# Necessity of Substrate Fertilizers.



## Homer_Simpson (Apr 2, 2007)

Okay, in the process of converting my 40 gallon tank to a fully planted tank, I was planning to add sword plants and other plants known to be heavy root feeders. The substrate that I am using is Schultz Aquatic Soil mixed with the old gravel that was previously in there and topped off with a layer of fluorite. Are substrate fertilizers(either in the form of sticks pushed into the substrate or tablets pushed in the substrate) absolutey necessary for successfully growing heavy root feeders like swords if one already doses with PPS-Pro or is the PPS-Pro sufficient?? Would the PPS-Pro dosing provide the heavy root feeders with sufficient fertilizer absorbed through the leaves?? Many thanks for any suggestions, feedback, and/or recommendations.

Regards.


----------



## jazzlvr123 (Apr 29, 2007)

plants like swords are undemanding of substrate additives, if you were planning in creating a carpet in you tank of some kind like HC for example i would recommend adding substrate additives such as penac or iron bottom long because most carpeting plants demand a nutritious bottom over pps pro dosing. pps is more for plants that absorb nutrients directly from the water column and not the substrate for example your mosses, liverworts and bunch plants and with exception some rooted plants. i tried to create a carpet in my tank with aquasoil select and i ended up breaking down the tank and replacing the aquasoil with ADA's amazonia 2 and power sand special. since then keeping even the most substade demanding plants are a sinch : )


----------



## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

I think all plants can absorb nutrients thru the leaves, as well as the roots. Even terrestrial plants can be fed with nutrients sprayed onto the leaves. Aquatic plants will absorb needed nutrients thru the leaves in preference to thru the roots in most cases, so root fertiliziing is not necessary. It is helpful, in that it gives two sources for nutrients and it can provide nutrient forms that are undesirable in the water column, but it isn't essential. I have grown sword plants both with and without substrate fertilizing, and in both cases the plants grew much too fast and big for my tank. I grow rooted plants of other kinds with only water column fertilizing. 

This is not to disparage ADA's substrate, which from what I read, is the best for growing plants that we have available, and it is because the substrate is packed with nutrients. But, "best" isn't the same as essential.

Heavily rooted plants are not necessarily heavy root feeders. Roots also act to hold a plant in place in moving water and I don't know which plants have those roots primarily for that purpose.


----------



## Homer_Simpson (Apr 2, 2007)

Thanks for the information  I had read some people running into problems with substrate fertilizers when these appeared to break down faster than could be used by the plants. Apparently the release of the excess into the water column drove up phosphates, nitrate, and ammonia to abnormal levels. I think I will just stick with the PPS-Pro for now and see what happens.


----------



## Edward (May 25, 2004)

Nutritious substrates are helpful when inadequate water column fertilization is applied. However, when water column supplies enough nutrients, substrate nutrients become unnecessary and often detrimental. 

Here is an example of a typical root feeder plant growing 3 x larger in inert substrate with PPS-Pro fertilization.


----------



## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

The only problem I know of with substrate fertilizing is caused by disturbing the substrate, by pulling out a plant, or by doing substrate vacuuming. Then, the problem is that some of the substrate fertilizers contain ammonia or urea, both of which can cause an algae bloom to start. That is the problem I had when I used them.


----------



## John N. (Dec 11, 2005)

All good information and I agree. Substrate fertilization isn't necessary if appropriate water column fertilizers are regularly administered. Eventually a substrate will become 'naturally' nutrient rich with the waste build up from fish and decomposing plant matter.

-John N.


----------



## rs79 (Dec 7, 2004)

Tought question and there's no right answer. Both (substrate + water column) methods will work. I've tried both an in my experince a rich substrate works at least as well and for say, Crypts, I think a bit better.

I use a half inch of cow manure from the store, some red potters clay and steel wool and washers sealed with 4-5 inches of fine beach sand.

Yes, "rust" is the wrong valence to be used by plants, BUT under anaerobic conditions is recuced to a usable form. What I do note is Crypts pulled out of here have the same rust stains on the lower parts of the roots like they do in the wild. Normally in tanks crypt roots are white.

I got this recipe from the same place Diana Walstead did - Dorothy "ma" reimer, except I got it through Charlie Drew and Jim Robinson - they got it from Ma Reimer first hand. Jim added the washers and noted that sometimes he'd find roots absolutely wrapped around the washers like they were trying to suck all the iron out of it. I think Charlie relied on rust from the frame of the tank falling in as a source of Iron


----------

