Does a planted tank always need aquarium plant fertilizer?
- Thread starter kevfiz
- Start date
The April FOTM Contest Poll is open!
🏆 Click to vote! 🏆
The basic requirements for all plants (terrestrial and aquatic) include: light, water & carbon. Other nutrients help them grow bigger and stronger but light, carbon and water are the 3 big ones.
Light is provided by you when you turn the aquarium light on.
Water, well the plants are in that so that's fine.
Carbon is plentiful in water and air in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2). It comes from the fish breathing, filter bacteria using oxygen and producing CO2, and CO2 gets into the water from the air.
Other major nutrients include some form of nitrogen, which is readily available in an aquarium due to fish food and waste that produces ammonia. Ammonia, nitrite or nitrate provide all the nitrogen the plants need.
Phosphate is another nutrient required by plants but it is bad for fish so we don't normally add it. Phosphorus improves root growth and strengthens/ thickens the cell wall.
Potassium helps with flowers, something most aquatic plants don't produce.
Iron is a trace element and one of the most commonly used in aquariums due to it being unavailable in most water supplies. It helps improve chlorophyll (the green stuff) in plants and chlorophyll is used to photosynthesise.
Other trace elements are used by plants to make them stronger and more resistant to disease, a bit like people taking a multi vitamin supplement. But as a general rule most aquarium plants are fine with light and water and nutrients from fish food and waste.
If you do add lots of nutrients, then you usually increase light and CO2 to make sure all the plants nutrients are available in large amounts, thus providing optimum growing conditions.
Light is provided by you when you turn the aquarium light on.
Water, well the plants are in that so that's fine.
Carbon is plentiful in water and air in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2). It comes from the fish breathing, filter bacteria using oxygen and producing CO2, and CO2 gets into the water from the air.
Other major nutrients include some form of nitrogen, which is readily available in an aquarium due to fish food and waste that produces ammonia. Ammonia, nitrite or nitrate provide all the nitrogen the plants need.
Phosphate is another nutrient required by plants but it is bad for fish so we don't normally add it. Phosphorus improves root growth and strengthens/ thickens the cell wall.
Potassium helps with flowers, something most aquatic plants don't produce.
Iron is a trace element and one of the most commonly used in aquariums due to it being unavailable in most water supplies. It helps improve chlorophyll (the green stuff) in plants and chlorophyll is used to photosynthesise.
Other trace elements are used by plants to make them stronger and more resistant to disease, a bit like people taking a multi vitamin supplement. But as a general rule most aquarium plants are fine with light and water and nutrients from fish food and waste.
If you do add lots of nutrients, then you usually increase light and CO2 to make sure all the plants nutrients are available in large amounts, thus providing optimum growing conditions.
There's no reason to shade the tank from light coming in thru a window.
If you have artificial plants then you only need the light on for a few hours at night to view the fish. With live plants you can have more light and the live plants will use the light and reduce the algae. If you only have 3 live plants (2 Echinodoras and 1 Anubias) then they won't use that much light.
Anubias is not a true aquatic plant either so don't buy more of them. Good plants to try include: Ambulia, Hygrophilla polysperma & ruba, Echinodoras (you already have them), narrow Vallis, and Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroies/ cornuta). Water Sprite can grow in the substrate or on the surface, the others should be planted in the gravel.
Remove the blanket and see how the algae grows. If you get lots of green algae on the glass and objects in the tank, then reduce the light or add more live plants.
If you have artificial plants then you only need the light on for a few hours at night to view the fish. With live plants you can have more light and the live plants will use the light and reduce the algae. If you only have 3 live plants (2 Echinodoras and 1 Anubias) then they won't use that much light.
Anubias is not a true aquatic plant either so don't buy more of them. Good plants to try include: Ambulia, Hygrophilla polysperma & ruba, Echinodoras (you already have them), narrow Vallis, and Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroies/ cornuta). Water Sprite can grow in the substrate or on the surface, the others should be planted in the gravel.
Remove the blanket and see how the algae grows. If you get lots of green algae on the glass and objects in the tank, then reduce the light or add more live plants.
Just comment here, it should read that "in Colin's opinion" you shouldn't buy any more.
Anubais is a staple plant for beginners because its easy to maintain. It grows in a variety of conditions, aquatic, semi aquatic and emersed so for that reason, Colin has commented that its not a true aquatic plant but plenty of people do keep it and it will be fine in your tank. It's really up to you, if you like it, keep it.
I once got told that Blue Stricta is not a true aquatic plant and it will fail in my tank. Some 3 years latter and a number of pruning's Im still waiting for it to fail.
This tank get NO ferts other than fish waste.
This tank get NO ferts other than fish waste.
I love Anubias.
This tank get NO ferts other than fish waste.
This tank get NO ferts other than fish waste.
I love Anubias.
You can keep Anubias if you like, but it is not designed to live underwater. It is a marsh plant that shops sell because it has tough leaves and doesn't die that quickly under water. They are very slow growing when kept under water and the leaves get smaller than its terrestrial grown counterparts.
An easy way to identify true aquatic plants is to see if the plant can stand up by itself when removed from water. True aquatic plants have small pockets of air in their stems that help them float up towards the light. They do not have the structure to stand upright when removed from water and will collapse under their own weight when taken out of water.
examples of true aquatics include: Vallis, Hydrilla, Elodia, Hornwort & water lilies.
Marsh plants come in two styles. Those that have a rigid hard stem when grown underwater, and those they develop a less rigid stem when kept underwater. Amazon Swordplants, Hygrophila polysperma, Ambulia, Ludwigia & Bacopa are marsh plants that have a rigid stem when grown out of water but lose that when grown under water.
Anubias is a marsh plants that retain a rigid stem when grown under water.
An easy way to identify true aquatic plants is to see if the plant can stand up by itself when removed from water. True aquatic plants have small pockets of air in their stems that help them float up towards the light. They do not have the structure to stand upright when removed from water and will collapse under their own weight when taken out of water.
examples of true aquatics include: Vallis, Hydrilla, Elodia, Hornwort & water lilies.
Marsh plants come in two styles. Those that have a rigid hard stem when grown underwater, and those they develop a less rigid stem when kept underwater. Amazon Swordplants, Hygrophila polysperma, Ambulia, Ludwigia & Bacopa are marsh plants that have a rigid stem when grown out of water but lose that when grown under water.
Anubias is a marsh plants that retain a rigid stem when grown under water.
It might be worth picking up a couple of points raised in this thread along the way.
First, the light. You mention "direct sunlight," do you mean the sun shines on the tank, or the bright daylight (but not direct sunlight) is entering through the window? You certainly do not want direct sunlight hitting the tank. Ambient daylight depends; I have had brush algae increase in summer solely because the ambient daylight entering the room increased sufficiently to overwhelm the light/nutrient balance. Shades, blinds, drapes can solve this problem, though in some rooms the family members might not want blocked windows?
Second still on light...what is the tank lighting? Be specific.
Third, I assume you are not adding any plant fertilizers now? The swords are heavy feeders, and this is not likely to work long-term, depending upon the fish load, GH of your water, fish feeding, and maintenance.
There is no "rule" about fertilizer simply because every aquarium is biologically unique, and plant nutrients occur from the sources mentioned above. Slow growing plants need less, and less intense light to balance, than faster growing plants.
First, the light. You mention "direct sunlight," do you mean the sun shines on the tank, or the bright daylight (but not direct sunlight) is entering through the window? You certainly do not want direct sunlight hitting the tank. Ambient daylight depends; I have had brush algae increase in summer solely because the ambient daylight entering the room increased sufficiently to overwhelm the light/nutrient balance. Shades, blinds, drapes can solve this problem, though in some rooms the family members might not want blocked windows?
Second still on light...what is the tank lighting? Be specific.
Third, I assume you are not adding any plant fertilizers now? The swords are heavy feeders, and this is not likely to work long-term, depending upon the fish load, GH of your water, fish feeding, and maintenance.
There is no "rule" about fertilizer simply because every aquarium is biologically unique, and plant nutrients occur from the sources mentioned above. Slow growing plants need less, and less intense light to balance, than faster growing plants.
OK, as I said, do not allow this, so keep the partition or find some other way to prevent sunlight on the tank.
This is a fluorescent tube, T8, at 24 inches in length presumably; these are around 18-20 watts normally. What is the spectrum? This is the colour temperature (nothing to do with heat) of light, expressed as Kelvin, so if the tube has a "K" number at one end, that will be the Kelvin, like 6500K or something. Can you give us this?
The GH is the general or total hardness of water; this is the measurement of dissolved calcium and magnesium primarily. It is important to know this for your tap water, as fish have preferences. Check the web site of your municipal water authority, it may tell you there.
GH is general hardness, the amount of dissolved minerals in the water.
Your tank is on the opposite side of the room to the window so it should not be an issue. I have had tanks right next to windows and they got direct sunlight for 4-5 hours a day and I had fluorescent lights on the tank too and didn't have any issues.
Your tank is on the opposite side of the room to the window so it should not be an issue. I have had tanks right next to windows and they got direct sunlight for 4-5 hours a day and I had fluorescent lights on the tank too and didn't have any issues.
As it has been mentioned...sunlight striking an aquarium can cause several serious issues. Algae is the least problematic of these, though nuisance in itself. Heating the water can be much more significant. Then there is the light striking fish that can cause health issues. Finally, direct sunlight can crack the glass.
I agree to disagree 
Glass does not crack from sunlight unless the aquarium is empty and outside in the sun, and there is moisture on the underside of the tank. Then bases sometimes crack due to the steam/ heated moisture on the underside of the base. If glass was going to crack when it got sunlight on it, all the windows in my house would have cracked years ago. We have single glazed windows here not double glazed like in the UK and northern parts of the US.
My tanks never warmed up that much from direct sunlight, maybe 1-2 degrees C, and the tanks were against a wall and the windows where next to the tanks, and I live in Western Australia and it gets pretty warm here in summer (40C + in the shade).
Catfish and other bottom dwellers might not naturally be exposed to much sunlight but most surface dwelling and upper water fishes do get lots of sunlight in the wild.
Glass does not crack from sunlight unless the aquarium is empty and outside in the sun, and there is moisture on the underside of the tank. Then bases sometimes crack due to the steam/ heated moisture on the underside of the base. If glass was going to crack when it got sunlight on it, all the windows in my house would have cracked years ago. We have single glazed windows here not double glazed like in the UK and northern parts of the US.
My tanks never warmed up that much from direct sunlight, maybe 1-2 degrees C, and the tanks were against a wall and the windows where next to the tanks, and I live in Western Australia and it gets pretty warm here in summer (40C + in the shade).
Catfish and other bottom dwellers might not naturally be exposed to much sunlight but most surface dwelling and upper water fishes do get lots of sunlight in the wild.
Most reactions
-
255 -
244 -
151 -
141 -
141 -
136 -
108 -
108 -
93 -
90 -
85 -
83 -
78 -
70 -
62
