When to fertilise the substrate

[WaterH2O]

I am thinking of getting those fert sticks or tablets type fertilise that you stick it into the substrate but when do I need to do that, Just start a 3 feet tank some 2 weeks ago. Just planning ahead and any good brands or products to recommend?

[medicineman]

What kind of substrate do you use?
What kind of plants do you have?
How do you like the growth so far?

Some plants are more demanding than the others. Some like echinodorus sp will shrink in size when not given ample substrate nutrition, while others would lay small for a long time.
Some do excel at absorbing nutrient from the water collumn (most stems, floaters and epifits) that they grow just nice while others prefer sub soil uptake. Some do grow fine with just water collumn fertilisation (usually stem plants) but may be more robust when supplied with rich substrate.

In all, the addition of substrate supplementation will usually contribute to better growth. Depending on certain conditions, you may need or may not need the introduction of substrate supplement at the early moment.

If you find that you may need one, I would like to suggest trying a new but tested product Wonder-Gro Root+ tablets. Look at the merchant section to get one.
Other products are also available to buy out there from brand name such as ferka, Azoo, ADA, Seachem, dennerle, etc.

[oblivion]

i recommend beginning about 6-9 mths into the setup
thats when substrate nutrient levels start to really go down

but this is just a rough gauge as it really depends on what kind of plants you have

personally i recommend ferka and/or wondergro
i have tried both ==> potent stuff

oceanfree root monsters ==> decent

other branded stuuf like dennerle and ada ==> never tried their bottom inserts before
maybe others can give some feedback

[WaterH2O]

Ok I will give a brief description of the plants I have in my tank using common names (Cannot remember all their scientific name).

Water Wisteria
Bacopa Mionnrie
Milfoil ( I think is Western Milfoil)
Anarchais (Elodea Densa)
Anubias Nana
E.tenellus

That about it. All quick growing plants, my Elodea and Milfoil have already reached the water surface in 2 weeks.

[WaterH2O]

Oh the substrate I am using JBL Aquabasic with river gravel/sand on top.
Pretty satisfied with the growth so far though I thought it could be better. Like what I have posted in another thread, I prefer the wisteria to grow upwards more than spreads it leaves out like a tree.

[WaterH2O]

One more thing do I need to dose things like potassium,nitrates and phoshates into the tank? Currently I am only fertilizing using Sera Florena which from what I read here, is not very pouplar.