Fert suggestions for a low tech tank

[azrider]

I have a 40 gallon high (same height and width as a 55 gallon, but only 3 feet long,) low tech set up. It has a mixture of eco complete and fine gravel as a substrate, 10x hour turnover on the filtration, and two double 18 watt bulb T-5 fixtures (72 watts total.) The plants are vallesnaria, rotalla, hygrow, anubius, some small crypts, and ludwiga. (I know, I can rattle off latin names for fish like a machine gun, but can't even spell the common names for plants...) It is very well stocked, and gets a 50% waterchange once a week. My water is kind of a liquid rock, pH is 8.2 and the hardness is off the scale. I am looking for suggestions for fertilzing the tank. So for this tank:

1) Should I even be fertilizing?
2) If so, what should I be adding, and how much?
3) Will the stem plants absorb enough of the nutrients to preven algae from going out of contol?

[king army ranger]

are you using co2 if not you might want to consider a diy system a 2 bottle system should be fine for a tank that size in keeping with the low tech mind set, as for fertilzer i am not an expert but i think some flourish excel should do the trick, alothough excel adds co2 so maybe trace.

[azrider]

I am actually not wanting to add CO2 to this tank. It currently houses a breeding trio of Bristlenose Plecos, and a young group of wild caught Apistograma macmasteri. I have heard horror stories of DIY and low cost CO2 being inconsistant enough to cause health issues with the livestock if something goes wrong. For me, I set up a tank around the fish. I also value consistancy over extensive playing with the water chemistry. Thanks for the suggestion though, I should have mentioned my aversion to CO2 in my first post.

Can the plants I have absorb ferts from the water, or are they root feeders? Does that make a diffrence?

[Steve Hampton]

I think you'll find that adding a broad spectrum commercial fertilizer will be all that is needed. Iron will probably be the first issue you'll see as deficient. At your high pH iron is available for a shot period, even EDTA Iron is pH dependent. Personally I would choose Tropica Pant Nutrition Liquid because it uses a much stronger chelate. You could also place solid fertilizer tabs into your substrate near the base of your Crypts and Vals. The other plants will do find from what is in the water column.

[gregg]

Since you are not going with CO2 you could try Flourish Excell to add carbon to the water column. I do not know if the Lidwiga or Rotalla will do well in your modest lighting however.
I have a fairly similar tank, a standard 40 gallon with 84 watts of T5 lighting and hard water/high pH. I add some Flourish Excell every week and my plants (Amazons, crypts, jave fern, jungle val) are doing fine, albeit not exactly overgrowing the aquarium.
Nice looking tank, by the way!

[azrider]

Thanks for the suggestions. The planted tank club that I am in suggested that the Lidwiga or Rotalla might not do great, but they both have done outstanding. Part of what I love about keeping tanks is experimenting. Don't ask how many watersprites I killed before I gave up on that one.

I will try the excell, and look at the other suggestions as well. Thanks all.