Beginner low-tech planted tank dosing
Without injected CO₂, plants grow slowly. They need far less fertilizer than an EI sheet suggests, and overdosing mostly feeds algae.
A simple starting plan
- Once a week, after a 25–30 % water change, dose a small all-in-one: about 5 ppm NO₃, 0.5 ppm PO₄, 5 ppm K and 0.1 ppm Fe added per week. Open it for 20 US gal.
- If fish load is heavy, you may need no nitrate at all; fish waste supplies it.
- Root feeders (swords, crypts) benefit from root tabs in the substrate.
- Watch new leaves for 2–3 weeks before changing anything.
Commercial products for low-tech
Tropica Premium Nutrition (no N or P) is aimed at tanks with few plants and many fish; Specialised Nutrition adds N and P for denser planting. Seachem Flourish is a micro/trace supplement, used once or twice a week. See exact doses for your volume in the product library.
Algae checklist
- Light duration of 6–8 hours is usually enough.
- More fast plants (floaters, stems) out-compete algae.
- Cut doses in half before adding chemicals to fight algae.
Shrimp in low-tech tanks
Low-tech tanks are popular for shrimp. Keep trace doses lean, since copper is toxic to invertebrates at low levels, and check your tap water's copper.
Where to buy · Retailer links coming soon.
Open the dosing calculatorMore guides
Sources
- Barr Report: lower dose frequency for low light
- Tropica Premium Nutrition: for tanks with many fish
- Tropica Specialised Nutrition
- Seachem Flourish: dose and copper note
Written in our own words from the sources above. Numbers are educational starting points; check product labels and your water.