Advice on ferts for a plant beginner

[TheresaM]

I've been keeping fish for quite a few years but am definitely a beginner with plants. I'd like some advice about ferts please. I have some root tabs ordered; other than that I currently use only Flourish. These are the tanks and plants:

16g, Hagen Power Glo light: red ludwigia, dwarf onion, moneywort, crypts, vals

5g, led lighting: java fern, najas, floating pennywort, dwarf sag

1.5g, incandescent desk lamp: anubias, crypt, dwarf sag

1.5g with natural light; bunches of floating willow moss and najas

 

[Coursair]

I also run 2-5 small tanks.

I use Flourish comprehensive
API LeafZone
Flourish Excel

Dry Ferts are cheaper for those with large tanks , but with small tanks I find liquid Ferts much easier and they last me a while.

You can buy Glut or Metricide as a generic Excel.


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[TheresaM]

It's Flourish Comprehensive.

So I need to use all three?

 

[jetajockey]

You should have on hand all of the macros and micros (NPK + micros), although low light tanks may not need much macros, just depends.

It's a lot cheaper to go with dry ferts, but if you want to stick with the simplicity of the liquid lines, just go with flourish comprehensive (this is your micromix), flourish nitrogen (N- macro), Flourish phosphorus (P - macro), Flourish potassium (K -macro).

 

[TheresaM]

Do dry ferts work equally in all types of substrate?

 

[Coursair]

Do dry ferts work equally in all types of substrate?

You mix them into a liquid before adding to tank ?


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[TheresaM]

You mix them into a liquid before adding to tank ?

Roots tabs?

 

[Coursair]

Dry Ferts are powders.

Root Tabs are in capsule form.

Yes, you can use them in any substrate. Large gravel may release too much fertilizer up into the water column... But most people don't use large gravel for planted tanks anyway.


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[Coursair]

http://www.plantedtank.net/articles/Fertilizers-in-a-Planted-Tank/1/

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/introduction-fertilizing-planted-tank/

http://gwapa.org/wordpress/articles/fertilizing-the-planted-aquarium/


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