What kind of fertilizer should I get?

[VioletThePurple]

I want to help out my dying plants. I recently switched out my gravel substrate to sand. I wanted dirt instead but was told that cories need sand. I'm new to keeping live plants and there's only one product near me that says plant fertilizer. The other products help in different ways. There are iron plant supplements, potassium, root tabs. Idk what I need. I've heard horror stories that getting the wrong plant booster can lead to an ammonia spike. Also, what are root tabs. I also need something without copper as I have the cories and snails.

 

[Byron]

The balance of light and nutrients is what we aim for, and it is not really complicated. If your plants are "dying," it could be either or both the light and nutrients. Some nutrients come from the fish being fed, but this may or may not be sufficient depending upon the plant species and number and the fish load. Can you post a photo or two of the plant issues?

As for nutrients, if supplements are needed, you want a complete or comprehensive supplement, assuming you are running a low-tech or natural planted tank rather than a high-tech with diffused CO2 and more intense light. Do not start dosing any nutrient alone, this is one way to really cause issues. Plants need 17 nutrients, some of which (oxygen, hydrogen, carbon) should come from the tank regardless, while others occur in fish foods and with water changes. A photo of the tank will allow us to determine the situation.

You will not have ammonia issues with comprehensive supplements. In any event, most aquatic plants use ammonia/ammonium as their preferred source of nitrogen (not nitrate) and with good plant growth they will readily assimilate all of it. Floating plants are ideal at this. As for copper, this is a micro-nutrient and the level in the quality comprehensive supplements is no where near sufficient to kill snails or fish.

Root tabs are pushed into the substrate to provide nutrients to the roots of plants. This is extremely beneficial with large or fast-growing rooted plants, like swords, and has the added benefit of not leeching into the upper water column; they obviously do not benefit plants not rooted in the substrate, like floaters, moss, ferns, etc, and a comprehensive liquid may or may not be needed.

 

[Essjay]

I also need something without copper as I have the cories and snails.

The amount of copper in aquarium plant fertilisers won't harm shrimps or snails. (I've never heard of copper harming cories).

 

[VioletThePurple]

The balance of light and nutrients is what we aim for, and it is not really complicated. If your plants are "dying," it could be either or both the light and nutrients. Some nutrients come from the fish being fed, but this may or may not be sufficient depending upon the plant species and number and the fish load. Can you post a photo or two of the plant issues?

As for nutrients, if supplements are needed, you want a complete or comprehensive supplement, assuming you are running a low-tech or natural planted tank rather than a high-tech with diffused CO2 and more intense light. Do not start dosing any nutrient alone, this is one way to really cause issues. Plants need 17 nutrients, some of which (oxygen, hydrogen, carbon) should come from the tank regardless, while others occur in fish foods and with water changes. A photo of the tank will allow us to determine the situation.

You will not have ammonia issues with comprehensive supplements. In any event, most aquatic plants use ammonia/ammonium as their preferred source of nitrogen (not nitrate) and with good plant growth they will readily assimilate all of it. Floating plants are ideal at this. As for copper, this is a micro-nutrient and the level in the quality comprehensive supplements is nowhere near sufficient to kill snails or fish.

Root tabs are pushed into the substrate to provide nutrients to the roots of plants. This is extremely beneficial with large or fast-growing rooted plants, like swords, and has the added benefit of not leeching into the upper water column; they obviously do not benefit plants not rooted in the substrate, like floaters, moss, ferns, etc., and a comprehensive liquid may or may not be needed.

I'm not sure what my lighting is, but my plants are all rooted in. Here's the problems I'm having with my plants. The third photo with the dark brown at the top is my snail.

 

[VioletThePurple]

The amount of copper in aquarium plant fertilizers won't harm shrimps or snails. (I've never heard of copper harming cories).

This is the article I've heard it from.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I'm not sure what my lighting is, but my plants are all rooted in. Here's the problems I'm having with my plants. The third photo with the dark brown at the top is my snail.

I see what looks like staghorn or possibly black beard algae in the last photo, which can be tricky to get rid of, but does suggest something is off with your lighting/nutrient balance.
The first two photos - can you please get clearer photos of the whole plant? Because it looks as though that might be an amazon sword, and since you added the new plants fairly recently (I think?) those dying off leaves look just like my swords did as they were converted from their emersed form to their submersed form. Basically, they've been grown out of water, and the plants have to switch to a different form so they can utilise nutrients and grow while submersed. This is a process that can take a while, and the old leaves die back while newer ones with a slightly different shape emerge from the crown of the plant. Do you see any new leaves growing on that plant down where it's planted in the substrate?
I have no idea what's going on in the snail photo. It's just a blur. Clearer photos and ones of the whole tank might be helpful.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

This is the article I've heard it from.

That article mentions to be careful about medications, which is true, not to avoid plant ferts. It's not the same at all.

Copper is both a required element for them, but can be toxic in excessive amounts. Same for most anything. We need to drink water to survive, but it's also possible to die if you drank too much of it since it would throw off your internal chemistry so much.

The dangers with copper and snails/shrimp are mainly from medications, since some have copper, and have warnings on them about snails shrimp. Since that's copper in higher amounts. That copper can also hang around on an empty tank that had been medicated, stuck to the sealant etc, so there have been cases of people buying a second hand, empty tank, washing it out, and finding their shrimp etc died from the copper contamination. Cuprisol can remove the copper, so I run that in the filter for a while when setting up a 'new' tank that I bought second hand, in case a previous owner used a copper containing med.

But believe me, if you tried to keep shrimp/snails/cories etc in a tank that had zero copper, they would also suffer and die, since it's an essential element. The amounts used in plant ferts are not going to harm your tank inhabitants, you just need to be careful about meds.
The warning about the ferts/root tabs releasing too much ammonia... I had a nitrite spike when I used cheap, unknown brand dodgy Chinese made root tabs once. They released far too much into my tank too fast, and I had to do massive daily W/C's and sift through the sand to remove them all. Is it something like that, you mean? Stick to name brands in the aquarium business and it'll be fine. Or maybe you mean planted substrates? Some of those do affect ammonia levels for a while. But if you're not using a planted substrate, then not a concern here.

 

[VioletThePurple]

I see what looks like staghorn or possibly black beard algae in the last photo, which can be tricky to get rid of, but does suggest something is off with your lighting/nutrient balance.
The first two photos - can you please get clearer photos of the whole plant? Because it looks as though that might be an amazon sword, and since you added the new plants fairly recently (I think?) those dying off leaves look just like my swords did as they were converted from their emersed form to their submersed form. Basically, they've been grown out of water, and the plants have to switch to a different form so they can utilize nutrients and grow while submersed. This is a process that can take a while, and the old leaves die back while newer ones with a slightly different shape emerge from the crown of the plant. Do you see any new leaves growing on that plant down where it's planted in the substrate?
I have no idea what's going on in the snail photo. It's just a blur. Clearer photos and ones of the whole tank might be helpful.

Yes, it is an amazon sword. I have the tank light on for seven hours a day to cope with algae growth. Sorry about the poor photo quality. I don't think I see any new leaves. On the first photo I wanted to show that on one of my plants the leaf is turning brown. It has holes. The amazon sword's leaves are turning a different color instead of the bright green.

 

[Byron]

This is the article I've heard it from.

Was going to comment, but AdoraBelle beat me to it.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Was going to comment, but AdoraBelle beat me to it.

Sorry! Saved you some typing
Does that mean you agree? lol

 

[Byron]

This is most likely a nutrient deficiency. The algae will occur from both a light or nutrient problem. As we don't know the light data, and since no nutrients are being added now, I would suggest Seachem's Flourish Tabs for the swords especially. One inserted next to the crown of each plant, replaced every 3 months. It will take a week or two to see results, or a tad longer. Do not buy other brands, some are not only not as good but downright problematic. I've been using these for 12+ years with remarkable benefits.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Yes, it is an amazon sword. I have the tank light on for seven hours a day to cope with algae growth. Sorry about the poor photo quality. I don't think I see any new leaves. On the first photo I wanted to show that on one of my plants the leaf is turning brown. It has holes. The amazon sword's leaves are turning a different color instead of the bright green.

Notice that the inner, newer leaves are the bright green, and it's the outer, older leaves that are dying off? I still think it's just that this one is converting to it's submersed form. The older leaves are no longer needed. Just trim those off once they've died back, like in that second photo. But the newer, inner growth looks bright and healthy
First photo looks like it might be an anubius? These are slow growing, so more vulnerable to problem algae attaching to their leaves, and they don't like a lot of direct light. So if the plant is say, in the centre of the tank where the light is brightest and no other plants are shading it, it's more likely to develop algae. I'd look at shading it with something else, and trim off the algae coated leaves.

 

[KiwiGal77]

Seachem Flourish is probably one of the best rated fertilisers in the hobby. You can get the standard Seachem Flourish liquid to dose your water column - this will especially help plants like java fern, moss and the anubius which all take their nutrients from the water (also make sure these plants aren't pushed into the substrate, they're best attached to decor). Then also get the root tab version for your sword as they are big root feeders and there's no nutrients in your sand for them.

But you may also need to upgrade your lights, as I think on your other post you said they were about 2 years old? Lights that have lost all their power can lead to algae as the plants aren't getting enough light to grow properly so algae takes the opportunity to use up nutrients instead. Can you give us more info on the light? Take clear photos of it - the whole thing, and the information on it which says its power and what type of bulbs.

 

[VioletThePurple]

This is most likely a nutrient deficiency. The algae will occur from both a light or nutrient problem. As we don't know the light data, and since no nutrients are being added now, I would suggest Seachem's Flourish Tabs for the swords especially. One inserted next to the crown of each plant, replaced every 3 months. It will take a week or two to see results, or a tad longer. Do not buy other brands, some are not only not as good but downright problematic. I've been using these for 12+ years with remarkable benefits.

Thanks, I got the product you recommended now. The last bit, not to buy other brands, that's the part I was worried about, that I would have a problem if I got something wrong.

 

[StevenF]

In regard to copper and shrimp. Imost people say zero copper or a max of 1 apart per billion. Many people have claimed that copper killed there shrimp but never do the actually measure it. They just assume copper is the cause. I make my own fertilizer and have experimented a little with copper. I have found that blue Dream shrimp are unaffected by copper sulfate at 20 Part Per Billion.. And they can probably handle a tot more. There was no noticeable change in reproduction or behavior

Most of the copper in your aquarium comes from the copper pipes in most homes. I use RO water in my aquarium so I don't use my tap. But I did have my tap water tested and it came in at 50 Parts per billion. The maximum amount of copper allowed in tap water in the US is about 1 Part per million. Also shrimp (and all animals) and plants need copper to live. For plants you want about 6 t0 10 Part per billion to prevent copper deficiency.