New To Planted Tanks. Help?

So I’ve recently decided to go with some live plants in my tank instead of fake ones and some of them are alive, but pitiful looking. I’ve recently started using Flourish Excel and there’s a few plant tablets in the gravel. A friend of mine uses Flourish excel and fertilizer and their plants are gorgeous???

I’m looking for a fertilizer for my tanks but I’m having difficulties figuring out which ones are good quality or not.

Also, I’ve considered getting plants that cover the ground entirely. 5 out of 6 of my tanks are generic Walmart brand gravel, the other is Nat Geo Black substrate. Would these kinds of plants thrive on gravel or substrate, or would I have to switch over to sand? That being said, how would one use a siphon vacuum to clean the tank with a completely plant-covered floor?

Thanks!

 

Thrive. A very concentrated all in one fertilizer. Excel does not provide micro or macro nutrients for plants. Gravel is fine. Root tabs (plant tablets) are only for root feeding plants. Don't vacuum around plants but you can vacuum where plants are at least 3-4 inches away from depending on the plant but I prefer to not gravel vacuum. Which plants do you have?

 

I think most people that use liquid ferts like Thrive from Nilocg. As long as you're using fertilizer tabs pretty much any substrate will grow plants, as far as carpets are concerned you're more likely to be limited by light and CO2 than your substrate. I don't gravel vac the bottom of my tanks on the assumption that what's there is essentially just free plant food.

 

Thrive. A very concentrated all in one fertilizer. Excel does not provide micro or macro nutrients for plants. Gravel is fine. Root tabs (plant tablets) are only for root feeding plants. Don't vacuum around plants but you can vacuum where plants are at least 3-4 inches away from depending on the plant but I prefer to not gravel vacuum. Which plants do you have?

I have two large water sprites, dwarf baby tears growing on a piece of driftwood, a large java fern, and two very pitiful looking Anubias

I think most people that use liquid ferts like Thrive from Nilocg. As long as you're using fertilizer tabs pretty much any substrate will grow plants, as far as carpets are concerned you're more likely to be limited by light and CO2 than your substrate. I don't gravel vac the bottom of my tanks on the assumption that what's there is essentially just free plant food.

Will I need both fertilizer tabs and liquid fertilizer? Or will they both sustain life?

 

I have two large water sprites, dwarf baby tears growing on a piece of driftwood, a large java fern, and two very pitiful looking Anubias

Are you sure it's dwarf baby tears? It's a tiny plant that requires high light and injected CO2 to simply survive, and though it can grow on hardscape it is very difficult to get it to do so.

Will I need both fertilizer tabs and liquid fertilizer? Or will they both sustain life?

Using both at once will increase your chances of success Though it's entirely possible to have thriving, so called "root feeding" plants on just water column fertilizer, most people do not dose their water columns enough to sustain plants when they're in inert substrates like gravel or sand.

 

Are you sure it's dwarf baby tears? It's a tiny plant that requires high light and injected CO2 to simply survive, and though it can grow on hardscape it is very difficult to get it to do so.


Using both at once will increase your chances of success Though it's entirely possible to have thriving, so called "root feeding" plants on just water column fertilizer, most people do not dose their water columns enough to sustain plants when they're in inert substrates like gravel or sand.

I just bought it yesterday. The tag said that’s what it was, so I’m not sure?

Also, I have Flourish tabs on hand. Are those fertilizer tabs?

 

I just bought it yesterday. The tag said that’s what it was, so I’m not sure?

Also, I have Flourish tabs on hand. Are those fertilizer tabs or something different?

Yeah, looks like baby tears. Unfortunately I'd expect it to not make it, it's truly one of the hardest plants to grow. A shame it's so commonly sold in stores, not many people are prepared to grow it.

Flourish tabs are fertilizers, correct. They are low in NPK macros so I recommend getting a liquid fert that is higher in NPK, such as Nilocg Thrive.

Also gravel isn't super fantastic for smaller plants, if you're able to switch to sand or soil that would contribute to long term success

 

Yeah, looks like baby tears. Unfortunately I'd expect it to not make it, it's truly one of the hardest plants to grow. A shame it's so commonly sold in stores, not many people are prepared to grow it.

Flourish tabs are fertilizers, correct. They are low in NPK macros so I recommend getting a liquid fert that is higher in NPK, such as Nilocg Thrive.

Also gravel isn't super fantastic for smaller plants, if you're able to switch to sand or soil that would contribute to long term success

Would I be able to add sand on top of my current gravel? There’s not enough in there to begin with, it’s quite a thin layer.

I have the standard light that comes with a 29 gallon marineland biowheel tank, what plants would be good for that kind of lighting?