Plant Food

[kimbo]

Wondering what people use and how often they add plant food. My plants are looking a little iron deficient and are obvoiusly not getting enough of my undivided attention. I just spend too much time staring at the fish!

[Oscar Sheila]

I didn't even know plants needed food.

[Ira]

I use a mix of trace elements, iron and mag sulphate from a garden center mixed up in a squeeze drink bottle. I add a squirt once a day. Overkill, I'm sure, but it's cheap.

[carla]

Try this link: http://www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/viewtopic.php?t=298

[kimbo]

Ok,

now I've done the reading I wish I had shown more interest in chemistry at school. Thanks for replying and directing me down the right path.

I have absolutley no nitrates in my water which probably explains the weak looking plants, however my phosphates are very high. What to do? Can someone translate.

[Shilo]

Hi Kimbo, translation follows:

Like your body, plants need a good balance in their diet. At the moment your plants have an abundance of phosphates to feed on but nothing else. Imagine if you only had lollies to eat, nice, but without vitamins, complex carbos and protein you will also soon start to fade away. With a balanced diet you will find you are able to eat more lollies!

This is what is happening to your plants. They are surrounded by lollies (phosphates) but can't process them all without the other nutrients they need. Of course your fish are providing some nitrogen and trace elements when they process their food, but every bit of fish food you add to the tank supplies more phosphate then the plants can handle (with the available nutrients) and this phosphate slowly builds up.

A planted tank is just a matter of balance. To grow plants need light, CO2, Macro nutrients (Potassium, Nitrogen, Phosphate) and Micro nutrients otherwise called Trace Elements (Magnesium, Calcium, Iron, etc). Plants use certain amounts of each nutrient in the process of growing. If there is an excess of one or the other then it just builds up in the water.

Here is where water changes come in. A weekly water change (normally 50% in a planted tank) gets rid of any excess nutrient and resets the water parameters for the following week.

In addition to water changes, you can increase light, CO2 levels, and nutrients to make your plants grow more. This will mean the plants are able to use more phosphate from the tank and your levels will decrease. It is also fun watching your plants blow bubbles (pearling)

Confused? Don't blame you, after 4 months of researching planted tanks I still am!

To summarize:

Do a water change of 25-50% every week to reset levels

Feed you plants with something like Nutrafins Plant Gro (iron enriched)

Start at the recommended dose then increase by a capful each week until your plants start to come right.

Commercial ferts become expensive after awhile (especially if you have high light levels and add CO2) so start looking at DIY ferts (PMDD etc).

Almost forgot, not all plants get their nutrients from the water. If you have any rooted plants (Swords etc), then poke a Jobes Palm and Fern fertilizer stick into the gravel underneith them. Make sure you poke it deep in the gravel so its nutrients don't enter the water column and cause an algae problem.

Hope this rambling helps.

Cheers

Shilo

[kimbo]

Thanks very much Shilo! I'm onto it, I'll be reducing the lollies and looking forward to experiencing the pearling!

cheers

[Pies]

I dose 2ml every 4 hrs. I use a mix of iron, potassim and some storebrought snakeoils. Works perfectly. Also use c02.

Pies