The Grass Doctor

Aquarium plants need liquid fertilizer?

So I assume they die without it? When I get a live plant I should also get fertilizer too then, right? Will it harm the fish, and do they come in a small bottle (I'm running short on money after buying 3 different foods for my fish today) or big bottles only?

Public Comments

1. Liquid Ferts sucks. There are a few different options to pick from, you can get Aqua Soil or Tabs which you place under the plants which supply them with the nutrients they need.
2. they will not die without it but they will not thrive ... solid or liquid, whatever you prefer ... i prefer a liquid fertilizer ... i use: http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/FlourishExcel.html nothing has died yet :O) ... i have a 15 gallon planted shrimp tank that has never seen fertilizer and the plants still live but with a fertilizer in my other tanks, the plants seem much more green and lush ... the fertilizer will not hurt your fish ...
3. My plants always do fine on fish poop, it's a great fertilizer. As long as the tank is balanced and there aren't a lot of snails, they do great. Those ram's horn snails eat the plants and cut them at the gravel line, so they float up and die. Otherwise the plants grow like mad, think roots, etc., tller than the tank.
4. I use Seachem Flourish Tabs. http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4867 Root tabs are much better than liquid fertilizer. They release slowly with no danger of overdosing. Use a good substrate is a lot more important. Iron rich substrate is appreciated by plants...by algae too though. I recommend Eco-complete. http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/203870/product.web
5. The only liquid I use is the CO2 stuff, general liquid ferts lack a lot of the things solid ferts do. I would recommend TPN (Tropica Plant Nutrition) tabs, or go DIY! I need to go back and do DIY, ran out a month or two ago, and my poor Crypt is suffering for it! I only have a bit of macro left, run out of micro. See dosing DIY here: http://www.lfkc.co.uk/index.php?topic=158.0
6. New plants should receive plant fertilizer. It will not harm the fish. However, after you keep live plants in the same spot for a long time, you don't have to give it as much. They come in all sizes.