{"id":75,"date":"2008-08-23T16:15:55","date_gmt":"2008-08-23T20:15:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gwapa.org\/wordpress\/?page_id=75"},"modified":"2008-09-06T16:16:17","modified_gmt":"2008-09-06T20:16:17","slug":"fertilizing-the-planted-aquarium","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/gwapa.org\/wordpress\/articles\/fertilizing-the-planted-aquarium\/","title":{"rendered":"Fertilizing the Planted Aquarium"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>By Jeff Ucciardo. Edited by Kris Weinhold<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Table of Contents<\/h3>\n<p><a onclick=\"javascript:window.location.hash='#intro';\" href=\"javascript:void(null);\">Introduction<\/a><br \/>\n<a onclick=\"javascript:window.location.hash='#types';\" href=\"javascript:void(null);\">Types of Fertilizers<\/a><br \/>\n<a onclick=\"javascript:window.location.hash='#driving';\" href=\"javascript:void(null);\">Driving Factors<\/a><br \/>\n<a onclick=\"javascript:window.location.hash='#methods';\" href=\"javascript:void(null);\">Dosing Methodologies<\/a><br \/>\n<a onclick=\"javascript:window.location.hash='#ei';\" href=\"javascript:void(null);\">Estimative Index (EI)<\/a><br \/>\n<a onclick=\"javascript:window.location.hash='#pps';\" href=\"javascript:void(null);\">Perpetual Preservation System (PPS-Pro)<\/a><br \/>\n<a onclick=\"javascript:window.location.hash='#jeff';\" href=\"javascript:void(null);\">Jeff&#8217;s Regimen<\/a><br \/>\n<a onclick=\"javascript:window.location.hash='#deficiencies';\" href=\"javascript:void(null);\">Nutrient Deficiencies<\/a><br \/>\n<a onclick=\"javascript:window.location.hash='#advice';\" href=\"javascript:void(null);\">Words of Advice<\/a><br \/>\n<a onclick=\"javascript:window.location.hash='#resources';\" href=\"javascript:void(null);\">Additional Resources<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"intro\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Introduction<\/h3>\n<p>Fertilizers are an integral part of keeping the aquatic plants in your          aquarium healthy. All plants need to obtain nutrients from somewhere in          order to survive. Sometimes this is from the substrate where rich soil,          or supplemental fertilizers are present. This article will discuss the          method of adding nutrients to the water column for plants to use.<\/p>\n<h3><a title=\"types\" name=\"types\"><\/a>Types of Fertilizers<\/h3>\n<p>Fertilizers are grouped into two types.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Macro (NPK):<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Macro nutrients are the three nutrients plants need the most of to            grow: nitrate, potassium, and phosphate.<\/li>\n<li>We cannot dose macro elements directly, however, so we need to use            these compounds, trying to achieve the following levels in our aquariums:\n<ul>\n<li>Potassium Nitrate &#8211; KNO3: NO3 range 5-30 ppm<\/li>\n<li>Potassium Sulfate &#8211; K2SO4: K+ range 10-30 ppm<\/li>\n<li>Mono-Potassium Phosphate &#8211; KH2PO4: PO4 range 1.0-2.0 or higher                ppm<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Micro:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Also referred to as <strong>trace elements<\/strong>, micro nutrients            are just as important as macro nutrients, but are sometimes over looked.<\/li>\n<li>Without micro nutrients, plants cannot flourish, and will show signs            of deficiency.<\/li>\n<li>Common micro nutrients include Iron (Fe), Boron (B), Calcium (Ca),            Magnesium (Mg), Cobalt (Co), Manganese (Mn), and many others.<\/li>\n<li>To add these elements, there are several commercial products available:\n<ul>\n<li>Seachem Flourish, CSM+B, Tropica Plant Nutrition are well know                examples.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Some important micro nutrient levels to aim for are:\n<ul>\n<li>Fe range 0.1-0.5ppm<\/li>\n<li>Ca range 10-20 ppm<\/li>\n<li>Mg range 2-5 ppm<\/li>\n<li>Other trace materials don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have a specific range<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><a title=\"driving\" name=\"driving\"><\/a>Driving Factors<\/h3>\n<p>The amount of fertilizers that you need to add to your aquarium is unique          to every individual aquarium. There are several driving factors that must          be considered to determine the proper level of dosing.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Light:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A high light tank requires more and constant fertilizers. Levels will            drop quickly because the plants grow fast and robust with high light.<\/li>\n<li>Low light tends to be easier to maintain and more forgiving because            plants grow slower.<\/li>\n<li>Light level guideline:\n<ul>\n<li> Low Light ( Under 2 wpg) 8-10 hours a day<\/li>\n<li>Medium Light (2.0 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c 3.0 wpg) 8-10 hours a day<\/li>\n<li>High Light ( 3.0 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c 4.0 wpg) 8-10 hours a day<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Carbon Dioxide (CO2):<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>In addition to dosing fertilizers, plants also need CO2 added to the            water. This may be even more critical to a successful planted aquarium            than fertilizers.<\/li>\n<li>Your goal is 15-30ppm of CO2.\n<ul>\n<li>Higher concentrations can kill your fish.<\/li>\n<li>Lower concentrations can allow algae to outcompete your plants.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Plant Mass:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Higher plant mass requires more fertilizer; less plant mass requires            less fertilizer.<\/li>\n<li>On a new setup, pack the tank with fast growing plants, even if you            don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t plan to keep them.<\/li>\n<li>When you trim your plants, it is a good idea to factor in the difference            in plant mass when you resume dosing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><a title=\"methods\" name=\"methods\"><\/a>Dosing Methodologies<\/h3>\n<p>Up to this point, fertilizing your aquarium might sound like a daunting          challenge. Fortunately, several methodologies have been developed by hobbyists          to deal with this problem in a more systematic way. This section will          cover a few of the more popular methods.<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"ei\" name=\"ei\"><\/a><strong>Estimative Index (EI):<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The idea behind EI is to simply flood the aquarium with an excess            of nutrients.<\/li>\n<li>The excess of fertilizers ensures that nutrients will always be available            to plants.<\/li>\n<li>The implication of adding extra fertilizers means that you need to            do weekly water changes to rebalance the amount of nutrients in the            water column.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pros:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Measuring specific nutrient uptake rates is not necessary, therefore                no test kits are involved.<\/li>\n<li>Because nutrients are always available, helps to prevent plant                deficiencies.<\/li>\n<li>Plant growth is fast with the idea that the plants out compete                algae growth.<\/li>\n<li>Works especially well for high light\/high CO2 setups.\n<ul>\n<li>Low light aquariums can use this method, but less fertilizers                    are needed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cons<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li>You use significantly more fertilizers than you need to. This                adds cost, and means that you ought to consider the implications                of where that nutrient rich water goes after you remove it from                your tank.<\/li>\n<li>50% weekly water changes are required.<\/li>\n<li>Fast growth makes it harder to maintain a scape.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Guidelines<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li>10- 20 Gallon Aquariums\n<ul>\n<li>+\/- 1\/8 tsp KN03 3x a week<\/li>\n<li>+\/- 1\/32 tsp KH2P04 3x a week<\/li>\n<li>+\/- 1\/32 tsp (2ml) Trace Elements 3x a week-Opposite day of                    macro<\/li>\n<li>50% weekly water change<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>20-40 Gallon Aquariums\n<ul>\n<li>+\/- 1\/4 tsp KN03 3x a week<\/li>\n<li>+\/- 1\/16 tsp KH2P04 3x a week<\/li>\n<li>+\/- 1\/16 tsp (5ml) Trace Elements 3x a week<\/li>\n<li>50% weekly water change<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>40-60 Gallon Aquariums\n<ul>\n<li>+\/- 1\/2 tsp KN03 3x a week<\/li>\n<li>+\/- 1\/8 tsp KH2P04 3x a week<\/li>\n<li>+\/- 1\/8 (10ml) Trace Elements 3x a week<\/li>\n<li>50% weekly water change<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>60 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c 80 Gallon Aquariums\n<ul>\n<li>+\/- 3\/4 tsp KN03 3x a week<\/li>\n<li>+\/- 1\/4 tsp KH2P04 3x a week<\/li>\n<li>+\/- 1\/4 tsp (20ml) Trace Elements 3x a week<\/li>\n<li>50% weekly water change<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>100 &#8211; 125 Gallon Aquarium\n<ul>\n<li>+\/- 1 1\/2 tsp KN03 3x a week<\/li>\n<li>+\/- 1\/2 tsp KH2P04 3x a week<\/li>\n<li>+\/- 1\/2 tsp (30ml) Trace Elements 3x a week<\/li>\n<li>50% weekly water change<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Note: K2SO4 is not required for dosing unless you need the                  extra Potassium (K). This K is found in KN03 and KH2P04. Dosing                  these two according to above will yield sufficient K levels. If                  you need to increase their K levels with K2S04, add the same measured                  amount as KH2P04. For example, if you are dosing 1\/2 tsp of KH2P04,                  then dose 1\/2 tsp of K2S04.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a title=\"pps\" name=\"pps\"><\/a><strong>Perpetual Preservation System(PPS-Pro):<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The goal of PPS-Pro is to grow healthy plants with minimal effort.<\/li>\n<li> There is no testing required and water changes are optional.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pros:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Attempts to provide slow healthy growth.<\/li>\n<li>Few water changes required.<\/li>\n<li>Aims to use only the fertilizers your plants need.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cons:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Must premix your fertilizer solutions.<\/li>\n<li>Requires a gram-scale to measure fertilizers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Guidelines:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>You must mix two solutions, a macro and micro solution:\n<ul>\n<li>Macro Solution:\n<ul>\n<li>In 1 liter bottle or 1000ml:<\/li>\n<li>59 grams K2SO4 (Potassium Sulfate)<\/li>\n<li>65 grams KNO3 (Potassium Nitrate)<\/li>\n<li>6 grams KH2PO4 (Mono Potassium Phosphate)<\/li>\n<li>41 grams MgSO4 (Magnesium Sulfate)<\/li>\n<li>Fill with distilled water and shake well. Let sit overnight.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Micro Solution:\n<ul>\n<li>In 1 liter bottle or 1000ml:<\/li>\n<li>80 grams of CSM+B or equivalent trace element mix<\/li>\n<li>Fill with distilled water and shake well. Let sit overnight.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Dose 1 ml of each solution per ten gallons of tank size.<\/li>\n<li>Dose prior to lights turning on.<\/li>\n<li>You will need an accurate scale<\/li>\n<li>DO NOT mix the solutions together in one bottle.<\/li>\n<li>Dose at separate ends of the tank or a few minutes apart.<\/li>\n<li>The following is an estimate of what is dosed per day.\n<ul>\n<li>NO3 is dosed at 2 ppm per day<\/li>\n<li>K is dosed at 2.7 ppm per day<\/li>\n<li>PO4 is dosed at .2 ppm per day<\/li>\n<li>MG is dosed at .2 ppm per day<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a title=\"jeff\" name=\"jeff\"><\/a><strong>Jeff&#8217;s Regimen:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Start with EI recommendations. But about half.<\/li>\n<li>Test the water every other day for NO3 and PO4 to ensure they&#8217;re within            proper levels; adjust as needed<\/li>\n<li>Use plants as indicators to see whether they look healthy or deficient;            adjust as needed.<\/li>\n<li>Use algae as an indicator that something is unbalanced; adjust as            needed.<\/li>\n<li>Once a baseline for dosing is established, use that to project the            required fertilizers for a 2-week period.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/gwapa.org\/articles\/autodoser\">Setup an auto doser            using that baseline.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><a title=\"deficiencies\" name=\"deficiencies\"><\/a>Nutrient Deficiencies<\/h3>\n<p>While using test kits is a great way to determine what the current level          of nutrients in your tank is, plants can also provide visual cues that          something is wrong. Here are some common nutrient deficiencies along with          what to look for.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Nitrogen (low): Leaves turn yellow, red leaves, (high) red plants            are green<\/li>\n<li>Potassium (low): Pinholes in leaves, ragged leaf edges and tips<\/li>\n<li>Phosphates (low): green spot algae, stunting<\/li>\n<li>Iron (low): Leaves grow in pale or yellow<\/li>\n<li>Calcium: Distorted leaf growth, cupped or twisted leaves<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><a title=\"advice\" name=\"advice\"><\/a>Words of Advice<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Take your time.<\/li>\n<li>Make changes to one thing at a time. If you change too many variables            at once you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know what it was that really improved things.<\/li>\n<li>Allow a week or two to really see the effects of your changes.<\/li>\n<li>Keep a notebook of what you are doing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><a title=\"resources\" name=\"resources\"><\/a>Additional Resources<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/aquaticplantcentral.com\/forumapc\/fertilator.php\">Aquatic          Plant Central Fertilator<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.aquaticplantcentral.com\/forumapc\/fertilizing\/\">Aquatic          Plant Central &#8211; Fertilizing Forums<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.rexgrigg.com\/\">Rex Grigg &#8211; Online source for fertilizers.<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.greenleafaquariums.com\/\">Green Leaf Aquariums &#8211; Another source for fertilizers<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Jeff Ucciardo. Edited by Kris Weinhold Table of Contents Introduction Types of Fertilizers Driving Factors Dosing Methodologies Estimative Index (EI) Perpetual Preservation System (PPS-Pro) Jeff&#8217;s Regimen Nutrient Deficiencies Words of Advice Additional Resources Introduction Fertilizers are an integral part of keeping the aquatic plants in your aquarium healthy. All plants need to obtain nutrients [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":54,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-75","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gwapa.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/75","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gwapa.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gwapa.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gwapa.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gwapa.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/gwapa.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/75\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":77,"href":"https:\/\/gwapa.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/75\/revisions\/77"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gwapa.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/54"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gwapa.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}