# Flourish to use or not to use?



## PinoyBoy (Mar 14, 2008)

Using flourish for your micros might get a bit expensive, is there anyway you can get CSM+B?


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## Jorge_Burrito (Nov 10, 2010)

The lights you have are fine, but you are pretty low light overall. Except for your water sprite/wisteria all your plants are low light plants though so they might be OK with your current setup, although growth will be slow. Adding a very small amount of Fluorish is probably a good idea to provide trace elements for your plants, especially if you end up adding more light. Except maybe if you accidentally dump a whole bottle in it is safe for fish


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## SearunSimpson (Jun 5, 2007)

With it being so low light, just keep an eye on how much you're adding and watch for changes (both good and bad). Your plants will probs benefit, but I wouldn't add any vals, or if you do, keep an eye- Flourish is notorious for causing it to melt. Not all people have this experience, but enough have to have the reports around.


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

Believe it may be flourish excel that reportedly affects some plant's negatively.
Flourish comprehensive is trace element as opposed to liquid carbon(excel). Shouldn't harm the plants.


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## ktownhero (Mar 21, 2011)

SearunSimpson said:


> Your plants will probs benefit, but I wouldn't add any vals, or if you do, keep an eye- Flourish is notorious for causing it to melt. Not all people have this experience, but enough have to have the reports around.


I think you are confusing Flourish Comprehensive (what the OP is talking about) and Flourish Excel.


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## HolyAngel (Oct 18, 2010)

Wish we knew what the par was in there  
I would use flourish comprehensive for sure as long as you're sticking with the low light, it should still be cost effective as A) you won't have to dose it much at all and B) it covers all the nutrients. With that low light you shouldn't need to dose anything else. You may even be able to get by with just root tabs for those plants in there(just make sure they're complete root tabs, like RootMedics and not just mostly iron).


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## Buff Daddy (Oct 19, 2010)

^ +1

Flourish and Flourish Trace are decent liquid ferts. I'd only use Excel for needed carbon injection or spot treating algae (with a syringe/eye dropper). You may also want to consider using API Leaf Zone as an alternative to Flourish. I'm using all of these to some extent in my 75, with good results. I also use my own homemade "root roids" in conjunction to them.

30W over 44G... definitely no need for any sunscreen in your tank. :wink: Plants will probably grow very slowly, and you really may do better with root ferts over liquids.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Buff Daddy said:


> 30W over 44G... definitely no need for any sunscreen in your tank. :wink: Plants will probably grow very slowly, and you really may do better with root ferts over liquids.


Yeah, I agree- this is REALLY low lighting. Good chance your stems won't do so well, and if they don't I think lighting will be the issue more than nutrients in this particular case.

Anubias, crypts, mosses, java ferns should do fine, though.

I wouldn't go overboard with ferts at all. Either stick with root tabs or dose lightly after water changes.


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## SearunSimpson (Jun 5, 2007)

OH SNAP! Yeah, I mis-read the OP post. I thought it was Excel.


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## lightheart (Feb 22, 2011)

Thanks Everyone for your replies, I'm glad I posted because now I know the light is really low. I will plan on keeping a bunch of low light plants and be patient with their growth. 

I'm going to try the flourish, it will work out to about 13 cents a dose which isn't that bad since I'm not planning on doing any other things (chemical wise) for now. The bottle willl last ~ 69 treatments so it will give me some time to read up and figure things out more.

Next thing I have to decide is what to do with the filter, it has a spot for 2 cartridges, one of which you can fill with whatever you want, in that spot I have a used filter from the established tank thinking that it will add the good stuff... gotta decide which if any of the rock looking products to put in the refillable long term. The other spot I'm using the regular blue media, carbon filled filter.

As most can probably tell - I don't really know what I'm doing! :icon_redf so far so good though!


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## Disco Dan (Mar 17, 2011)

SearunSimpson said:


> With it being so low light, just keep an eye on how much you're adding and watch for changes (both good and bad). Your plants will probs benefit, but I wouldn't add any vals, or if you do, keep an eye- Flourish is notorious for causing it to melt. Not all people have this experience, but enough have to have the reports around.


I use Flourish Comprehensive - 1-2ml per day

All my twisted val melted. They would send out runners and show new growth but when each one reached about a cm high they would melt/die. 

Straight val is classed as a weed here and was made illegal to sell it here. Twisted val is allowed though... strangely. 

I dont wish to sound paranoid here but they could be related. 

I have not been happy with Flourish but there is no other options at my lfs. Either the comprehensive or all of the individual elements - also by Flourish in individual bottles. 

A few years ago I used to buy this great product but cannot remember the name - came in a tiny 10ml green dropper bottle. One drop per day was enough for brilliant plant growth. But cannot find it anymore. 

I would be interested to know if ferts can be imported? 

But getting off track... +1 for melting vals with flourish though!


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