Best liquid fertilizer?

[KingJamal2]

I am looking for a great liquid fertilizer for my planted tanks. Which one is best and contains both macro and micro nutrients? (All in one)

 

[Elkwatcher]

I don't know which works best, but Thive works for me... all in one. Some like Easy Green.

 

[Dennis57]

I use Thrive, plants love it. I also use all the Seachem products as well.

 

[kallililly1973]

I use Thrive as well and its done all my plants very well! I used a couple Seachem products and on occasion still do use Excel, Potassium, and Iron, As well as a flourish root tab every now n then.

 

[smee82]

Best is a homemade solution using dry ferts. Its not really that hard and is much cheaper in the long run.

 

[KingJamal2]

I might try the Seachem products. I really like their other products.

 

[kallililly1973]

I might try the Seachem products. I really like their other products.

The only problem with Seachem plant ferts is you will need to buy a lot of different bottles ( not at all saying their product is bad ) for your plants needs where as an all in one fert is really the way to go especially if your only dosing plants in one or 2 tanks. It will last a good while for you.

 

[KingJamal2]

So should I get easy green, or is there a different brand? Perhaps that I could get on amazon with free shipping?

 

[kallililly1973]

Nilog Thrive

 

[KingJamal2]

Nilog Thrive

Thanks, I’ll definitely go with that one. Just read the amazon reviews and description.

I’ll get the shrimp safe version though, because I would use it in my shrimp breeding tanks

 

[Nobote]

Nilocg Thrive is hard to beat for an all in one.

 

[Indianasfishkeeper]

There is a company called reeflfowers they make a liquid fert called all inclusive, has basically everything your plants need or you can buy out the separate nutrients to create tour own.brew they have water conditioners and water clarity options to also I use the seachem flourish in conjunction with the all inclusive

 

[StarGirl]

I use Thrive C for low light plants and I have shrimp and its fine. You don't have to be a chemistry major to have plants!

 

[Brizburk]

I don't know which works best, but Thive works for me... all in one. Some like Easy Green.

I like easy green!

 

[CMDTetra]

Hi, Tropica's "premium" liquid fertilizer which is good for my 80 litre (20 gallon) community tank. I have crypts, anubias, water lettuce, pogestemons, bacopa, sagittaria, christmast moss. Tropica has another liquid fert which is green and named, "specialised". I think green is for high-tech tanks, and the premium (brown colored) is for low-techs.
I am using three times in a week, one pump on each turn. One pump approx. 3ml and that dosage is OK for my tank.

 

[Gameynerd23]

Hello, I'm working on planting all of my tanks (except the one that have fish who will uproot the plants) and I want to decide on a good fertilizer to use for them. They will all be moderately to heavily planted, two 10g Betta tanks, a 5.5g shrimp tank, and a 55g community tank. Thanks for the help!

 

[Dechi]

I like to use Thrive all-in-one.

This one for your planted tanks :
Thrive C All in One Liquid Fertilizer for Aquarium Plants | NilocG Aquatic Labs

This one for the tank with shrimps :
Thrive S All in One Shrimp Liquid Fertilizer for Aquarium Plants | NilocG Aquatic Labs

 

[Broggy]

im not well versed in thrive ferts, but I do know that they are concentrated, and one of the best on the market. I like easy green, its about the same as Thrive all in one.

 

[mimo91088]

Thrive or easy green are both good options.

 

[Rachaeljuno]

I currently have API root tabs in my tank (5 gallon tank dimensions 10"L x 10"W). There's two in the substrate right now that I added about 2 weeks ago. I just got some ludwigia (not 100% sure on exact type) and some of the stems are already melting from the bottom up. I've read that they take nutrients from both the water column as well as the substrate. Given that there's already root tabs in there I'm thinking I need some liquid fertilizer. The plants that are currently in there are Crypt Undulata, Chain sword, moss balls, java fern, creeping charlie, salvinia, now the ludwigia, and another plant that idk what it is. What is the fertilizer I should get? I'm kinda on a budget so cheaper is better. I'm using the Aqueon Freshwater light (not the planted tank light). I wouldn't say its super heavily planted but probably moderately towards heavily planted. The fertilizer has to be snail and shrimp safe.

 

[StarGirl]

Nilocg Thrive S for shrimp tanks. Its a all in one and very easy. You will probably have to order it. Its about 18 bucks for a big jug. It will last you a long time because you use 1 pump in a 5g tank. I use the Thrive C for low tech tanks and I have shrimp too.
https://www.nilocg.com/shop/thrive-s-all-in-one-shrimp-liquid-fertilizer-aquarium-plants/

 

[Rachaeljuno]

Are there any that you'd recommend that I could get faster? Because these stems (2 so far) are really melting quickly. Do you think Seachem Flourish would work? Just thinking because I'm going to go to petsmart later and they sell it there

 

[StarGirl]

You could try it. Just dont get the leaf zone, it is just potassium and iron. Not very good. If they are already melting I don't think adding ferts is going to be a instant fix anyway. Never hurts to try though.

 

[Rachaeljuno]

You could try it. Just dont get the leaf zone, it is just potassium and iron. Not very good. If they are already melting I don't think adding ferts is going to be a instant fix anyway. Never hurts to try though.

They're not fully melting it's just kind of like the stem is disappearing. It's not turning brown though and the leaves are still stiff. I'll post a picture. I'm thinking I'll cut off about an inch further than where it's melting and add the fertilizer. I've also read that it may need extra iron? This is the 'guaranteed analysis':
Total Nitrogen 0.07%
Available Phosphate (P205) 0.01%
Soluble Potash 0.37%
Calcium (Ca) 0.14%
Magnesium (Mg) 0.11%
Sulfur (S) 0.2773%
Boron (B) 0.009%
Chlorine (C) 1.15%
Cobalt (Co) 0.0004%
Copper (Cu) 0.0001%
Iron (Fe) 0.32%
Manganese (Mn) 0.0118%
Molybdenum (Mo) 0.0009%
Sodium (Na) 0.13%
Zinc (Zn) 0.0007%
Soluble Iron (Fe) 1.0%

 

[Pfrozen]

Thrive S - not enough K

Thrive Regular- way too much P, perfect N and K

Thrive C- still too much P, N is still okay but not enough K

Tropica brown- No N or P but a bit better than Thrive S. Impossible to dose because they use %w/w

Tropica green- Looks decent but impossible to dose so I don't use it

Seachem ferts- If you want to buy 10 different products then sure they're great

Aquarium co-OP easy green- We have a winner! Perfectly balanced


I use Tropica brown for now but only because I couldn't find anything else. Will be switching to Easy Green in the future

 

[StarGirl]

I dont know enough about plants to say yes or no. I was looking for a video a member made and I cant find it.
Found it. Mak is one of our plant Gurus.

 

[Fishstery]

It couldn't hurt to add fertilizer, but I think the issue isn't really nutrient related and more or less how you planted initially. Did you trim the rooted ends before planting? Typically, when you purchase stem plants and have them shipped as a natural form of "defense" for the plant, it will let the lower inch or two die off and will keep itself alive only above the next node containing roots. So the proper way to plant new stem plants is to trim the stem half an inch beneath the next node up (circled in the picture I attached) here you can see new roots growing. I would pull all of them out, trim beneath that node and replant. Then they will root out for you. What's happening is normal if you planted them straight out of the packaging (unless these plants have been with you for a good while). Just make sure to leave a little bit of the dying stem beneath the node, to give the plant some more grip so you dont have to plant it too deep to get it to stay down. This is how you encourage the plants to grow their root system. This same method can be used to propagate, so when the stems get too leggy for you, you can trim beneath a node and replant that and voila! More Ludwigia.


Edit: oh! I should add too. Typically trimming ABOVE the node (like when you are just doing regular plant trimming...not for propagation) it will then split into two stems from above that node. This is how you achieve bushier stem plants. So once they settle in and start to get a good root system, don't be afraid to give them a good trim every now and then. It will make them look less stringy, and more bushy. Just keep in mind most stem plants are only capable of so much without the presence of co2 supplement. However frequent trimmings can help achieve a better overall look

 

[StarGirl]

Do you have any critters in the tank maybe having a snack?

 

[Rachaeljuno]

It couldn't hurt to add fertilizer, but I think the issue isn't really nutrient related and more or less how you planted initially. Did you trim the rooted ends before planting? Typically, when you purchase stem plants and have them shipped as a natural form of "defense" for the plant, it will let the lower inch or two die off and will keep itself alive only above the next node containing roots. So the proper way to plant new stem plants is to trim the stem half an inch beneath the next node up (circled in the picture I attached) here you can see new roots growing. I would pull all of them out, trim beneath that node and replant. Then they will root out for you. What's happening is normal if you planted them straight out of the packaging (unless these plants have been with you for a good while). Just make sure to leave a little bit of the dying stem beneath the node, to give the plant some more grip so you dont have to plant it too deep to get it to stay down. This is how you encourage the plants to grow their root system. This same method can be used to propagate, so when the stems get too leggy for you, you can trim beneath a node and replant that and voila! More Ludwigia.
View attachment 786298

I did cut off I think about 3/4 on an inch off of every stem. I didn't do it though in relation to the nodes. So I should cut all of them 1/2 an inch below the first node I see?

Do you have any critters in the tank maybe having a snack?

2 Nerite snails but that's it (besides the betta)

 

[Fishstery]

I did cut off I think about 3/4 on an inch off of every stem. I didn't do it though in relation to the nodes. So I should cut all of them 1/2 an inch below the first node I see?

2 Nerite snails but that's it (besides the betta)

I definitely would! Either way the rotted parts will eventually detach and float your plants so they will need a trim to keep them rooted. You shouldn't see any rotting after that. Btw, I currently use thrive-c once a week (be careful as like most all in ones it will add nitrates, typically between 5-9ppm so just make sure to calculate that into your current nitrate reading). I haven't seen any crazy results from it, so I might take Pfrozen word for it and try the aquarium co-op all in one.

 

[smee82]

Dry ferts are the cheapest. Theyre honestly not as scary as they first seem.