# Fertilizing at night?



## Erirku

Is there a difference at night if I were to fertilize at night? I know plants give off O2 at night or was it during the day? Well anywayz, is just as effective at night VS the day? Or would it be a waste of time, because plants don't take up nutrients during the night, because the lights aren't on? Thanks.


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## Capt.

Plants take in CO2 during the day and give off oxygen. Reverses at night. I've wondered the same thing about fert times and don't think they take in any nutrients at night. Not sure it matters much but I always add them in the day.


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## Robert B

Plants use nutrients 24 hours a day.

Robert. (bobo31)


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## Edward

I prefer dosing daily and just before lights go off. This way the chemicals have all night to spread evenly all over the tank so the next day all plants get the same concentration.

Edward


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## baj

what would change so dramatically in the tank's dynamics that would help the fertilizer spread more efficiently at night than day and then remain unchanged so that the concentrations are even throughout? Perhaps there is no difference?


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## Edward

baj said:


> Perhaps there is no difference?


Personal preference.
However, if you prove otherwise I will start dosing in the morning.


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## Raul-7

I've read that plants tend to store more nutrients at night because during the day they are too busy photosynthesizing(using C02). Although I may be wrong?


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## baj

> Personal preference.


Ah! Ok.



> However, if you prove otherwise I will start dosing in the morning.


Ok looks like I touched a raw nerve there, I meant no offense, was just wondering why would nutrients preferentially distribute uniformly at night. If, as you've indicated above, you dose at night because of personal preference, then I have nothing to prove. However, I do believe that the initial distribution of added fertilizer is more dictated by diffusion processes and the uptake by plants is an insignificant factor. Given that diffusion is a stochastic process, if there is an agitation of the water column it will increase the probability of the fertilizer increasing its concentration in areas of low concentration. Therefore, I think water circulation is more efficient at distributing the nutrients efficiently than passive diffusion. For that reason it shouldnt matter when the fertilizers are added as long as there is adequate circulation to distribute the fertilizer, if even distribution is the end goal. I may be wrong, I probably am.


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## Paul Higashikawa

Don't know about others, but for me it really has made a dramatic difference in my plants. In terms of color and robustness, everything has never looked better ever since I began dosing daily at night, right after I turn off the tank lights. My plants are redder and leaves are more beautiful. One example is my L.repens which I had never been able to get the red tinge, but now it is common place for the leaves to turn pinkish- to reddish gradually from the initial green.



Paul


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## Erirku

So the reaction I think I am getting, is that it's ok to fert at night!  . Letme work on it and see my results in month :? . Thanks.


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## plantbrain

I dose at night because I don't during the day.

It makes no difference.
Plants will do fine either way.
PS during the day does not cause any issue as far as uptake but can make measuring uptake tougher of some nutrients(N).

UV from lights might cause chelators to break, but that is unlikely too.
Best time would be right before the lights come on, maybe 1-2 hours before.

But I'm lazy in the morning.
A dosing pump would help

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## baj

FWIW, I too dose only at night when the lights are off. Thats when I get some time to look at my tank and with the lights off I dont have to worry about the ligths and glass top being too hot to touch. Moreover, its fun to watch the fishes eagerly come nibbling at the syringe and getting a blast of flourish in the face.


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## gnatster

Erirku,

It's been a few months now, any updates?


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## gpodio

I'm a lazy night time doser too, I get up way to late to even think about the tanks in the mornings. I doubt it really makes much of a difference personally.

SurWrathful: Perhaps dosing daily rather than weekly is more responsible for the improvement than the time you dose. Did you try to see if there is any difference dosing daily in the morning? Or perhaps weekly at night as a comparison to daily at night? Could help get an idea of how much each of the two variables is effecting plant growth the most.

Giancarlo Podio


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## Erirku

gnatster said:


> Erirku,
> 
> It's been a few months now, any updates?


 Sorry, I gave up that method quite sometime now. I find that it is more effiecient to dose when lights are on! So when I wake up in the morning I dose my tanks. I found nothing that great about it. I found now great growth either. To me, it seems the plants are working harder during the photoperiod and resting when the lights are off. But the preference is up to the aquascaper, and the time he/she has. Thanks for checking up.


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