# Seachm Ferts for Low Tech Tank



## sfsamm (Apr 3, 2017)

I used solely seachem in all my tanks over the years until recently when I started a tank that is medium high lighting and they didn't suffice. I'm not sure 100% on beams work but especially in a std 55 I do believe seachem will likely be perfectly suitable for it.  

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## Maryland Guppy (Dec 6, 2014)

Why not buy an all in one product like Thrive
It will last a long time and maybe only 1 or 2 1/4 doses per week.
It will be cheaper to I reckon.


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## irishspy (Oct 22, 2007)

I used the full line of Seachem for quite a while and learned two things:


From a user here, a Seachem rep told him the doses were geared toward low-light plants. Your plants should be fine for that.
However, keeping up with the schedule was annoying after a while, and buying all the replacements got pricey. I switched to an all-in-one fertilizer (Aquarium Co-Op's Easy Green and Easy Iron), and it's been much simpler and I've been getting better results.

I'm sure you'll do fine with Seachem (I would just do Flourish, Trace, the root tabs, and Excel until you figure out if you have any specific deficiencies), but I find the all in ones much more convenient and less expensive.


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## Kubla (Jan 5, 2014)

From the Seachem website. "Description
Flourish® is a comprehensive plant supplement for the natural freshwater aquarium. It contains a rich assortment of important micro elements, trace elements and other nutrients. These include calcium, magnesium, iron and other important elements that have been shown to be beneficial to aquatic plants. For macro element (NPK) fertilization, use Flourish Nitrogen™, Flourish Phosphorus™ or Flourish Potassium™ as needed. Flourish® is safe for invertebrates such as shrimp.

Flourish® is designed to be used in conjunction with other macro and micro-nutrient supplements. Other manufacturers try to include ALL necessary nutrients, leading to overdoses of micro-nutrients in an attempt to raise macro-nutrient levels."

So on the front of the bottle, and in this first sentence they tell you that it's everything you need for your plants, "comprehensive plant supplement.." then they go on to tell you the other 3 products you need to purchase from them. Overpriced, misleading and confusing. I don't like to support this kind of garbage. I've got nothing but honesty and fair deals from NiloCg.


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## sfsamm (Apr 3, 2017)

In all honesty, personally I'd put root tabs under the crypts and only dose excel to start. You may not even need water column ferts, it'll depend on how much lighting is actually reaching the substrate. Like I said previously I'm not familiar with the beams works in particular but with the depth of the 55 and what I've heard about them your likely to be in a low light range still at the substrate of the tank. If you start seeing issues (after the crypts melt and do their thing of course) then add additional ferts if they are necessary. You may find tabs are sufficient. 

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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

I think Seachem needs to update some material. I agree it’s misleading when they say comprehensive. But I do believe this is based on a fish tank with some plants in it and not a “Planted Tank.” And what I mean by this is that they marketed the product for LFS and most of those people used lower light and just had a few plants for their fish tanks. 

When you talk on a “Planted Tank” forum it’s the other way around and the product falls short of being comprehensive for those type of hobbyists.


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## BulletToothBoris (Jan 17, 2013)

With those plants you don't need ferts.


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## AbbeysDad (Apr 13, 2016)

I think the post relative to bio-load is important. In what I would call the average fish tank with plants, a product like Flourish Comp alone, in conjunction with fish food and fish waste may be all you need...especially in what's referred to as low tech. Even a heavily planted low tech tank would be fine. When lighting is increased and CO2 is added, extra ferts are required for faster plant growth needs. Products like Thrive and Easy Green also work, although the dose may be reduced. With a low bio-load, extra ferts are required. 
Again, it's all about the balance of light and nutrients, relative to plant and bio-load.

Footnote: I don't think you need Excel.


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## Boostr (Dec 8, 2016)

sfsamm said:


> In all honesty, personally I'd put root tabs under the crypts and only dose excel to start. You may not even need water column ferts,
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


I think I would need water column ferts cause of my Java Fern and Anubias Nana attached to the drift wood.


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## sfsamm (Apr 3, 2017)

Boostr said:


> I think I would need water column ferts cause of my Java Fern and Anubias Nana attached to the drift wood.


Both gave always done well for me in tanks I didn't add ferts to, and actually I have both in a medium light full EI dosing tank and they aren't doing much if any differently than a low light tank with no water column ferts.... I am a fan if excel so I've dosed that regularly almost always regardless of extra ferts. My ferns have suffered a couple times with phosphorus in the higher light tank, but they crypts did significantly improve after EI dosing in the tank.

I always like to start minimal and build up if it's needed.  

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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

Like any other plant, ferns, anubias, mosses will grow faster if you increase photosynthesis. No reason to think they would be different. In my high-light tank the ferns and anubias pearl like crazy from the high o2 production. Their low-light designation only refers to their ability to live in low-light.


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