It is interesting that a lot of aquarium owners fertilise their houseplants and garden plants, but find fertilisation in the aquarium superfluous! But why and where is the difference? The answers were clear: "The fish excretion in the water fertilises the plants!" This is not wrong, but it is only part of the truth!
For us humans, carbohydrates, fats and proteins form the basic building blocks of our diet. In plants, both under and above water, CO2 (carbon dioxide) corresponds to these. Small amounts of it are always contained in the water, but really not much. Therefore, CO2 fertiliser systems ( PROFLORA CO2 plant care ) help to supply the aquarium plants with this basic building block. But people would die if they did not receive minerals, trace elements and vitamins in addition to carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Seafarers from earlier times had to learn this painfully, because the deficiency symptoms led to the notorious scurvy, amongst other conditions. Deficiency symptoms are often easy to recognise in aquatic plants: They get light green leaves (iron deficiency), the leaf veins stand out clearly (potassium deficiency) or they show other symptoms, and just do not grow as strongly and vigorously as we’d like. The precise indication of the JBL water tests for iron ( JBL PROAQUATEST Fe Iron ) and potassium ( JBL PROAQUATEST K Potassium ) helps you to quickly and easily get to the bottom of the problems.
We aquarium owners have the choice between selecting fairly undemanding, or demanding water plants, such as red plants.
When fertilising with minerals and nutrients, a basic supply for aquatic plants is quite simple for the time being: With JBL PROFLORA Ferropol , your aquarium plants receive all the minerals and trace elements to adequately supply about 80 % of all aquarium plants. Only for strongly rooting species is it absolutely sensible to supplement with JBL PROFLORA 7 Balls (fertilise every six months).
For more demanding species, often recognisable by their reddish colour or (very) finely veined leaves, it is important to extend the fertilisation a little. Because some minerals do not keep well (they are rendered chemically useless by the oxygen in the water), there are daily fertilisers ( JBL PROFLORA Ferropol 24 ) which add these sensitive minerals daily. This gives even the most sensitive aquarium plants an all-round care package and they will grow, provided light and CO2 are available in sufficient quantities.
But then what is a long-term or slow-release substrate fertiliser?
This is for the care of aquarium plants in the initial phase after setting up a new aquarium. It contains everything the plants need, except CO2. After a few weeks, the amount of fertiliser in the soil decreases, but it can be replenished by adding liquid fertilisers like JBL PROFLORA Ferropol . It’s a little like a pre-charged, rechargeable battery. A real help for fabulous plant growth when setting up for the first time or for a new installation.
Beautiful aquarium plants are not rocket science. If you invest a little money in a good liquid fertiliser and some root fertiliser, you will be rewarded with vigorous and healthy aquarium plant growth. That's a promise. Try it and see!
Find out more about CO2 in our Themeworld here: CO2 plant fertilisation
Find out more about fertilisation in our Themeworld under: Fertilising
