do i need to add plant fertilizer??

[shaunbellz]

do i need to add plant fertilizer

hi was just woundering if i needed to add plant fertilizer to my tank as this is the 1st time dealing with live plants i have a 72 litre fish tank and have 5 fountain live plants but didnt know weather i needed to add fertilizer can any one help!!! many thanks shaun

 

[AquaOne]

Well I didn't add any in my second & third tanks, live plant is going well. When I set up my first tank, the lfs convinced me that the fertilizer 'bullets' would be necessary. This led to my tank taking upward of 8 weeks to water stabilize. I think the fertilizer bullets were a lot to do with the time it took for water condition to come round. Last two tanks, no fertilizer and cycled in 3 weeks. It must also be something to do with the plants, the varieties I have seem to grow in anything !

 

[Scalare]

if you want to use ferts try Flourish Excel, it's a great source of carbon for the plants.

Pete

 

[fort384]

I moved this post to its own thread - the thread you posted in was almost 6 years old . I also merged both together and placed in the planted tank forum. You will get far more responses this way.

Whether you need fertilizers depends on a few factors... what kind of light do you have on the tank? What kind of plants are you trying to grow? What kind of substrate are you using?

 

[siva]

The plant referred to as fountain is often mondo grass, a non aquatic plant that will rot and foul your water. I would look up a pic of mondo grass and if that is what you have purchased, try to return it.

 

[fort384]

ah, thanks Siva. I had not heard that terminology before. If it is mondo grass (o. japonica) than no ferts will help