How Much Filtration Do Plants Add?

[Mmiller2001]

According to Tom Barr, the uptake levels can be

NO3 1-5ppm

NH4 0.1-0.8ppm(if you use this in place of NO3)

PO4 0.5 ppm

Per day with slightly more depending on tank setup.

What many fail to understand is that plants produce waste. These soluble and insoluble organics are not utilized by plants and build up which leads to problems. Also, plants offer no mechanical filtration. 

Seeing areas of mulm build up is a good indicator of an under filtered tank. Mulm may host available food for many fish/shrimp, but mulm is an ammonia source and ammonia triggers algae. 

[Expectorating_Aubergine]

On 1/27/2023 at 4:56 AM, JJenna said:

What do you use for dry ferts Going to be starting some tradescantia this weekend and wondered if EG/Iron/Trace was going to be enough. 

I use a balanced orchid dry fertilizer. I usually do a quarter scoop every month or so. Some plants require more (bananas).

[FLFishChik]

I just did a 30% water change and took the opportunity to surround my root feeders in root tabs. Then dosed Easy Green for the rest of them. My Vallisneria is already shooting to the top since planting it 3 weeks ago and sent off a runner. Hopefully the fertilizer gives them all a little boost!

[Lennie]

On 1/28/2023 at 2:20 AM, FLFishChik said:

I just did a 30% water change and took the opportunity to surround my root feeders in root tabs. Then dosed Easy Green for the rest of them. My Vallisneria is already shooting to the top since planting it 3 weeks ago and sent off a runner. Hopefully the fertilizer gives them all a little boost!

Sounds good to me.

If you'd like to hear about my suggestion:

 

Observe how your plants react to fertilizes in the following days for fast grow plants, and following weeks for the slow growing ones.

You can basically have an idea about your fertilizer needs/routine in this way based on the current situation of your tank.

Easiest way to tell is, Any  signs in the new leaves would show if the fertilizers were enough or if they lack anything, and any signs of algae starting to grow may sign you currently don't need as much of a fertilizer, so you may dose less next time. Sometimes our plants may not need a lot or full dose, especially when the tank is new. I personally start with %50 dose of the reccomended in the first weeks, than gradually increase over time by observing the plant/algae situation.

Also, It may be a chore sometimes, but if you can, I feel like dosing the total amount divided in to  seperate days feels better than dosing all the weekly requirement at once to me. I'm not a plant expert by any means. People who are more experienced with plants may help more! I just feel like plants consistenly using the enough amount and not having large amount of nutritions at once help with potential algae issue better.

 

New growth already sounds fun 😄

Enjoy your tank!

 

Edited January 28, 2023 by Lennie

[Lennie]

On 1/27/2023 at 2:43 AM, GoDawgsGo said:

Been watching Father Fish on YT. I've been doing his setup without even knowing it until recently. Fluval Stratum and some crushed lava rock as a base in media bags with holes big enough for roots, topped with Flourite black sand. 6" in the back total and 4" in the front. Heavily planted and probably over stocked, two Marineland PRO 400s with the cartridges full of Matrix and Biomax rings. I don't ever need to do water changes, it's self sustaining at this point. My nitrates went up to like 20 the last time I added fish but are usually at 0.

But then again a bunch of people in this thread saying they use gravel as a substrate, which is just a terrible idea for planted tanks.

You may want to check on this one:

 

[FLFishChik]

Plants be a growing’ in them there tank! I surrounded each of my root feeders in  a ring of root tabs, getting on a regular schedule with dosing the liquid fertilizer and adjusted my lighting to be a little brighter (going slow PSO I don’t kick off a massive algae bloom). Overkill? Meh… we shall see!

Edited February 2, 2023 by FLFishChik