Seachem's Flourish

[Bill M.]

In my quest to have a beautifully planted tank, I bought a bottle of flourish at petsmart, got the internet price of $7.99. Todays my wc day, so I changed my water and added like half a capfull of flourish, one capfull is for 60 gallons and mines 29. I don't know how well it will work but we'll see. Any personal opinions or experiences with the product would be greatly appreciated!!!!
Thanks!

[Algenco]

Seachem has a good line of ferts, which one did you get?
You need comprehensive for macros and trace for micro. Flourish Excel provides a good carbon source

[hungryhound]

Seachem has a good line of ferts, which one did you get?
You need comprehensive for macros and trace for micro. Flourish Excel provides a good carbon source

Algenoc is correct, in that you need to balance macro- and micro-nutrients. To further clarify, your macro-nutrients are nitrogen, potassium and phosphate (NPK). Your micro-nutrients are all the other nutrients that the plants need in small increments, including iron.

Personally, I have found the bulk fertilizers that you can pick-up from Greg Watson or Rex Grigg to be more economical and work wonders for macro-nutrients. I use Flourish for my trace, however, I am thinking about switching to CSM-B (a powdered trace) for my trace, just because of the cost.

Here is Rex Grigg's site, it has good information on fertilizers as well as a fair price for them:
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[Lady Hobbs]

You must be kidding. How is a lame brain like me supposed to know all that stuff. Do you have a tester for everything?

[hungryhound]

You must be kidding. How is a lame brain like me supposed to know all that stuff. Do you have a tester for everything?

The only tester I have is for Nitrate, and so do you :ezpi_wink1:.

I dose my tanks via the estimated index method (EI method). In this method you fertilize NPK three times a week and micro-nutrients and Iron three opposite days a week and then do a 50% wc each week. Here's what my dosing schedule looks like:

Sat: 50% wc, dose macros
Sun: micros
Mon: macros
Tues: micros
Wed: macros
Thurs: micros
Fri: nothing

It is pretty easy as long as I remember to do it. It's late and I am tired, if you'd like a better explanation of the EI method let me know and I can get to it tomorrow.

[zackish]

I finally got my paypal account linked to my bank account and I just send Rex a PM and e-mail about ordering my combo pack.

[Bill M.]

The only tester I have is for Nitrate, and so do you :ezpi_wink1:.

I dose my tanks via the estimated index method (EI method). In this method you fertilize NPK three times a week and micro-nutrients and Iron three opposite days a week and then do a 50% wc each week. Here's what my dosing schedule looks like:

Sat: 50% wc, dose macros
Sun: micros
Mon: macros
Tues: micros
Wed: macros
Thurs: micros
Fri: nothing

It is pretty easy as long as I remember to do it. It's late and I am tired, if you'd like a better explanation of the EI method let me know and I can get to it tomorrow.

I would love a better explanation.. I just need to find a micro supplement...

[Dave66]

You must be kidding. How is a lame brain like me supposed to know all that stuff. Do you have a tester for everything?

T'aint rocket science, Hobbsy. I use Florish daily, Excel on the weekends after water change, and get all the trace from from a quality substrate, C02, good lighting and water changes. Once in a blue moon I add a little K. Lot of EI proponents I know, but my plants grow like crazy anyway and if it ain't broke, I don't fix it.

Dave

[Bill M.]

So I should be adding the flourish comprehensive more than once per WC?

[Bill M.]

So I should be adding the flourish comprehensive more than once per WC?

[Dave66]

Up to you, Bill. With my pressurized Co2 providing the carbon, I just use Excel once a week as published literature claims it has more benifit than just carbon. Been doing the Excel thing for ages, and haven't found a reason to quit.

Dave

[RobbieG]

I use mine once a week (after WC) there no particular reason not too use it more often - its just a waste (in my case)

[hungryhound]

I would love a better explanation.. I just need to find a micro supplement...

As people are noting there are many different strategies to dose plants and no one is really better than the other. The key is to find the one that works for you and your tank. Everyones tank is different and you need to find the balance of Fert, Light and plants.

Now for better clarification of what I do.

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]
What is it?

Estimative Index was created By Tom Barr to be a simple method for dosing nutrients to planted tanks without the need for monitoring nutrient levels using test kits. Basically the aquarist doses the tank with a slight excess of nutrients throughout the week to prevent anything from running out and does a large water change at the end of the week to prevent anything from building up. In this way we can provide a close approximation or ‘Estimative Index’ of the nutrient levels during the week as we know what is being added and also what is removed in the water change. Estimative Index works best with high light systems and well planted tanks, but can be adapted for lower light systems by reducing the dosing.

The fertilisers are the Macro Nutrients – Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K) and the Micro Nutrients (or trace elements) which include Tropica Plant Nutrition, Seachem Flourish, CSM+B and chelated trace mixes.

The process of dosing is fairly simple. Each day (less for lower light systems) the fertilisers are dosed according to general guidelines based on tank size. At the end of the week a 50% water change is performed to reset the nutrient load in the tank. Then the process is restarted again. The 50% water change is just a guideline and doesn’t have to be followed but doing a larger water change will have greater accuracy of nutrient levels.
Explanations of how and how much follow at the link abiove.

I find this works well for me, but I am also using CO2 and have a very heavily planted tank. (See 46 gallon in my blog.) The one thing that I do differently is that i do not dose nitrogen at this time as my biolode is high and supplies all of the nitrogen that my plants need.

so here is what my dosing looks like

1/8 tsp KH2PO4 3x a week
1/8 tsp K2SO4 3x a week
5 ml traces 3x a week
5ml Iron 3x a week