a few things to save on shipping. 

Yes switch because it's cheaper in the long run and I personally find it better. I use to use seachem but long switched and will never go back. 


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## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

If you want something even cheaper and will last longer get this. It's so simple my dog doses my tank for me . It comes with everything you need. Then simply dose macro bottle on one day and micro botttle other day on alternating days. It's what I use for my 60 gallon tank after switching from seachem and could not be happier. I use ThriveS for my 20 gallon shrimp tank. http://nilocg.com/diy-ei-liquid-fertilizer/


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## p0tluck (Feb 17, 2017)

clownplanted said:


> If you want something even cheaper and will last longer get this. It's so simple my dog doses my tank for me . It comes with everything you need. Then simply dose macro bottle on one day and micro botttle other day on alternating days. It's what I use for my 60 gallon tank after switching from seachem and could not be happier. I use ThriveS for my 20 gallon shrimp tank. http://nilocg.com/diy-ei-liquid-fertilizer/
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Where do I get ro water, I don't have an RO system

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## Sugardaddy1979 (Jan 16, 2012)

p0tluck said:


> Where do I get ro water, I don't have an RO system
> 
> Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


You can buy it at the grocery store here in the USA.


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## p0tluck (Feb 17, 2017)

Sugardaddy1979 said:


> You can buy it at the grocery store here in the USA.


Awesome ty just placed my order of the micro and macro

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## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

Sugardaddy1979 said:


> You can buy it at the grocery store here in the USA.




And distilled water works also. 


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## p0tluck (Feb 17, 2017)

Okay so I've decided I want to go with the 500 ml micro/macro that clownplanted recommended, but here's the thing, I'm not to familiar with how this all works as I do have a bit of green algae on my lids and I have diatoms on my plants, I only use comprehensive and excel right now, will switching to the thrive help with the algae and diatoms or make it worse, I dose once a week my light isn't powerful so I've been told but if it wasn't I wouldn't have algae right? I honestly don't know.. I do know that thrive is way better than just flourish but what I'm worried about is getting it and boom my tank is an algae farm. 

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## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

Just don't over do it and you will be fine and will actually help rid of algae. The key is not excess. I would start off just dose macros and micros once a week. What I like to do is dose base off of need.

Do you know your nitrate and phosphate levels now? If they are low say less than 10ppm nitrate and less than .5ppm phosphate then you know it's a good idea to dose. If you are at 10ppm then no need. So if I were you I would dose starting off once a week each macro and micro. For dosing fertilizers less is more. Typically if your macro levels are low i.e. Nitrate, phosphate and K then you can safely assume your micro levels are low as well. 

Little tip for the micro bottle you mix. Put 5ml of excel in the mixed micro bottle as this will keep it from possibly molding. He tells you this also on his site. You can either add the excel to it or keep it in the fridge. Especially since your bottle will last you a long time this is important. 


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## p0tluck (Feb 17, 2017)

clownplanted said:


> Just don't over do it and you will be fine and will actually help rid of algae. The key is not excess. I would start off just dose macros and micros once a week. What I like to do is dose base off of need.
> 
> Do you know your nitrate and phosphate levels now? If they are low say less than 10ppm nitrate and less than .5ppm phosphate then you know it's a good idea to dose. If you are at 10ppm then no need. So if I were you I would dose starting off once a week each macro and micro. For dosing fertilizers less is more. Typically if your macro levels are low i.e. Nitrate, phosphate and K then you can safely assume your micro levels are low as well.
> 
> ...


I don't know my Phosphate right now I have to get a test kit/ pen but my nitrates are 15-20 that's at a 1.5 week pwc with no ferts added except the initial 1.5 weeks prior, I am getting more plants after I get rid of this darn ich, gonna get a few Vals, swords, ferns, moss, and something red to highlight the greens that can grow in a low/ medium light.. I know reds have to have iron which is probably why my flame leaf isn't doing so well just a guess though, the tips of my leaves turn brown die, leaves curl up and twist, I know I'm missing something. 

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## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

Do not think you can test phosphate with a pen so will need a test kit. The reason I say check is because as long as you have enough GH which should have K in it and if your nitrates and phosphates are high enough which seems like they are you may not need to dose macros as macros contain nitrates, phosphates and potassium. So you may just need a bit of micros and very rarely if your nitrates and phosphates drop below 10:.5 then could dose macros. Like I said less is more. 


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