Which plant fertilizer is good for the fish tank, the tablet type or the liquid type?

Answer 1

The small tablet type is better if you have the option of planting them near or close to your plants in the tank.

If you have too many plants in your tank, use the liquid type. There is one by Tetra, which works very well..

Answer 2

I would say that this should depend on the type and number of plants you keep. In most aquaria with fish, you shouldn't need to use a general fertilizer - the plants will use the wastes from the fish. Also, excess components in some fertilizers can be harmful to your fish if they are in a high enough concentration.

The one exception I would make would be considered more an "additive" than a fertilizer, and that's iron. Most aquatic systems are deficient in iron, yet it's something plants need. Without it, the leaves yellow (which may be mistaken for not enough light). I only dose about half of what's recommended, though - iron can be toxic at high levels and can form orangish precipitates/stains (think of acid mine drainage - the "orange" iron hydroxide).

Now if you have a tank that's lightly stocked with fish or heavily planted, and you want to fertilize because you believe that you might not have enough nutriets for good growth, look at the types of plants you have.

The uptake for nutrients is generally through the roots. Where are the roots of your plants? Chances are, most will be in the substrate. For these types of plants, a pelleted fertilizer will concentrate the the nutrients where the plant's can get to it the easiest. Again, I use only a portion of what's recommended to prevent fertilizer "burn" and keep the amount of additives low. If you have more non-rooting plants or floating plants, a liquid fertilizer will be more of an advantage because this will get the nutrients to where the plants can access them. The advantage of using a liquid is that the concentration of elements these add will be lower, so there's more control of concentration to which your fish are exposed.

Above all, remember three things when it comes to fertilizing aquatic plants:

1) Just because it may be good for the plants, doesn't mean it's good for your fish!

2) Algae also use the same nutrients - put the nutrients where your plants can get them first, and if you under-dose, the plants are usually more efficient at obtaining the nutrients than are the algae.

3) Adding fertilizer doesn't guarantee a successful planted tank - substrate size, lighting, and fish activity (eating, uprooting, moving among them) can affect growth.

Some additional reading below.

Answer 3

Fertilizer Tablets

Answer 4

I prefer liquid.

Its really easy to overdo it either way if you don't have enough co2 & lighting.

The only plants that benefit more optimally from the tablet based fertilizers are heavy iron root feeders like amazon swords. Otherwise liquid is easier & there is a better variety of high quality products in liquid form.

Answer 5

Liquid plant fertilizer (made specifically for aquariums!) is absorbed by plants through the leaves. Not all aquatic plants absorb nutrients that way, though. For example, Amazon swords absorb nutrients through their roots, and need a plant tab (aquatic plant fertilizer tab) inserted beneath the substrate near their roots.

The best fertilizer for the tank depends solely on the type of plants you have.

Good luck!

Answer 6

I much prefer liquid fertilizers because they disperse in the water more quickly and mainly because it's much easier to adjust the dose in case your plants need just a bit more as they grow or in case the recommended dose is too much for your tank and causing algae. It's far more difficult to adjust the dose with tablets.

Liquid fertilizers also penetrate into the gravel and fertilize at the root as well as in the water column therefore insuring plants get nutrients at both levels.

MM

Answer 7

like mantra said the tablets are nice, i like them cause they get all the good stuff right where it needs to be, by the roots. But the Tetra brand plant fertalizer is also a good choice, both about the same money!

Answer 8

whichever fertilizer you decide on, watch your fish. If they stop coming up for food, you may need to have a separate planted tank with fertilizer in it like I did.


Good Luck!@!!

Answer 9

I would suggest liquid, because the fish might try and eat the tablets...

Answer 10

I would prefer the liquid bcoz the fish might eat the tablet.