Fertilizing Aquarium Plants (Infographics): Basic to Advance
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Any type of plant requires three major nutrients for its growth. These are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These three nutrients are called NPK together. As these nutrients are required the most, these are called macronutrients too.
Aquatic plants need the same nutrients to grow faster. So if you want to build a planted aquarium then you must provide these macronutrients.
As a whole, fertilizing aquatic plants is quite difficult because it depends on lots of components. However, as a basic nitrate(5-30ppm), potassium(10-30ppm), phosphate(5-7ppm) & iron(0.2-1 ppm) are required the most to fertilize plants. Besides this, CO2 supplements are also required for high growth plants.
These couple of lines may not help you to know an in-depth guide on fertilizing aquarium plants. But don’t worry; here we will discuss this topic comprehensively with the right product recommendation. So without wasting time let’s dive deep into the topic step by step.
What are the most required nutrients for aquatic plants to grow?
Any type of plant requires the same type of nutrients to grow healthily. Aquatic plants are also the same. Now, this is required to know what type of nutrients are more essential and what types are less essential. Let’s dive deep into the topic
The most essential elements for aquatic plants are carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Aquatic plants get these elements from water, substrate and aeration in the aquarium.
However, as nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are the most essential for aquarium plants to grow. Almost all types of fertilizers contain these three elements. These six elements are considered the macronutrients.
Calcium, magnesium and sulphur are three nutrients that are required for plants’ growth too. These three are called secondary macronutrients. Some experts combine these three with micronutrients. However, this is actually not true. These three elements are required more than micronutrients for aquatic plants’ growth.
There are other two elements that are required too. These are silicon & cobalt. These two are not required by all aquatic plants. Some aquatic plants need these two elements the most to grow faster.
Now it comes under micronutrients. Iron manganese, zinc, copper, boron molybdenum & chlorine are considered the micronutrients for aquatic plants.
Read more:- Why is Marimo Moss Ball Shedding? 7 Causes With Solution
What are the symbols of deficiency of nutrients in aquatic plants?
This is important to know the deficiency symptoms of these macro & micronutrients in aquatic plants. It is because according to that understanding you will choose a fertilizer for your aquatic plants.
| Note:- However, this will not be so accurate if you see only deficiency syndrome of plants for choosing ferts. Those deficiency syndromes depend on other lots of factors too. For instance, pH level, temperature, hard or soft water etc. So a little bit of experience is required here. |
Iron deficiency – New leaves will be grown as white or yellow. However, old leaves will grow as normal.
Manganese deficiency – Spots and holes will appear
Potassium deficiency – The tip and edges of the leaves will be turned yellow colour.
Phosphate deficiency – Leaves will be dark in colour and aquatic plants start losing leaves
Calcium deficiency – The growth will be stunted.
Nitrogen deficiency – Old leaves will be turned yellowish colour. These will be wilted too.
Magnesium deficiency – The veins and edges of leaves will get dark colour due to this. However, the overall colour of leaves will be light.
CO2 deficiency – Leaves start to be pale & start dying off. Stunted growth will be noticeable too.
Leaves can face stunted growth because of various other reasons too. Hard water, high nitrate level (50ppm)(e.g the size of the leaves of monte Carlo. However, the right quantity and right fertilizer are required too.
As a basic knowledge, you must know that fertilizers are generally two types. These are lean fertilizers & rich fertilizers. You can use one of them for your planted tank. However, both of these fertilizers have some pros and cons. You must understand these before choosing any of them.
Read more:- Why does my aquarium plant turn transparent?
Types of fertilization in a planted tank
Lean fertilizing – If a planted aquarium requires a certain level of macro or microelements for limited growth then that type of fertilization is considered lean fertilizing.
Pros
- Low maintenance is the key advantage of using this type of fertilizer. If you have lots of planted tanks and do not have an expert team, you may not maintain those tanks well. At this point, lean fertilizing is one of the most suitable fertilization options for you. Aquatic plants will grow very slowly and you do not need to trim those plants frequently.
- Algae are the competitors of aquatic plants. Algal bloom occurs due to various reasons. One of the reasons is high nutrients in the water column or substrate. Now lean fertilizers do not add excessive nutrients to the aquarium. So algae can be controlled at a certain level by using this fertilization.
- Red colour can be accentuated in a planted aquarium if you use lean fertilizers for fertilizing the planted tank. As lean fertilizers do not contain much more nitrates so the red colour of plants becomes prominent.
| Note:- Nitrate helps orange colour to be accentuated |
Cons
- Growth deficiency is one of the main issues of using lean fertilizer for a planted aquarium. If you want to participate in a competition then this type of fertilization is not recommended,
- Lean fertilizers are not good for some sensitive aquarium plants. For instance, Cabomba, Rotala Rotundifolia require some high nutrients to become colourful. So if you want to keep these types of plants then lean fertilization is not for you.
- You cannot skip a day of providing fertilizers to your aquarium. As lean fertilizers have calculated nutrients so nutrient depletion may start if you skip a day. This is a drawback of lean fertilizing.
Rich fertilizing – If a planted tank wants to grow quickly (approximately within one or two months) then that tank requires an abundance of nutrients. This type of fertilization is considered the rich type of fertilizing.
Pros
- Rich fertilization can help to grow aquatic plants within one or two months. Not only that, but these plants will be prominent with lush colours. So if you want to participate anywhere in the competition then rich fertilization is the most recommended.
- Rich fertilization can be skipped for one or two days. It is because rich fertilizer contains more nutrients than lean fertilizers. This is why nutrient depletion does not occur in this case generally.
Cons
- Due to the rapid usage of rich fertilizers, algal blooms occur frequently. Rich fertilizers add lots of nutrients to the water column and substrate. It helps to increase algae growth
- High maintenance is required if you use rich fertilizers. These fertilizers have too many nutrients that help plants and algae to grow faster. So without proper maintenance, the fish tank will be a mess very quickly.
- These rich types of fertilizers are not for beginners. It is because basic knowledge is required about which plants require which nutrients at a certain moment to grow faster. A wrong dosage has the ability to destroy the planted tank completely.
However, you do not need to worry about this. From this article, you are going to know the basics to advance. Let’s start from the basics.
Read more:- Are Floating Plants Good For Aquariums? 7 Floating Plants Recommendations
Methods of using fertilizers for planted aquarium
There are no hard & fast rules of the fertilization of the plants. Different experts use different types of techniques to fertilize their planted aquariums.
However, if you are a beginner then you should not know all of these advanced fertilization techniques. Following Estimative Index is the most suitable method for beginners to fertilize planted aquariums. This process is the most simple process to measure how much nutrients (Macro & Micro) are required to keep healthy plants in aquariums.
Estimative Index – This index has focused on primary macronutrients (NPK). Each and every plant must require these three elements to remain healthy. So this method only follows these elements to keep fertilization simple.
This index does not allow you to know how many nutrients are there in the water column, with the help of this index, you are able to know only how much macronutrients are required per day.
Weekly water change is required the most in this case.
Pros – This index gives a brief overview of fertilization. Aquarists who do not know anything about ferts can also keep a planted tank well by using this simple method.
Cons – Do not allow aqua hobbyists to analyse minutely the nutrient deficiency of the aquatic plants. This is an overall average fertilization solution.
Read more:- 7 Best Beginner-friendly Aquarium Plants: Why & when to choose these?
Product recommendation for moderate
- Seachem Nitrogen – 2.5ml/160L of water (Twice a week)
- Seachem Potassium – 5ml/125L of water (2-3times per week)
- Seachem Phosphorus – 2.5ml/80L of water (1-2 a week)
- Seachem Iron – 5ml/200L of water (1-2 a week)
- Seachem Trace – 5ml/80L of water (Every alternative day)
20-30% twice week water changes are recommended. Do not go for big water changes if you use these fertilizers in your planted aquarium.
| Note – By clicking these links you can go to amazon to get the products at a discounted price |
You can go for ADA products too. However, we do not recommend ADA products because of their high price. You can easily use seachem fertilizers to get similar results.
Some experts have claimed that they have got better results by using ADA fertilizers. This is not 100% true. If you are a beginner then you must start with seachem products without any hesitation. Maintenance makes a difference in this case.
Read more:- Do Planted Tanks Need CO2? Mostly Asked 5 Concepts Have Been Cleared
| Note – Water test kits are not mandatory and not recommended by us. It is because if you use an estimative index, it means you already know how much nutrients & which elements you are putting into the tank. Nutrients cannot be accumulated if you perform water changes weekly. Not only that but by checking deficiency syndrome aquarists can add fertilizers. So purchasing water test kits, in this case, is not worthy enough. |
If you are passionate enough about your planted aquarium then you must know more about fertilization. This method is a little bit complex and advanced. As a beginner, you should not bother about it. The name of this method is Seachem Dosing Calendar.
Seachem Dosing Calendar – This chart is a little bit complicated and not for beginners. However, if you want to learn about planted tank fertilizers then Seachem Dosing Calendar is the most recommended. This calendar basically has touched each and every issue of the plants. With the help of this calendar, you are able to know the exact dosage of different types of fertilizers required each day of a week to keep plants healthy.
Pros – This method is an advanced method of fertilization. With the help of this method plants’ disease can be minimised a lot. Each & every plant thrives well and this helps to take part in aquascaping competitions.
Cons – Aqua hobbyists who do not have much time & experience should not use this method. This has lots of factors that are required to understand well before using any ferts on a planted aquarium.
Product recommendation for experts
- Seachem Excel – 5ml/40L of water (After 1st dose, 5 ml/200L daily or every alternative day)
- Seachem Advance – 5ml/80 L of water (Every day according to the plant’s growth)
- Seachem Nitrogen – 2.5ml/160L of water (Twice a week)
- Seachem Potassium – 5ml/125L of water (2-3times per week)
- Seachem Phosphorus – 2.5ml/80L of water (1-2 a week)
- Seachem Iron – 5ml/200L of water (1-2 a week)
- Seachem Trace – 5ml/80L of water (Every alternative day)
| Note – By clicking these links you can go to amazon to get the products at a discounted price |
| Note – The primary costs of applying this method is quite expensive than other methods. But in the long run, the expenses will be much lesser. However, it is required the most if you want to develop a planted aquarium professionally. |
Product recommendation for beginners only
- Tropica premium nutrition – 6ml/50L of water (per week 6ml, 1push = 2ml)
- Tropica specialised nutrition – 6ml/50L of water (per week 6ml, 1push = 2ml)
| Note – By clicking these links you can go to amazon to get the products at a discounted price |
If you are a complete beginner in this field and if you do not want to know all of these complex things then these two products are the most suitable for you. These are such a product that offers you all of the macro & micronutrients at once.
Lots of people do not have money to purchase those seachem fertilizers. So they can use these two easily.
Tropica premium nutrition contains iron, manganese & other micronutrients. This is suitable for slow-growing plants. It means if you are a busy person then you can use this for your planted tank. This is used for lean fertilization.
Tropica specialised nutrition contains NPK & other micronutrients. This is suitable for fast-growing plants. You need to care for plants a little bit extra if you use this fertilizer. This is used for rich fertilization.
Read more:- Is soil must be needed to grow plants in an aquarium?
Choose the right substrate with the right nutrients to provide plants
In the previous section, we talked about the fertilizers a little bit. However, you must know substrate plays a very important role in this matter. The right soil substrate is required the most primarily. So you must choose the right substrate for your planted aquarium.
You must know there are two types of substrates that you must purchase to build a healthy planted aquarium. These are
- The base layer – Base layer stays at the bottom of the tank and this is the most nutritious part of the whole substrate. The roots of the plants’ uptake nutrients from the base layer. Generally, this remains covered by soil substrate in an aquarium. Here you can read more about base layers.
The most recommended base layers for planted aquariums from us are UP Aqua sand & Tropica soil powder. You can check these out on Amazon.
- Soil substrate – Soil substrate comes after the base layer. This is also a nutritious layer of substrate for plants. This layer controls algae by covering the base layer of the planted aquarium. The other name of this layer is the plants’ substrate. Here you can read more about base layers.
The most recommended soil substrate for planted aquariums from us are Seachem Flourite Dark & Seachem Flourite Black Sand. You can check these out on Amazon.
Read more:- Is soil must be needed to grow plants in an aquarium?
How To Fertilize Aquarium Plants naturally
A solution of Epsom salt, potassium sulfate & saltpetre is used as the natural fertilizer for planted aquariums. 6 g (1 teaspoon) is ideal for 50 L of water. This is very less expensive compared to branded fertilizers. Beginners can start with it. However, this can’t give the exact requirements of nutrients.
Do you need to fertilize aquarium plants?
Fertilizers help aquatic plants to grow well quickly. These add NPK by certain measurements in the water column that is the most required. Without having fertilizers or the right substrate means all of the aquatic plants may or may not thrive. So, for planted aquascaping purposes fertilizers are required.
Read more:- Is soil must be needed to grow plants in an aquarium?
When should I fertilize my aquarium plants?
Fertilization should be started after one week of setting the tank according to the plants. It is recommended to start with macronutrients. For high growth plants, lean fertilization is suitable according to the maintenance level. Each of the element additions must be performed by an alternative week.
Does fish poop fertilize aquarium plants?
As a whole, fish poop fertilizes aquarium plants well. This is considered as the biological waste that helps lots of beneficial bacteria to grow. Lots of farmers use this method as hydroponics. However, a planted aquarium should not rely on this only because it may make the water cloudy.
Read more:- Basic Interaction Between Plants & Fish Inside an Aquarium
Is plant fertilizer bad for fish?
Fertilizers are not bad for fish or other livestock. Fertilizer makers develop solutions according to the livestock. However, breeder tanks require lean fertilization instead of rich fertilization. Moreover, excessive usage of fertilizer can contaminate water by algal growth which is bad for fish.
So best of luck & happy fishkeeping🐟