Plant Fertilizer and Lighting for a 10 Gallon Aquarium

[Jack]

I am hoping to get Java Fern and Water Sprite in my 10 Gallon tank with one male betta fish and 5 pigmy corydora catfish. I was wondering if I floated the Water Sprite could I use Seachem Flourish as a fertilizer and the Nicrew SkylLED 18" as the light? I know that Water Sprite and Java Fern don't really need that much fertilizer and I was wondering if Seachem Flourish would be enough of a fertilizer for micronutrients and the fish could provide the Nitrogen, Potassium, and Phosphorous?

Thank You So So Much🙂!

[Daniel]

I got this Water Sprite from Aquarium Co-Op and put it into my discus tank.

This nutrients in the tank are very low as the typical nitrate level is 0 ppm.

I think this is a far less than the ideal situation for Water Sprite with basically very little food and the temperature too warm at 84°F. And yet...it is growing like a weed. I am not sure why, but an obvious guess is that it is really digging being under that full spectrum light 9 inches above it.

@Jack run an experiment using the conditions you laid out above and let me know if it works. Then we all might learn what it takes (or doesn't take) to grow Water Sprite.

[Jack]

Daniel do you use any Fertilizer?

[Daniel]

I do not use any fertilizer in any of my tanks. I probably should as it undoubtedly would increase plant growth. I have used plenty of fertilizer in the past and gotten lush plant growth.

In this tank the discus eat a pound of blackworms and 1/2 cup of Vibra Bites each week and poop a lot. This is likely the equivalent of dosing with Easy Green.

My guess the reason the nitrates are so low is that the Water Sprites eats all of it. Which is kind of the way I want this tank to work.

When I put the Water Sprite in I thought it might not make it, but I was wrong.

[Jack]

Thank You