Fertilizer for Beginners?

[Rayston]

I dont get fertilizers. Can anyone point me at an article that explains them? I would like an overview and the following specific questions answered.

1. What are the target #'s for the various MacroNutrients? When I am using my fancy testing kit, what numbers am I looking for?

2. What brands do what? (For example, Seachem Flourish seems to be a Micronutrient oriented fertilizer but nothing I can find actually says that in so many words. Plus, it does have some nitrogen in it.)

3. Do certain substrates reduce/remove the need for Fertilizers?

4. Do you even need the MacroNutrients? Some guides seem to insinuate that alot of these MacroNutrients are provided by fish waste.

Thank You

Del Benjamin

[AquaObsession]

In my opinion,

1. Do not waste money on test kits, instead put it to better use.
2. Seachem Flourish and Seachem Iron ( for the micros), Seachem Potassium and Seachem Nitrogen (for the macros).
3. Some substrates does have some benefits, but then again if your lighting is high, and you are injecting Co2, you will still need to dose.
4. Yea, they are very important. Fish waste will not be enough assuming your lighting is high, and you have Co2 injected in the tank.


Cheers, Christophe

[jacian]

Please refers to the link on Nutrients and Fertilizers

You may want to refer to the Online Fertilizer Dosing Calculator, it gives you the nutrients content of the common fertilizer available in the market.