Loaches Online Forum

I have recently added some plants to my 75 gallon established aquarium, which is stocked with several fish. I do not want to break it down to add the appropriate substrate for plants, so I am trying to find out what is the best way to add the nutrients that plants require so that I can create a tank that is healthy both for fish and plants alike.

I have seen the live substrate that is sold at the pet stores, but I don't think I can add that to my tank because I already have gravel on the bottom. My fish stressed when I moved them to the tank, so I don't want to take them out and stress them again.

Any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated!

Cheat.
Go out and get a couple of nice clay/pottery plant-pots, put some finer stones along the bottom, a layer of peat-moss above that, good soil above that, plant in the soil and substrate (or larger) gravel over everything to hold it all in place.
Discrete, clean and easy.
Can even use old coffee cup(s) or tupperware.
I suggest avoiding Terra Cotta pots as they are sometimes toxic.
A

Plant directly in the gravel and add fertilizer tablets designed for aquariums. Push them down deep in the gravel (touch the bottom of the tank) to supply fertilizers to heavy feeding plants.
Liquid fertilizers can be added to the water column for plants that are 'planted' on driftwood or rocks.

I use dry powders from agricultural grade fertilizers and mix my own liquid fertilizers:
Macros, N, P, K:
KNO3 provides nitrogen, but I do not add much. Fish food also supplies a lot and my tanks do not need much more.
PH2PO4 provides phosphates. P is also present in fish food, and again, my tanks do not need much more.
K2SO4 provides potassium without overdosing NO3 or PO4. Fish food is not particularly high in K, and plants use quite a bit. Even when I am not dosing either of the others, I will dose K2SO4.

Micros, Fe and others:
I dose CSM+B for most of the trace minerals that plants use.
I add extra chelated iron because my plants seem to need more.

My own tap water has enough Ca and Mg (measured as GH) so I do not need to dose either of these. In hard water tanks I use Seachem Equilibrium to raise the GH.

Carbon is the other element that plants use the most of. I have DIY CO2 with yeast and sugar. Seachem Excel is another source of carbon that most aquatic plants can use. This is not good for some plants, though. Anacharis and Valisneria are some plants that may die when Excel is added.

Dry ferts can be purchased through
www.aquariumdertilizer.com
Liquid fertilizers (including Excel) can be found in most fish stores. I started with Leaf Zone, which supplies potassium and iron. Seachem Flourish is a complete line up of fertilizers, each in a separate bottle so you can dose just what your tank needs.