Feeding Plants

[webmonkeyuk]

Do you have to feed plants in a tank and what do you feed them, im sure i was reading in a book that you have to but i cant find the book again and is it best to take the plants out of the tubs or is it ok to leave them in it?

 

[Colin_T]

most aquarium plants use the same nutrients as land plants however, they often get the nitrogen and phosphorus from fish food and waste in the water.
Normally you just need to give them some iron based fertiliser and light. If you have a heavily planted tank without fish or with only a couple of small fish, then you can add carbon dioxide (CO2), but there is plenty in the atmosphere and it gets into the tank readily enough.
Sera florena is a good iron based plant food.
Have a light unit on the tank for about 10 hours per day. You can increase the light if the plants are growing well and you don't get much algae. Or you can decrease the lighting period if you get heaps of algae. Ligts can be on for 16hours per day but no more.

 

[webmonkeyuk]

i normally have the lights one for about 12 hours a day and the plants are growing fine, just some seem to be rotting away or have little holes on the leafs. ive got about 5 plants in a 60LT

 

[Colin_T]

most plants are grown out of water and when you put them in the tank the old leaves sometimes rot away and the new leaves take their place.

 

[webmonkeyuk]

thanx for the help Colin_T