Is it bad to dose before bedtime?
Is it bad to dose before bedtime?
I'm running a 10-gallon planted tank with anubias barteri, a mystery anubias, unknown sword, jungle vallisneria, and ludwigia repens. My fertilization routine includes Seachem Iron, Flourish, and Flourish Excel on a pretty basic schedule. Thing is, I'm not perfect - sometimes I forget to dose in the morning, and other times I remember, but not till I'm shutting off the lights. Do my plants still make use of the ferts in the dark, or should I just wait till the next morning?
Re: Is it bad to dose before bedtime?
I'm of the opinion that dosing time isn't that crucial - fertilizers hang around in the water till the plants need 'em. That being said, I gotta advise you to ditch the Excel ASAP - I think it's a recipe for disaster when it comes to your fish's health. Go easy on the fertilizers, I'm a firm believer in under-dosing if I add any at all.
Re: Is it bad to dose before bedtime?
Thanks for the input, I actually reduce the Excel dose to 3/4 and it's been a year now, no issues so far.fineman wrote: ↑Fri Jan 24, 2025 1:03 pm I'm of the opinion that dosing time isn't that crucial - fertilizers hang around in the water till the plants need 'em. That being said, I gotta advise you to ditch the Excel ASAP - I think it's a recipe for disaster when it comes to your fish's health. Go easy on the fertilizers, I'm a firm believer in under-dosing if I add any at all.
Re: Is it bad to dose before bedtime?
It matters, and it matters more to the fish than the plants. The truth is, none of these plant additives are welcomed by fish. Adding them at the end of the day, when fish are trying to relax, is just causing them more stress. You see, any additives or medications should always be added during the early part of the fish's day, when the tank lighting is on. Never add them at the end or in darkness - it's just common sense. This will only stress the fish even more because of the darkness and the disruption of their natural rest.
Now, I completely agree with fineman about Excel. It's a highly toxic and dangerous chemical that shouldn't be used in a tank with live fish. Just because the fish may seem to be okay, doesn't mean they're not being seriously affected. All substances added to the water get inside the fish by osmosis, entering the bloodstream and internal organs. Excel contains glutaraldehyde, a highly toxic disinfectant used to sterilize surgical instruments in hospitals. That's how potent it is. This stuff doesn't belong in an aquarium.
There's more natural CO2 in the average aquarium than most people realize. Except in high-tech systems, plants will have enough. Just balance the light and other nutrients to match. Flourish Iron is not needed, and it's likely causing issues for both fish and plants. Flourish Comprehensive Supplement is a balanced nutrient additive, where the nutrients are in the correct proportional balance with each other. This is important because too much of some nutrients can cause plants to shut down assimilation of other nutrients. Iron is one of these, and it's a heavy metal. Most conditioners detoxify heavy metals for a reason, so their addition for plants should be minimal and controlled.
Now, I completely agree with fineman about Excel. It's a highly toxic and dangerous chemical that shouldn't be used in a tank with live fish. Just because the fish may seem to be okay, doesn't mean they're not being seriously affected. All substances added to the water get inside the fish by osmosis, entering the bloodstream and internal organs. Excel contains glutaraldehyde, a highly toxic disinfectant used to sterilize surgical instruments in hospitals. That's how potent it is. This stuff doesn't belong in an aquarium.
There's more natural CO2 in the average aquarium than most people realize. Except in high-tech systems, plants will have enough. Just balance the light and other nutrients to match. Flourish Iron is not needed, and it's likely causing issues for both fish and plants. Flourish Comprehensive Supplement is a balanced nutrient additive, where the nutrients are in the correct proportional balance with each other. This is important because too much of some nutrients can cause plants to shut down assimilation of other nutrients. Iron is one of these, and it's a heavy metal. Most conditioners detoxify heavy metals for a reason, so their addition for plants should be minimal and controlled.