Silent Plant Cycle & Feeding Plants

[imw]

Hi,

As per title thread - Yes or No ?

Thanks in Advance.

Tets.

 

[Slaphppy7]

A good write-up on the subject: https://www.fishforums.net/threads/planted-silent-cycling.470400/

 

[imw]

A good write-up on the subject: https://www.fishforums.net/threads/planted-silent-cycling.470400/

Hi,

May be me, but I do not see the answer to the question, so as before - to feed or not to feed is the question ?

Thanks,

 

[Essjay]

Do you mean a general plant fertiliser of something to use instead of fish to provide ammonia for the plants?

 

[imw]

Do you mean a general plant fertiliser of something to use instead of fish to provide ammonia for the plants?

Hi,

No fish in tank at the moment. Attempting silent plant cycle. Sand substrate. 5 plants in at the moment (will add ten or more on Wednesday), also have some Floating plants on order. Tank is VERY new (set up yesterday)

Thanks,

 

[Essjay]

Sorry, I didn't explain what I meant very well.

Once there are fish in a tank they provide the plants with the nitrogen they need (ammonia) and unless the tank is high-tech we tend to add a general fertiliser to give the plants the minerals they need.
During silent cycling, there are no fish in the tank so the plants don't have ammonia to feed on.

I was unsure if you were asking about giving the plants - or not - general fertiliser or if you were asking if the plants need to be fed a source of nitrogen as there aren't any fish to provide it.



If it was my tank, as the plants are put in I would place a root tab near the plants which are heavy root feeders. For leaf feeders, I would add some liquid fertiliser but at a smaller dose than the bottle recommends as the plants will need to settle in before starting to grow well.

 

[imw]

Sorry, I didn't explain what I meant very well.

Once there are fish in a tank they provide the plants with the nitrogen they need (ammonia) and unless the tank is high-tech we tend to add a general fertiliser to give the plants the minerals they need.
During silent cycling, there are no fish in the tank so the plants don't have ammonia to feed on.

I was unsure if you were asking about giving the plants - or not - general fertiliser or if you were asking if the plants need to be fed a source of nitrogen as there aren't any fish to provide it.



If it was my tank, as the plants are put in I would place a root tab near the plants which are heavy root feeders. For leaf feeders, I would add some liquid fertiliser but at a smaller dose than the bottle recommends as the plants will need to settle in before starting to grow well.

Perfect, thanks so much for the advice - much appreciated.

ATB

 

[Byron]

I concur. Just to explain a bit about fertilizers...

As you are in the UK, you could use Total Nutrition's compr4ehensive liquid fertilizer. They have two, one is called TNC Complete, the other is TNC Lite. The Complete has nitrogen (as nitrate) and phosphates, whereas the Lite does not; all other nutrients (so far as I can remember) are the same in both products. Here, with no fish, the Complete might be preferable, but once you have fish, use the Lite. With fish in the tank, nitrogen and phosphates will never be lacking and will be sufficient for the plants.

Another good product is Seachem's Flourish Comprehensive Supplement for the Planted Aquarium. This has all nutrients (except oxygen, hydrogen and carbon) that the plants require, including (minimally) nitrogen as ammonium and nitrate. The Flourish Tabs are one of the best substrate tab fertilizers there is. For the liquid, another good one is Brightwell Aquatics' FlorinMulti.

The above products are complete, or comprehensive, and intend as "supplements," so they work extraordinarily well in natural or low-tech method planted tanks, which is what you are dealing with here.

 

[imw]

I concur. Just to explain a bit about fertilizers...

As you are in the UK, you could use Total Nutrition's compr4ehensive liquid fertilizer. They have two, one is called TNC Complete, the other is TNC Lite. The Complete has nitrogen (as nitrate) and phosphates, whereas the Lite does not; all other nutrients (so far as I can remember) are the same in both products. Here, with no fish, the Complete might be preferable, but once you have fish, use the Lite. With fish in the tank, nitrogen and phosphates will never be lacking and will be sufficient for the plants.

Another good product is Seachem's Flourish Comprehensive Supplement for the Planted Aquarium. This has all nutrients (except oxygen, hydrogen and carbon) that the plants require, including (minimally) nitrogen as ammonium and nitrate. The Flourish Tabs are one of the best substrate tab fertilizers there is. For the liquid, another good one is Brightwell Aquatics' FlorinMulti.

The above products are complete, or comprehensive, and intend as "supplements," so they work extraordinarily well in natural or low-tech method planted tanks, which is what you are dealing with here.

Thank you for detailed reply.

ATB