# Big Al's Multi-Purpose Plant Food Supplement



## KaspR (Jun 18, 2009)

Can any of the experts in here provide me the pro's and cons of Big Al's Multi-Purpose Plant Food Supplement?

From all the threads ive read on here excel is the better option however does the BA supplement add co2 as well or is it simply nurtient additives?

Although the bottle states does not promote algae growth is this accurate?

All in all, how effective is the supplement, i mean i use it and have had a planted tank for about a year now, but compared to other solutions aside from c02 injection....

Asa side note i have discus in the tankl and add black water additive as well...will the combination do more harm than good?


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

KaspR said:


> From all the threads ive read on here excel is the better option however does the BA supplement add co2 as well or is it simply nurtient additives?


BA's supplement and Excel are two different products. The former is a micronutrients mix, while the latter is a alternative carbon supplement.

BA's supplement does not add CO2, and neither does Excel. However, the latter is a carbon alternative.



KaspR said:


> Although the bottle states does not promote algae growth is this accurate?


No. BA's supplement does not provide macronutrients (NPK) that plants require. If you limit these macronutrients, algae will be able to form.



KaspR said:


> All in all, how effective is the supplement, i mean i use it and have had a planted tank for about a year now, but compared to other solutions aside from c02 injection....


Again, you cannot compare BA's supplement with any kind of CO2 injection and/or CO2 alternative.

BA's supplement does what it is supposed to do (add micronutrients), but is quite expensive when compared with bulk chemicals (dry fertilizers), which are significantly cheaper.



KaspR said:


> Asa side note i have discus in the tankl and add black water additive as well...will the combination do more harm than good?


There should be no adverse effects from adding black water additive and fertilizers to your aquarium.


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## KaspR (Jun 18, 2009)

perfect thanks for the explanations and details!!


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

If you're looking for a trace and micronutrient supplement you can do better (as with anything) than Big Al's brand. Their foam and airline tubing are great at a very reasonable price though.


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## KaspR (Jun 18, 2009)

To be honest i dont know what the best soltuion is for my aquarium, as i said the plants seem to do fine however have had a couple die.

is excel recommednded above nutrients, or combination?


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

KaspR said:


> is excel recommednded above nutrients, or combination?


You cannot rank one above the other. Plants require both nutrients and a carbon source (whether it be CO2 or an alternative carbon source such as Excel) to do well.


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## BettaBeats (Jan 14, 2010)

I recently started dosing macros in my 10 gallon and I swear by it! I bought them for ~$10 each for a 500mL bottle on MOPS.ca .
I had new growth almost the same day. It is important to monitor the tank carefully as too much nutrients can cause algae, like the gross stuff thats covering some of my plants leaves. (I was purposely overdosing phosphorus and nitrogen to get algae blooming for my gobies, but I got this crud in the one corner on my marsilea crenata)

I also do a single 1L bottle of DIY CO2 that I would vouch as *very* important. In fact, in you have enough fish for a good bioload you might only need CO2 to start seeing changes, such as pearls, brighter green leaves, rapid growth, etc.

Photosynthesis is based on the amount of light available, the amount of nutrients the plants need to convert CO2 into Oxygen, and how readily CO2 is available. Temperature also plays a role and I have found ~76F is an optimal spot for my light and nutrient conditions.

The great thing about Seachem macronutrients is that they come in individual bottles N, P, K, and can be dosed at different rates. Plus they are pretty watered down so it is harder to OD the tank. Not impossible, but less likely to be able to screw it up.

If you have some money (~$40) you can get a lot of nutrients for a fair price. I will admit that dry ferts are far less expensive, but I can't be bothered to do the math to get the correct solution. And for 50 cents you can get a plastic syringe from Shoppers Drug Mart to help you dose proper amounts.

Again, I'm pretty new, but I was suprised at how fast my plants turned around, how lush they grow, how vibrant the colours are, and PEARLS!


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## Jsu (Dec 4, 2009)

can you give some examples of GOOD or highly recommended dry fert?


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

Jsu said:


> can you give some examples of GOOD or highly recommended dry fert?


Really, there are only a few chemicals you need;

Potassium nitrate
Potassium dihydrogen phosphate
A trace mix (i.e. CSM+B)

You can also use potassium sulfate and/or magnesium sulfate, but this is dependent on your water.

For more information, take a look at the article I wrote up here:

http://gtaaquaria.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11247


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