| There are a wide range of benefits from planting in | | | | of keeping harder plants or using fertilizers you will be |
| your aquarium and your fish will love you for it. | | | | successful if you feel confident with your |
| Invisible in the water, are a wide range of chemicals | | | | understanding of water chemistry. Using a testing kit |
| that your plants need to survive and to do the best | | | | to test the levels of the individual macronutrients |
| job they can for the aquarium. | | | | should be helpful in discover what your water does, |
| Deficiencies of chemicals which need to be readily | | | | or does not, contain. |
| available to live aquarium plants are the chief causes | | | | The most commonly available fertilizers are NO3 |
| of sickness in them. The major substances needed | | | | (potassium nitrate), K2SO4 (potassium sulfate), and |
| by plants must be available in large quantities and are | | | | KH2PO4 (mono potassium phosphate). It is also |
| commonly known as macronutrients. Macronutrients | | | | possible to make your own DIY fertilizers, though like |
| include all of the following: Calcium, Carbon, Carbon | | | | with keeping harder aquarium plants, your knowledge |
| Dioxide, Phosphates, Phosphorus, Potassium, Nitrogen, | | | | of water chemistry and confidence needs to be |
| Magnesium, Oxygen and Sulphur. Any deficiencies of | | | | enough to handle this properly. The advantage of |
| these, will result in a wide range of detrimental | | | | making your own fertilizer, measuring out the dry |
| affects to your plants. As this is quite a wide cocktail | | | | ingredients or making a solution, is it is normally much |
| of substances, it is important for a nutrient rich | | | | cheaper. A tank with a lot of exotic, demanding |
| substrate and fertilizers to be used to ensure the | | | | plants can become very expensive extremely quickly |
| plants have everything they need. | | | | if you are using store-brought fertilization. |
| Most substrates will tell you what nutrients they | | | | Providing that you choose a nutrient rich substrate, |
| contain, so it is not normally too difficult to check | | | | you are eliminating a lot of potential deficiency |
| how nutrient rich your substrate of choice is. if you | | | | problems right from the start. The more demanding |
| decide to keep harder plants or have more | | | | the plants, the more helpful it is to understand water |
| experience with plants, it is possible to use fertilizers | | | | chemistry so you can react according if they start to |
| to try and cover any deficiencies. If you are thinking | | | | sicken. |