What do I feed my plants?

[smoutylad22]

Hello, I'm 2 weeks in to my first planted aquarium and the plants are looking ok. Live plants are: Rotala Rotundifolia, Amoracia Aquatica, Hygrophila Mini and Lobelia Cardinalis. I have low level lighting, it's a single juwel 15w day light with a reflector. The light is on a timer for 10 hours a day, is this enough or too much? The only food I have given them are API root tabs. Should I be feeding them something like API leaf zone or flourish aswell? Any help and advice would be most welcome, thanks.

 

[mom2reds]

What size is your tank? How many watts per gal?

 

[Rivercats]

You may find some of your plants don't do as well as they could with better lighting but since you have them give it a go. It would be very beneficial to use a liquid carbon daily at a rate of 1ml per every 2 gallons unless you have delicate shrimp or fish. Also you at least need to use Seachem Flourish Comprehensive 1-2x weekly. If plants show any signs of deficiencies you may need to go with dry ferts or something like the entire Seachem plant food system.

 

[BBradbury]

Feeding Tank Plants

Hello, I'm 2 weeks in to my first planted aquarium and the plants are looking ok. Live plants are: Rotala Rotundifolia, Amoracia Aquatica, Hygrophila Mini and Lobelia Cardinalis. I have low level lighting, it's a single juwel 15w day light with a reflector. The light is on a timer for 10 hours a day, is this enough or too much? The only food I have given them are API root tabs. Should I be feeding them something like API leaf zone or flourish aswell? Any help and advice would be most welcome, thanks.

Hello smouty...

I use a little liquid plant fertilizer. I like Seachem's Comprehensive. Just a capfull dosed when I do a water change is usually enough. I don't use much. My tanks have quite a few fish in them and the fish provide most of the fertilizer for the plants.

For light, I have my florescent tank lights on timers set for 12 hours on an 12 off. Aquarium plants are mostly tropical and used to long hours of daylight.

This is just what works for me.

B

 

[MonkeyMonk86]

I'm new, too, but I've read micro and macro and root tabs. ( Seachem flourish, APi Leaf Zone, Root Tabs)

I tried the API root tabs and got clouded water. I'm about to try Seachem's and I just ordered fertilizer pellets and an applicator from aquariumplants.com after reading a thread mentioning them)

 

[smoutylad22]

Thanks everybody for you great advice, it's much appreciated ?