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This website documents my experiences with Apistogramma and Discus in a planted tank.
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The Hierarchy of Plant Needs - Nutrients
Nutrients
Nutrients are a vital part of all planted aquariums. Beginning the with amount of light and carbon the amount of nutrients follows suit. The low tech or natural style tanks will rely heavily on substate and fish waste for it's source of nutrients while other high light tanks require a strict fertilizing regime.
The primary nutrients or macro nutrients are nitrogen (N), phosphate (P) and potassium (K). The amount of macro to be added is determined by the amount of light and carbon.
The micro nutrients consist of many different elements. Iron is one of the primary micro nutrients and to be analyzed heaviest when choosing your source of micronutrients. The amount of micro to be added is determined by nitrogen addition.
The subtrate can play a major role as a nutrient source for the planted tank. For best results choose a rich substrate for your planted tank. This will provide consistent nutrient levels and require less water column fertilization. Certain substrates may not be ideal for certain aquarists. Those of us who move around plants and hardscape will not enjoy a rich substrate due to cloudyness caused by the disturbances. This may be one of the only hurdles when choosing a rich substrate other then that you can't go wrong.
I dont pay much attention to calcium or magnesium as I am keeping soft water cichlids. Using my plants as reference lower then ideal calcium and magnesium parameters have not proven detrimental in any setup wherther it be low, moderate or high light.
While some plants are very adaptable some are not and require high light conditions and proper fertilization. Plant selection plays a very important role in a successful planted tank. Select plants that match your style and tank's conditions for best results.
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