Plant fertilizer

[gwand]

My plants are losing their vibrant green color. Do you recommend plant fertilizer? If so any recommendations on a brand?

 

[Archerfish]

Hi gwand,
Before taking any recommendations for dumping fertilizer in the tank please help us out with here. How long have you had the plants? Sometimes they need an adjustment period. What plants do you have? How many? What size tank? Do you have fish in the tank? If so, how many? What type of substrate do you have? Or are they floating plants? How long has the tank been established? What are your water parameters? What type of lighting do you have over the tank?
Please forgive me for asking questions to a question but knowing a few details is important.

 

[gwand]

10 gallon tank going through fishless cycling.
Nubias barteri (3) Sword Echinodorus (2) for 2 weeks
gravel substrate
ph 7.6, temp 73f,
led lighting in lid that came with the aqueon tank.

 

[Byron]

A photo of the tank will help us assess issues. On the cycling, are you adding any ammonia, or just letting the plants establish? On the light, do you have any data, especially spectrum; this might be on one end of the unit, or it may be on the manufacturer's website.

 

[gwand]

A photo of the tank will help us assess issues. On the cycling, are you adding any ammonia, or just letting the plants establish? On the light, do you have any data, especially spectrum; this might be on one end of the unit, or it may be on the manufacturer's website.

I have been adding ammonia for the cycling. Cycling is going well. No fish yet. Using the forum’s protocol. There 3, 75 watt led white and blue lights. I will have to figure out how to upload photo.

 

[Byron]

Do not use ammonia; it can harm and kill plants. The plants, once growing, will do a "silent" cycle, I can explain that later (I think there is a sticky on this too that explains the principle). On the light, the "white" is the crucial thing here, if it has enough red, blue and green in the mix. The "blue" can be good or bad, depending upon the white.

 

[sharkweek178]

Do not use ammonia; it can harm and kill plants. The plants, once growing, will do a "silent" cycle, I can explain that later (I think there is a sticky on this too that explains the principle). On the light, the "white" is the crucial thing here, if it has enough red, blue and green in the mix. The "blue" can be good or bad, depending upon the white.

The plants are Anubias and swords. I didn't see any mention of any floating plants. Can you do a silent cycle with those plants alone?

 

[Byron]

The plants are Anubias and swords. I didn't see any mention of any floating plants. Can you do a silent cycle with those plants alone?

Yes, but I would go more slowly with no floaters. Floating plants are so valuable in an aquarium I certainly encourage anyone to get them. Water Sprite, Water Lettuce, Frogbit; some stem plants do well floating, pennyworts for example.