Aquarium plants place high demands on the nutrient supply. Even small deficits cause conspicuous deficiency symptoms. These tips reveal how you can recognize an undersupply in good time and compensate for nutrient gaps. How to properly fertilize aquatic plants in the aquarium.
Aquarium plants also need to be fertilized from time to time
Fertilize aquarium plants as needed - tips
Fertilizing according to a fixed schedule does not do justice to the special nutrient situation in the aquarium. In the worst case, there is a threat of over-fertilization with life-threatening consequences for plants and fish. Needs-based fertilization avoids this problem. If these deficiency symptoms are observed, your aquarium plants are calling for food:
- Yellowed shoot tips in the early stage
- Yellow leaves and pale colors
- Green leaves with yellow veins, especially on Anubias
- Algae colonize plant leaves and shoots
- stunted growth
Beginners in aquaristics remedy the recognizable nutrient deficit with a fertilizer from the specialist trade. Alternatively, a measurement of the water values provides precise information about which nutrients the aquarium plants lack for lush green, lush growth.
Use special fertilizer for aquatic plants
Main nutrients such as nitrate or phosphorus get into the aquarium with the fish food and are often available in abundance. On the other hand, there is a lack of important trace elements such as iron or potassium. Only a special fertilizer for aquarium plants can close these gaps. Liquid fertilizers with a short-term effect or depot fertilizers with a long-term effect can be bought in specialist shops. The following list gives a product selection:
- Universal fertilizer in liquid form, e.g. B. Plant Elixir from Dennerle or Aqua Rebell Makro Basic from Aquasabi
- Long-term fertilizer as a capsule or tab, e.g. B. Powertabs root fertilizer or Tropica fertilizer capsules
- Special fertilizer for strong light aquaria, e.g. B. Scarper’s Green or Aqua Rebell Makro Basic Estimative
- nutrient reactivator, e.g. B. PlantaGold 7 to activate unused nutrients in the water
If you don't want to leave anything to chance when fertilizing your aquarium plants, you can use the system fertilization from Dennerle. The basic fertilizer E15 FerActiv iron fertilizer is supplemented by the complete special fertilizer V30 and the Vitamix S7. A special dosing device to be installed in the aquarium takes care of the optimal dosing. So much fertilizer convenience has its price. In return, worries about correct fertilization when caring for aquatic plants in the aquarium are a thing of the past.
tips
A week after planting, young aquarium plants receive their first portion of nutrients. Please adjust the dosage to the low plant mass. Reduce the manufacturer's quantities to a third. After the start-up phase of the aquarium, gradually increase the amount of fertilizer, adjusted to the progress of growth.