How To Fertilize Aquarium Plants Naturally the Easy Way

Knowing how to fertilize aquarium plants naturally is important, as these need the right amount of nutrients and minerals for optimal growth. By adding fertilizers, the growth can be enhanced for the plants.

It includes root tabs and liquid fertilizers, but a homemade fertilizer could be a better option. This guide consists of simple steps to fertilizing aquarium plants, so let’s see more to find out how.

How To Easily Fertilize Aquarium Plants Naturally?

To easily fertilize aquarium plants naturally, you must add fertilizer to your aquatic plant every day for six days a week before switching on the aquarium’s lights. On the seventh day, make sure not to add fertilizer. Instead, change your fish tank water.

You can also add something like Aquarium Co-op Easy Green fertilizer to refresh your aquarium or go for another product from a reputable brand.

– Make Fertilizer Balls for the Substrate

The plant will mostly absorb nutrients through its roots if the fertilizer is applied directly to the substrate. This approach is perfect for plants with roots. This will not help floating plants like java moss or duckweed. It’s recommended to place fertilizer balls into the substrate for root-feeding plants.

For this, you will need the following:

• Powdered calcium montmorillonite clay, five teaspoons
• One spoonful of blended seaweed powder
• Sufficient liquid to make the first two powders resemble modeling clay

First, combine the powdered seaweed and calcium montmorillonite clay in a bowl. When the mixture resembles wet modeling clay, keep mixing while adding more water. Form the mixture into balls and let them dry once they have reached the ideal consistency.

Insert the balls immediately into the substrate once they have dried completely. The balls might dissolve in the water if put in immediately. On average, fertilizer balls can last up to six weeks.

– Fertilization Through Water Column

The fertilizer distribution in the water column is particularly advantageous for aquariums with different plant species. Direct injection of fertilizers causes the water to circulate them throughout the tank.

If your aquarium contains plants, they will consume the nutrients through the leaves and other parts of their bodies. The plant roots can absorb nutrients that sink to the bottom of the tank.

– Fertilization Through Fish Droppings And Fish Food

If you have fish in your tank, the fish food waste and droppings can nourish the plants inside. Fish eat plant portions, leaving behind fish waste that serves as a natural fertilizer for plants.

Any remaining fish food either sinks to the tank’s bottom or floats. The extra food steadily decomposes over time into vital elements that nourish and fertilize the plants.

How To Select the Right Natural Fertilizer for Aquarium Plants?

To select the right natural fertilizer for aquarium plants, you need to ensure some basic components like nutrients, form, and mode of use. These fertilizers supply numerous vital nutrients that promote plant growth and enhance the beauty and color of the plants.

The right fertilizer for plants in aquariums might be crucial to maintaining the health of your tank plants.

– Nutrients

The quantity and nature of nutrients that aquarium plant fertilizers offer is one of the most crucial things to consider. This is because your plants absorb these nutrients and enhance growth and health under the right conditions.

For example, some fertilizers may slightly raise nitrate levels, which is inappropriate for most tanks. As a result, while purchasing new fertilizer, check for important nutrients like zinc, potassium, iron, etc., and ensure they are present in adequate amounts.

– Form

The majority of common fertilizers, among the many options on the market, are either liquid or tablet-based. Each of these has unique qualities and is better suited for various aquarium configurations and plant species.

Although liquid fertilizers are known to offer more concentrated kinds of nutrients, they also need to be used for routine maintenance. This is because these plant fertilizers must be applied precisely once every week or two.

On the contrary, due to their mess-free nature, tablet fertilizers are significantly simpler to use. Simply bury the tablets in your tank’s substrate, and you can unwind for weeks at a time while your plants are fertilized. In contrast to liquid ones, these pills may have a slower rate of mineral absorption.

– Convenience of Use

The worst scenario for a novice is accidentally spilling too much liquid fertilizer when pouring it into your tank. The solid tablets are particularly practical because there is no possibility of spillage and you just need to put one tablet at a time into your tank. Similarly, the nozzle and pump heads on liquid fertilizer make it much simpler to control the amount of liquid you spill.

– Compatibility

Not all fertilizers are created to function with all types of plants. For instance, several businesses make fertilizers for particular plant species, like Marimo moss, while others are better suited for freshwater species.

This is done because it is difficult to design an effective fertilizer that meets all the diverse needs of different plants. Therefore, attempt to pick a fertilizer made for your plants when shopping for one for your tank setup. This will ensure you get the most use out of the product and lower the likelihood that it won’t work.

How To Make Your Own Liquid Fertilizer for Aquarium Plants?

To make your own liquid fertilizer for aquarium plants, including DIY potassium for aquarium plants and DIY iron fertilizer for aquarium plants, accurate doses of organic ingredients are essential. Natural and homemade fertilizer is relatively budget-friendly and ensures that your aquatic plants get everything to survive. 

These are doses of organic fertilizers for aquarium greens that can be altered according to your aquatic system.

1. Pour Distilled Water Into the Bottle

Distilled water does not contain contaminants. The distillation process of water consists of heating the water to transform it into steam and evaporate it. It cools on the lid of the distiller when it evaporates to turn into a liquid state.

The condensed water is collected into a separate container. All impurities, containments, and liquids from the common source are left behind. Tap water and spring water already contain minerals and nutrients.

If you choose distilled water, make sure that there are no extra minerals, ions, or salts. When dry salts are added to the water, you will know exactly how many minerals are there.

2. Add Salt of Essential Elements to the Bottle

Dry salts are easier to dissolve in water. You will need different salts to create a perfect fertilizer to make your aquarium plants grow. You can use measuring spoons or a measuring scale to measure the quantity of the salts. Weigh your salts and add them to the bottle.

3. Fertilize Your Aquarium According to the Aquatic Environment

The amount of aquarium fertilizer you will add depends on the aquarium environment. If you own a heavily planted aquarium, you will need more minerals and nutrients than one separately planted. So the higher-planted aquarium will need more nutrients.

Choosing a medium planted aquarium is recommended as it will require low maintenance and fewer nutrients.

4. Make a Natural Fertilizer Tab

Another way of fertilizing is making DIY aquarium fertilizer tabs. This fertilizer is easy to make as long as you have the required ingredients. Essential ingredients are clay powder and powdered seaweed or a mix of salts of essential elements (phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, zinc, etc).

Take five spoons of calcium clay powder and one tablespoon of fertilizer powder with some water. Measure the ingredients with a DIY aquarium fertilizer calculator. Mix it well until you get the consistency of wet modeling clay. Then shape them as required and let them dry.

Conclusion

We all know about aquarium plants’ fertilization, and we dread them all, as it’s tricky and expensive to fertilize aquariums. But you can fertilize these aquariums by following simple steps, so here’s a summary of what you have read:

• Aquarium greens can be fertilized naturally using natural DIY fertilizers that include potassium nitrate, calcium nitrate, a water bottle, a measuring scale, monopotassium phosphorus, and magnesium sulfate.
• There are essential nutrients and minerals needed. They include nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron, calcium, and magnesium.
• You must fertilize your aquarium six days a week and switch out the tank’s water on the seventh day.
• By making homemade fertilizer tabs, you can also fertilize the plants accurately.
• Make sure not to skip water changes, use different plants during setup, not to overload the container, and choose the right fertilizer for your aquatic plants.

Fertilizing your aquarium plant naturally can save you problems. We hope you have the required knowledge about naturally fertilizing aquarium plants.