# can we use normal earth plants fertilizers in our tanks ?



## Diana

Fertilizers for garden plants, row crops and other land based growing methods are different from fertilizers for aquarium plants. The biggest difference is this:
Land fertilizers are applied to the soil. The soil is relatively dry most of the time. There is high oxygen and moderate to low water compared to an aquarium. 
Fertilizer applied to the soil breaks down in those conditions at a particular rate, depending on what the fertilizer is made of, but the key is that it breaks down, and interacts with the soil, water and air that is in the soil in a certain way. 

When you put that fertilizer under water it may react differently. There is less oxygen in an aquarium substrate, and a lot more water. 

That may make a difference, not so much to the plants, but to the fish, shrimp and snails in the aquarium. 

When some of these fertilizers are used on the land they can kill or reduce the micro- and macro-organisms in the soil. Bacteria, fungi, earthworms, insects and many other things sometimes do not live when certain fertilizers are used. 
The same problem happens with fish etc. 

If you have access to some of that fertilizer I would test it separately from the aquarium, and not just use it right away in the tank. 
1) Put a few grains in a jar of water and test with all the aquarium tests you have, but especially ammonia, nitite and nitrate. GH, KH and pH, too. 
2) Put a few grains in a jar and cover it with some of the substrate you are using in the tank. Same tests. 
If all the tests show that the fertilizer seems to be safe for fish, then set up a separate container that is similar to your tank. A few grains or more of fertilizer, covered with the substrate. A cycled filter, or share some media from the cycled filter on an established tank. Plants. Then add a few fish. Run the same tests, and also monitor the fish.


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## Gamezawy

thank for your input Diana 

there is something i didn't mention about that fertilizer it is not for the soil it should be mixed with water and to be sprayed on the leafs that's why i thought it may be good for our plants so what do you think Diana


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## mistergreen

Another difference is the nitrogen in terrestrials are usually ammonia/urea. Be careful with the amount or your fish will die or trigger algae.


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## Hoppy

We dose about 4 times as much nitrate and potassium as phosphate, but that mix has equal parts of each, so it would give you more phosphate in the water than you need, or less nitrate and potassium than you need. It also probably has mostly urea for nitrogen, and you can only dose very small quantities in an aquarium without causing problems.


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## DogFish

Yes you can use terrestrial ferts in your Aquarium. The issues is not the sources i.e.. Urea based as some Aquarium frets are Urea based. The issue is water solubility and strength. I think the solubility point is self explanatory. I would be concerned about 20-20-20. I would advise keeping the levels more in line with levels offer as Aquarium ferts.

Look for frets made to be diluted in water sources are Hydroponic shops and Liquid house plant foods.

I use Atlantis Fish Emulsion 2-4-0 and Dr. Earth's SeaWeed Concentrate 0-0-4.5 occasionally as I find my Java ferns and Mosses are benefitting. I find 1 drop to gl. is working well on a 1X week dose after water changes. I use those two products in the garden and on the house plants as well. Those are around $10 ea. and at 1 drop per gl they will last a long time for most hobbyist.

I use the fish emulsion when fish population is light or during time of lots of water changes like out heat wave here in the Mid-West.

I have do use these product with Amano shrimp in the tank.

I would *STRONGLY* advise going very light on the dosing and learn what your particular tank, plants, fish, inverts and filter like. Also, the two products I use _SMELL_ exactly how you would think something made from dead fish or seaweed would smell.

:hihi:


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## dafil

Yes,we can:hihi:
I use type "white" of this http://agrofild.com/en/agrofild_product/yara-kristalon/ 200g for 3$ :hihi: in local garden shop
But as mistergreen said-be careful.You must to be sure that your water has Ph 6,8 or less because of ammonium nitrogen.


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## Gamezawy

OK thank you all guys i have read all your inputs very carefully thing that makes me want to use this kind of fertilizers that LFS at my place do not care much about planted tanks so there is no fertilizers to be sold except one shop that he made by himself a liquid fertilizers he says its German technology and there is no info on it just a white bottle 

this fertilizer i have is a blue powder what if i want to try it how much i add for a 10 g tank or per gallon


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## DogFish

Gamezawy said:


> OK thank you all guys i have read all your inputs very carefully thing that makes me want to use this kind of fertilizers that LFS at my place do not care much about planted tanks so there is no fertilizers to be sold except one shop that he made by himself a liquid fertilizers he says its German technology and there is no info on it just a white bottle
> 
> this fertilizer i have is a blue powder what if i want to try it how much i add for a 10 g tank or per gallon


I wouldn't put any fert in my tank if I didn't know the content and strength levels.

You posted you had a fert that was:

Total nitrogen  20%
Available phosphore (P2O5) 20%
Soluble Potasium (k2O) 20%

You would start with understanding the dilution level

So if 4 grams of powder makes 1 liter of 20-20-20 liquid frets. Then if you use 4 grams of powder to 4 liters of water you now have 5-5-5. I would start with 1 drop per gallon of water of my tank volume. So 20 drops for a 20gl tank.

I would advise you to do a water change before the adding the new ferts of at least 20%.

With ferts a little goes a long way.


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## Gamezawy

you want me to put 4 grams of my fertilizers that i have to a 4 liters of water and dose 1 drop per gallon ?


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## pandacory

DogFish said:


> Look for frets made to be diluted in water sources are Hydroponic shops and Liquid house plant foods.
> 
> I use Atlantis Fish Emulsion 2-4-0 and Dr. Earth's SeaWeed Concentrate 0-0-4.5l.
> 
> :hihi:


+1 on hydro shop and seaweed extract. I've never used fish emulsion though. I did try worm tea but could not get a concentration I liked for the staijing effect. Seaweed extract will also stain the water if you use too much. Only buy something that says organic, and avoid sodium based preservatives (read that label).

The fertilizer you are referencing sounds like a foliar spray. Even though it is water soluble, it is not the direction I would go. I think hoppy is right about the phosphate to potassium ratio. I tried to use left over hydro ferts as my interest in hydro was replaced by tanks, but the extra phosphate caused algae and the extra nitrates noticeably reduced fish coloration => stress => early sign of impending disease/death. Fish waste should have plenty of nitrates and phosphates for most. Both can also come from uneaten food. Fish waste is lacking in potassium and some key micros that can cause problems in aquaponics systems (which is what a planted tank essentially is, but with aquatic rather than terrestrial plants).


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## TheFoleys

There was a time dry frets weren't as available as they are now. And I used garden products here and there. (omg I'm gonna get flamed) Down side was when I had to use them you gotta do big water changes like ei. Because you can't be 100 percent sure of the mix like you can with gram measured isolated salts. I used miraclegro 56.4.20 heavily diluted a little each day. then potato fert 2.0.10 part two of week with 2 wc change a week. Really with the price of dry goods and the availability these days its a no brainer. Just order plenty of macros so you don't get hit on shipping often a dollar taday saves 9 tomorrow .I didn't have any major issues the when I tried that for about a year. But if you mix a good balanced set of solutions and tweek the schedule/mix for each of your tanks things will be more stable and wc arent really necessary often. Look up pps I don't use it but its a very simplified method.


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## ~Me

I have used home plant fertilizer for my aquarium plants the kind you add water and than pour it into the soil ... While I was cleaning my tank I removed the plants gave them a good rinse and allowed them to soak in the fertilizer water for 30 mins or so ... Than I took the plants out rinsed them again and added them back to the tank ... My husband got a plant for his aquarium the same time I got all of mine ... My husband didn't fertilize his plant with house fertilizer because of his concern for the fish ... His plant looks extremely bad compared to the plants I gave home fertilizer ... My plants are green and still look fairly health his have change color and lost a great deal of leaves ... Like I said I rinsed the plant after letting it soak up some fertilizer so ya I don't think it did any harm to my axolotl his gills look good 😁😊😁


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## Plinkploop

Zombie thread.... Please don't put terrestrial fertilizers into your aquarium. Though some may be okay doses are normally way higher or use compounds that aren't fish safe and it's hard to tell unless you do some thorough research. This especially rings true for invert keepers because high levels/ uncontrolled levels of copper are common. It's just a really bad idea. Dry ferts are as cheap if not cheaper and made for aquatic use. Please don't risk it.


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