# Optimum time to add ferts to tank?



## snoopfish (Dec 19, 2005)

After much reading on PPS and fertilizing in general, I have never seen this subject addressed. Should ferts be added before lights come on ? After ?
After they go out? Or does it even matter..... 
Thanks !


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## JaySilverman (Jun 19, 2005)

well right in the mourning would be best so they could use them up during the day no?


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

I don't really think it matters what time of day you add the ferts so long as you are consistent with it. Some prefer day and some prefer night so whichever best suits your routine will work out the best. I don't think the plants care when you feed them as long as you do


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## snoopfish (Dec 19, 2005)

Thanks Matt and Jay.....Seems that I have time for this task at the end of the day. I was just thinking that maybe adding ferts when the lights were off as opposed to on, may contribute to algae instead of the plants. So busy trying to understand the science of fertilization, that I haven't taken the time to understand how plants absorb nutrients,and the process of photosynthesis.
Seems to me that regardless of whether the lights are on or off that the plants should be able to absorb nutrients.


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## JaySilverman (Jun 19, 2005)

Well plants do absorb alot less nutrients during the night. But my guess is so does algae. So I think it balances out.


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## Laith (Sep 4, 2004)

I'm not so sure they absorb less nutrients at night. They don't photosynthesize when the lights are off so they don't use CO2. But I think they do use other nutrients at night, including the glucose created during the photoperiod through photosynthesis.

I remember reading about how plants actually grow in size/mass at night as well. So I assume they need/use nutrients then too.

But then again, I'm no plant biologist  .


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## Faruk Gençöz (Nov 4, 2005)

Photosynthesis has both light dependent and light independent processes. Carbon fixation occurs during the dark period with the aid of energy produced during the light dependent process. This is the general info about the photosynthesis but this level of info doesn't help too much about when to feed because we use very different plants in the aquariums which may also be different in the processing of light. Additional to the possible differences among higher plants, algae share great similarity in the light processing with higher plants. So it is very difficult to identify the best period of fertilization which favors higher plants but not the algae.

I think it is best to provide fertilizers a couple of hours before the plants are most active. Fertilizers should be diffused into the water column equally and this takes time. The most active hours can be reached a couple of hours after the lights are turned on. So I consistently feed the plants when the lights are turned on, in the morning.


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## snoopfish (Dec 19, 2005)

Great replies...thanks!
I switched my fertilizing to the morning now. 
I had a nice surprise this morning when the lights came on....a pair of Rams had been courting for the last few days and the female had produced some eggs on a leaf of a Java Fern !! They did the same thing 3 weeks ago in my q tank a few days after I brought them home from the LFS !


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## Faruk Gençöz (Nov 4, 2005)

Great! 

I remember a beneficial aspect of fertilizing during the lights are on. Some nonusable form of Fe can be reduced to usable Fe by the light energy. It happens in the nature. It may also happen in the aquarium at least partially.


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## banderbe (Nov 17, 2005)

snoopfish said:


> After much reading on PPS and fertilizing in general, I have never seen this subject addressed. Should ferts be added before lights come on ? After ?
> After they go out? Or does it even matter.....
> Thanks !


I have a theory that the less something is discussed on these forums, the less important it is in having a successful planted aquarium.


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## Faruk Gençöz (Nov 4, 2005)

Will you talk about the theory? I am curious and waiting for it?


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## mlfishman (Apr 4, 2005)

*theory*

This theory may actually be exactly opposite, or opposite that possibly. Some food for thought......or total nonsense. Coud be wrong, but I may be totally right here. hmmmmmm.....:icon_hang


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## Faruk Gençöz (Nov 4, 2005)

I could not get the point in the theory. So I could also not understand what the opposite is. Sorry, I am confused.


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