Fertilizers for aquarium plants: types and applications

Aquarium plants are an essential part of the ecological system of an artificial reservoir. They are involved in maintaining biobalance, are a source of vitamins for fish and have a decorative function. Just like aquarium inhabitants, representatives of the aquatic flora, it is important to organize suitable conditions of detention, and then they will delight the owner with their flowering for a long time. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically fertilize aquarium plants.

The main objective of fertilizers is the quality nutrition of plants. Sometimes algae have enough fish waste products that are deposited to the bottom, but this is not enough in all cases. As a rule, each type of fertilizer includes certain elements, each of which is responsible for a certain stage of plant development. For example, top dressing can serve as activators of growth, improve the appearance of leaves and stems, and make their color more saturated.

Up to a certain age, aquarium crops can feel comfortable without additional nutrition.but over time, they begin to experience a deficiency of nutrients, their growth is slowed down, stronger specimens begin to take vital elements from their green neighbors.

Aquarium fertilizers are usually classified into several types.

Now in pet stores it is possible to buy both complex mixtures and individual macro and micronutrient fertilizers.The choice of drug should be determined by the state of green spaces. By visual signs, you can understand what element the culture lacks, and choose the most suitable tool. Most often, these drugs are available in liquid form. The most popular additives are iron and potassium.

This species is more suitable for aquarium non-rooted plants. The relevance of liquid forms is explained by the convenience of their use. So, the Tetra company, which represents fertilizers containing potassium, manganese, iron, and other trace elements, is popular. These funds are good because they feed the crops growing in the aquarium, but do not contribute to the development of harmful algae.

Another popular liquid fertilizer company is Aquabalance. You can buy liquid complexes with macro- and microelements from this brand, as well as mixtures with iron, phosphorus and other useful substances.

Granules, tablets, nutrient substrate - all these are options for solid top dressing. They are usually placed under the roots or buried in the ground. If liquid fertilizers instantly dissolve, then solid forms enrich plants with useful elements gradually over time. This species has almost no effect on the development of lower algae.

The Tetra and Aquabalance firms produce products more often in the form of tablets. Also in the assortment of firms is a substrate that provides nutrient content in the soil.

This type of fertilizer is one of the most affordable, it is enriched with microelements and is intended for placement under the roots. Some aquarists mold balls from clay and lay them in the ground. Clay not only supplies plants with additional nutrition, but is also used as an adsorbent, as it has the ability to absorb harmful substances from water.

This variety is most often represented as a substrate; it is usually used in conjunction with peat. If point top dressing is necessary, then vermicompost is acquired in the form of granules. Some lovers of aquarium flora independently roll balls from humus, clay and water. Biohumus is good in that it dissolves in water gradually and enriches plants with organic substances for a long time. Among the branded substrate, Bio-Mix products by Aquabalance are popular. This product is intended for root-fed crops.

This view performs several functions at once. It is able to enrich water with useful components, regulate its acidity and soften, destroy fungi and harmful bacteria. It is customary to use peat in the form of a solution, emulsion or granules. As a rule, peat is added to the soil at the bottom of the tank.

This variety serves, rather, not for plant nutrition, but for their protection against harmful microorganisms formed by phytoplankton. Sidex is often the only effective way to deal with lower algae in an aquarium. It is a chemical agent that destroys harmful organisms, but does not harm other crops and aquarium inhabitants. Sidex can be soft and quick acting, it is presented in the assortment of many companies, but the products of the Tetra brand are more popular.

This type of fertilizer is cheaper for aquarists, in addition, it allows you to form a mixture of the specific elements that the plant currently needs. They can also be either liquid or solid. Liquid options are easier to use, but solid ones allow you to create a nutrient medium for a longer period.

When buying fertilizers for aquarium plants, you first need to determine what substances they lack. Take a look at the appearance of the culture and listen to the following tips.

• If the aquarist wants to give the plant more decorative properties, it is recommended to choose preparations containing iron, zinc, sodium, phosphorus, potassium. It is better to give preference to complex mixtures.
• To keep the aquarium representative of flora in good shape, choose products with a high content of nitrogen compounds. This component will prevent the cessation of growth and flight of leaves. However, when making them, it is worth remembering that an abundance of nitrogen can adversely affect the health of fish, therefore, when feeding herbs, it is important to regulate the portion size.
• If the plant is covered with brown spots, and the leaves began to darken, then, probably, it experiences a deficiency of phosphorus. In this case, buy superphosphates or complex nutrition with phosphorus.
• When brown or yellow spots are observed on the leaves, it can be assumed that the culture lacks potassium, and then it is better to choose potassium monophosphate as fertilizers.

Some aquarists prefer home-made fertilizers, while others prefer ready-made ones. In the first case, the owner of the aquarium will receive a very budgetary means, however, the preparations necessary for cooking are sold in large portions, and it may happen that initially a lot of money will be spent on the ingredients, and some of them will not be useful. In addition, self-cooking is permissible only when a person is passionate about chemistry and is well versed in the aquarium.

Purchased funds are much more convenient. They save the buyer from having to carefully calculate the dosage and save time. However, despite the increasingly advanced formulas, prices for finished fertilizers do not get lower. Ready-made preparations include additives that allow them to be stored for a long time, while homemade dressing is easier to re-cook than to encounter a fungus. Therefore, it is recommended to store it in the refrigerator or freeze.

Fertilizers that can be made at home are called samomes. Having studied the external state of plants, we can assume what elements they may lack, and combine specific components. Of course, it is better to consult with a specialist in person during the manufacture, because an inexperienced aquarium enthusiast can destroy the whole underwater world of an aquarium with home-made fertilizer.

To prepare a standard nutritional supplement for aquarium plants, you will need:

• iron gluconate - 1 g;
• manganese sulfate - 5.4 g;
• ammonium molybdate - 0.2 g / l;
• copper sulfate - 0.3 g;
• zinc sulfate - 0.7 g;
• boric acid - 17.5 g.

All of these ingredients can be bought at drugstores or pet stores. For cooking, you need distilled water. Liquid from the tap is not suitable for use. Water should have a temperature of 30–40 ° C; ammonium, copper, zinc, manganese, boron, and iron are successively added to it.

To prepare a potassium solution, follow these steps:

1. boil distilled water in a volume of 350 ml to 60-70 ° and cool;
2. add magnesium sulfate (5 g), citric acid (15 g), zinc sulfate (0.5 g), copper (0.5 g), iron sulfate (5 g);
3. leave the solution for an hour so that the components begin to interact;
4. add boric acid (0.15 g), potassium sulfate (4.5 g), vitamin B12 (1 ampoule), cytovite (2 ampoules), ferrovit (2 ampoules), sulfuric acid (10 ml) to the mixture.
5. Add water to a volume of 500 ml and mix well.

The Samemes presented above are added to the container at the rate of 0.5 ml of product per 100 liters of water. The maximum allowable portion is 1 ml. It is very important not to overdo it with the components, otherwise the aquarist will be left without green spaces, and without aquarium animals. It is customary to use potassium solution every day for 1 ml for every 50 liters of water volume.

Potash top dressing must be applied immediately at the start of the aquarium, and experienced aquarists advise to wait about a week with nitrogen and phosphorus compounds. This approach motivates the rhizome of the plant to independently obtain nutrition in the soil, and this positively affects the growth of the crop. Trace elements are desirable to make in the morning, macronutrients - in the evening.

To calculate the proportions of purchased supplements, it is important to read the available instructions. So, for beginners it is recommended to introduce the drug according to scheme E. This option is good because it contributes to the intensive growth of crops and the saturated color of greenery. Scheme E is used more often in those reservoirs, most of which is vegetation. For aquariums where flora and fauna are kept in equal amounts, it is recommended to use the PPS scheme.

If Sidex is used in the aquarium, the dosage is determined by the purpose of use. For preventive measures, 5-7 ml per 100 l of water is used, with minor contamination - 12 ml, the maximum allowable portion is 20 ml per 100 l of water. This tool is usually made in the morning. It is believed that the drug is safe for aquarium residents, however, there are cases when some types of snails died during its use, therefore, it is still recommended to plant all representatives of the fauna during the treatment of the aquarium.

Recently, an auto-dispenser has been popular, which makes it possible to evenly distribute fertilizers throughout the aquarium in the right proportions. Its main feature is the automatic supply of the drug, that is, the aquarist will not have to monitor whether his plant was fed or not - the dispenser will take care of this. The most popular are models that operate on the principle of osmosis. The mechanism of its work consists in the fact that aquarium water pushes dropwise liquid feeding through a tube. Thus, the vegetation is always equipped with the necessary amount of fertilizer. Noticing that the water in the dispenser is becoming more transparent, the owner will understand that it is time to add fertilizer.

Some aquarists make auto-dispensers on their own, which is cheaper, but it can take a lot of time. Purchased dispensers are not cheap, but their work is highly appreciated by aquarium enthusiasts. Particularly popular are models from Dennerle.

For information on what fertilizers are used for aquarium plants, see the next video.