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AN IMPORTANT NOTE:
It is wise to avoid purchasing the small number of banned plants which remain available from some retailers. These are the species deemed, by the Agriculture Department, to be "noxious weeds" in Australia. Two popular examples are Cabomba caroliniana and Gymnocoronis spilanthoides (Teaplant). For more information contact : www.agric.wa.gov.au and request a copy of WEEDNOTE , published by
Hobbyists who have difficulty with poor plant growth are among the large percentage who do not feed their aquatic plants well, if at all, when in fact they're even hungrier than fishes.
The list of required nutrients is extensive and includes of course iron. However, trace element and mineral deficiencies are varied and cause a variety of conditions. While problematic, the following info should help to simplify diagnosis and treatment.
Iron deficiency causes stunted, lack-lustre, pale growth-
SOLUTION: be sure your choice of fertiliser actually contains iron and then be sure this iron is in a soluble form, (not all brands deliver optimum iron dosing). Dupla, Seachem and Azoo
produce an excellent product.
Magnesium deficiency causes brown spots (yellow around the edges).
SOLUTION: Azoo
produces two specialised fertilisers called Trace Elements and Plant Nutrients which introduce, in addition to iron, other crucial vitamins and minerals including magnesium and potassium.
Potassium deficiency, when severe and chronic, causes poor root development.
SOLUTION: SeaChem produces A powder called Equilibrium which can be used in conjunction with Flourish Potassium liquid supplement to correct this debilitating condition.
If the plants are given the above nutrients they will grow really well. However they also require good lighting and carbon dioxide (CO2) to grow to their best. You can provide your plants with up to 16 hours of light per day but it depends on what type of light you use. If you have metal halide lights above your tank then 8-10 hours of light per day would be ample for most planted tanks. If you have fluorescent lights then you can increase the photo period. If you get lots of algae growing then decrease the lighting times or introduce some algae eating creatures to help control it.
Plants normally obtain CO2 from the fish breathing in the aquarium. If there are only a few fish in the tank then additional CO2 can be added to promote plant growth. There are a number of CO2 units available and these can significantly improve plant growth in tanks with low fish stocking levels.
*NB* Carbon Dioxide is only absorbed by the plants when they have light and nutrients. At night time when the lights are off and the tank is dark the plants actually absorb oxygen and release CO2. And if there are no nutrients in the water they will not use very much CO2 when the lights are on.
