# does fertiliser have any effect on fish?



## sephnroth (Jul 30, 2013)

I don't mean will it make the fish grow faster  I have a tank cycling and it has lots of live plants. I saw lots of talk about fertiliser and the store i was at only had one: tropica plant growth premium fertiliser. 

I havnt put any in yet because I wondered what effect it would have on cycling and the fish i hope to add any day (its been cycling ages and i just gave it a boost with some nutrafin cycle)? does it harm any breeds of freshwater fish or invertebre? 

dont want to mess things up!


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Most ferts are Nitrates in disguise,so if you start dosing be prepared for 50-75% waterchanges a week.
Most who fert regularly do just that.They change 50-75% water and they change water EVERY WEEK,then they dose again.It is how the best do it.
There is more in ferts than nitrates(much more),but you will get nitrates from it.


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## sephnroth (Jul 30, 2013)

i have the premium one reviewed here: Review: Tropica Plant Growth Premium and Specialised Fertiliser | Video | Practical Fishkeeping

it says its nitrate free - can i trust that?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

I'll just geuss(an educated one) and say nitrate free and something that creates nitrates may be one in the same!Give it a rip.Test your water first then test daily after.We all get nitrates so it is of some help if you KNOW what your tank usaully does(how much your nitrates go up in a week).
No harm comes to fish in properly fertalised tanks but serious planters and fertalisers do weekly water changes of 50+%.I do more than that most of the time and don't fert!


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

When dosing a tank with lots of plants you will also need to dose nitrates as the plants will take that up. I dose nitrates to read 20 on the scale and on some tanks I dose all my ferts just about daily.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I don't think you'll experience any issues. I also wouldn't dose it more than twice per week. It will probably drive your nitrates up a tad but as long as you are not overdoing it I don't think you'll see an appreciable difference using that stuff. Planted tanks should be in about the 20-40ppm range, but it all evolves around the light level. Higher the light, the faster the plants will use up the nitrates.


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## sephnroth (Jul 30, 2013)

So just a sec.. Do plants use up nitrate or create it? If filter is turning nh3 to no2 and then no3 (nitrates) can a sufficiently planted tank basically become self sustaining?

don't worry i wont stop doing water changes, I'm just curious  

i got fertiliser cuz the plants i bought were a bit raggidy and patchy and the tank only has a gravel layer (albeit a deep gravel layer) with no soil, want to give plants best chance of full recovery but hopefully without delaying the addition of fish!


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

Plants uptake (consume) nitrate. Self sustaining regarding Nitrogen cycle, possible. You need to consider TDS, which do not go away unless you do WC's.

It's a balance though. If the plants uptake 100% of the No3 (and still need more..) Plants will start to suffer as they are not getting enough fooood.


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## Rod4Rodger (Jan 2, 2012)

Nitrogen is fertilizer... it is the waste fish put off after it cycles through bacteria.


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