Whats your favorite fertilizer?

[AaronW]

Looking for some new ideas for plant fertilizer. What's your favorite product?

 

[blert]

I use:

For root tabs, AquariumPlants.com Total Pellets ($11 for 75).

Water column ferts, dry is the most economical but a lot of people don't want to deal with that. You can mix your own liquids from dry but again, many people don't want to deal with that either.
I have dry ferts but they are stored right now as my 'grow for sale' tank is down right now. In my low light tanks I use AquariumPlants.com Super Concentrate, it is basically PMDD at 1-2 drops per gallon (16oz for $15).

 

[Rivercats]

I dose PPS-Pro dry ferts, macro and micro mix, from Green Leaf Aquariums daily. Then I use Root tabs from AquariumPlants.com, the Total pellets for all around use, then the Iron pellets around non-green plants, swords, and crypts, and lastly Phosphate pellets around the swords as they like extra phosphate.

 

[AaronW]

I dose PPS-Pro dry ferts, macro and micro mix, from Green Leaf Aquariums daily. Then I use Root tabs from AquariumPlants.com, the Total pellets for all around use, then the Iron pellets around non-green plants, swords, and crypts, and lastly Phosphate pellets around the swords as they like extra phosphate.

Thanks! My sword has been coping with a lack of nutrients. Some leaves have been dying off I cut off the spotty leaves and dose every water change with Aqueon plant food. I also dose every other day with API liquid Co2. I wanted to add some more fertilizer. I'll also be upgrading my lighting to T5 bulbs. Is there anything missing from that setup? Any advice is useful

 

[Rivercats]

Actually you need to dose the API CO2 Booster every day. It only stays in solution for 12-24 hours so is needed everyday to help plants with photosynthesis and growth. Which also helps them to use more fertilizers. IMO if you have alot of plants you'd be better off dosing dry ferts daily. If you don't have alot of plants then just continue what your doing. Also look for T5HO, the HO's are high output and you can grow anything but high light plants with them.

 

[AaronW]

Actually you need to dose the API CO2 Booster every day. It only stays in solution for 12-24 hours so is needed everyday to help plants with photosynthesis and growth. Which also helps them to use more fertilizers. IMO if you have alot of plants you'd be better off dosing dry ferts daily. If you don't have alot of plants then just continue what your doing. Also look for T5HO, the HO's are high output and you can grow anything but high light plants with them.

Well I went to petsmart and they had the T5 lighting. Will I only have upgrade to the bulb. Or is the HO a whole different fixture? Also I think the root tabs are gonna be going in soon. Looking to add some reds as well.

 

[Rlavassor86]

Well I went to petsmart and they had the T5 lighting. Will I only have upgrade to the bulb. Or is the HO a whole different fixture? Also I think the root tabs are gonna be going in soon. Looking to add some reds as well.

T5 bulbs require a diff fixture.

 

[Rivercats]

T5HO's are a different fixture but if you can use T5's now try and see how the plants do before spending money on a new fixture.

 

[AaronW]

T5HO's are a different fixture but if you can use T5's now try and see how the plants do before spending money on a new fixture.

I'll be getting the T5 next week. My current stock is a wisteria, mondo grass, amazon sword, java fern, anacharis, anubias, hornwort. Im looking to full my tank though. Know of anything that makes a nice carpet but won't get eaten? Also I want some miss to grow over my driftwood. Know of any kinds of moss that will do that?

 

[Rlavassor86]

I'll be getting the T5 next week. My current stock is a wisteria, mondo grass, amazon sword, java fern, anacharis, anubias, hornwort. Im looking to full my tank though. Know of anything that makes a nice carpet but won't get eaten? Also I want some miss to grow over my driftwood. Know of any kinds of moss that will do that?

For carpet I've seen a lot of people use baby tears. It looks pretty cool. As far as getting eaten tho I'm not sure about cus I've never kept them. Maybe someone else will chime in on that.

 

[Rivercats]

I'll be getting the T5 next week. My current stock is a wisteria, mondo grass, amazon sword, java fern, anacharis, anubias, hornwort. Im looking to full my tank though. Know of anything that makes a nice carpet but won't get eaten? Also I want some miss to grow over my driftwood. Know of any kinds of moss that will do that?

Carpet plants need high light and CO2 so your tank really won't be suitable for that. Java moss is the easiest to find and will attach and grow on DW. Also Mondo grass is not an aquatic plant. It will live some time underwater but will eventually die.

 

[AaronW]

Carpet plants need high light and CO2 so your tank really won't be suitable for that. Java moss is the easiest to find and will attach and grow on DW. Also Mondo grass is not an aquatic plant. It will live some time underwater but will eventually die.

Wow they sold it to me as an aquatic. I guess I'll take it out and put it in a pot. Java moss is hard to find. Do you order it online?

 

[Rivercats]

I actually have Mondo grass growing in my backyard. Java moss can be bought on line but most LFS usually carry it since it's so common.

 

[blert]

If you have a local Petco they should have Java Moss. Look for their bendable moss things (the green things they bend into a "Petco" sign) and/or the mats they keep in stock. If I recall correctly it is Java Moss. You can remove it and put it wherever you like.

 

[AaronW]

Also I had baby tears. But the fish devoured all of them. Guess they tasted good lol

 

[AaronW]

If you have a local Petco they should have Java Moss. Look for their bendable moss things (the green things they bend into a "Petco" sign) and/or the mats they keep in stock. If I recall correctly it is Java Moss. You can remove it and put it wherever you like.

I will go check for some. Do you have to glue them? Or do they stick fine?

 

[AaronW]

I actually have Mondo grass growing in my backyard. Java moss can be bought on line but most LFS usually carry it since it's so common.

That's strange I've had a hard time finding it. Is it seasonal?

 

[Rlavassor86]

Also I had baby tears. But the fish devoured all of them. Guess they tasted good lol

Yea apparently my rotala tastes good to my angels. They are picking them clean. The guy I got them from says they never touched his plants.

 

[Rivercats]

I prefer tying them on with 100% cotton string in black. The string eventually dissolves and by then the moss is attached.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

There are a couple of lower light and no co2 carpeting plants. Dwarf and normal four leaf clover grow slowly but create a nice carpet. I find the normal 4-leaf grows a little better.

If you can't find local plants online is the ticket. My local shops have lousy selection so I had to order my plants.