How To Supercharge Your Aquarium Plants With Fertilizers - Fertilizing Masterclass

In this comprehensive guide to aquarium plant fertilization, we dive deep into the world of aquascaping and the critical role that fertilizers play in maintaining a thriving planted tank. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced aquarist, understanding the nuances of plant nutrition is essential.
We start by discussing the two primary fertilization methods: lean and rich. Lean fertilization involves providing just enough nutrients to sustain plant growth without promoting excessive growth or algae. Rich fertilization, on the other hand, encourages lush plant growth but requires more maintenance.
We explore the various macro and trace elements essential for plant health, including nitrates, phosphates, potassium, and iron. Learn how these nutrients impact plant growth and coloration and how to maintain the right balance in your aquarium.
Discover the signs of nutrient deficiencies in plants and how to address them effectively. We also touch on the importance of the Estimative Index fertilization method and its role in providing a stable nutrient supply for aquatic plants.
Throughout the video, we emphasize the significance of regular water changes and careful observation to maintain a healthy and beautiful planted aquarium. Join us on this journey into the fascinating world of aquarium plant fertilization and achieve remarkable results in your aquascaping endeavors.
Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for more expert tips on aquascaping, aquarium maintenance, and the world of underwater ecosystems.
Aquarium CO2 and Aquatic Plant Fertilizing guide + Water Parameters
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GREEN AQUA GALLERY DOSING
ADA Brighty K - Potassium plant fertilizer (daily 1 ml / 20 liter)
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ADA Green Brighty Mineral - Trace elements fertilizer (daily 1 ml / 20 liter)
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Seachem Flourish Excel - Carbon supplement
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GREEN AQUA FERTILIZERS
Green Aqua Macro Plant fertilizer
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CREW
Camera Operators: Sebastian Dudok
Post-Production by Balazs Farkas
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#greenaqua #AquariumPlants #AquascapingTips #PlantFertilization #PlantedTank #AquariumMaintenance #AquariumNutrition #EstimativeIndex #RichFertilization #LeanFertilization #AquariumEnthusiast #AquariumScience #PlantHealth #AquariumCommunity #AquariumExperts

[@stevecallagham2827]

I have YT account(s) for 10+ years and this is my very first comment: The amount and the quality of the content is miles ahead of the best videos I've seen, the level of understanding the law of nature and its evolvement is purely remarkable, all driven by passion, dedication and experience. Needless to say this lecture is super-motivating and inspiring, it's also a highlighted path in further research. A massive thank you for the Green Aqua team for the continuous knowledge sharing, and thank you Balázs for the charismatic approach of narration, it's full of excitement and truly unique. Keep on aquascaping :)

[@battsonbikes1919]

I agree, the best video i have seen on this topic.

[@vichope6408]

This is my first time reading

[@vichope6408]

I am 90 years old

[@ropate]

Completely agree

[@DTXGaming]

37:40 you didn't loose me and I suspect there were still many of us with perked ears until the end. Thanks Balazs and all the Green Aqua staff!

[@GreenAquaShop]

Oh, cool, thanks for watching it all the way to the end! You're great!

[@infernate2179]

I agree, watched till the end

[@gadgetaddict3780]

Best fertilizing tutorial EVER on YT. Just Bible for fertilizing!

[@GreenAquaShop]

Thanks so much for the support, hope you'll like our future videos, pls consider subscribing if you do. Cheers.

[@AvatarAquatics]

This is the greatest thing I’ve ever seen. Watched all 38 mins of it!

[@GreenAquaShop]

Cheers, glad you liked it, thanks for staying all the way to the end!

[@iamdihan]

As a beginner this is probably my 5th or 6th time :D

[@smallmonstera4525]

@@iamdihan hahahaha

[@jamesgreen9372]

This video has just the right mix of science, common sense, and skills. It is by far the best video I have seen on the subject. Thanks again, Jim

[@GreenAquaShop]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for letting us know about that! Cheers!

[@morevidzz1961]

This was the most useful video I've watched in a while. You did an amazing job at explaining a really nuanced and complex topic in a really clear way. Thank you.

[@GreenAquaShop]

It was very difficult to make, very long video, killed me. Haha. Thanks for appreciating the effort I put into this, you are great!

[@FeastingBigfoot]

This is the best school that I've ever experienced :), absolutely love your works, thanks so much, appreciate your existence more than anything!!!!

[@GreenAquaShop]

Thank you so much for the support, you are great.

[@chathurangafernando5043]

Balazs, I do honestly love your vids man. They are so helpful, self-explaining, and very high quality. Thank you for putting your time into this. The information was very good & I did absorb a lot from it. The best thing was how you were not partial to any of the product while you are ofc in a business. Thank you very much, watched the whole thing in one go!!!

[@GreenAquaShop]

;) Tried my best, glad you appreciate my effort! Thanks for the kind feedback, glad you liked this in-depth analysis and glad you watched it through... Cheers.

[@AntsCanada]

Thank you! This explains fertilization well!

[@GreenAquaShop]

You're welcome. We're watching your channel and love it too! My co-founding partner Attila is a big ant-keeper. Keep up the good work. Respect!

[@allengalong42]

Yeah Mikey :D

[@squa_81]

So you are here too... Ants as aquarium lifestock next?

[@woltergrant]

Thank you! So happy you took the leap on releasing a more technical video. Best informative video from you yet. Please don’t worry about scaring us with lots of info or long length. You can always warn beginners before a technical video and link your quick summary videos you have already made. Even as a beginner myself I prefer this type because I am a more technical person. Hope you continue the advanced series in all categories! Lighting next please.

[@GreenAquaShop]

Thank you! Will do! Good to have feedback like this.

[@AquaLady153]

💯

[@nietrelevant3338]

I kept having problems with BBA, kept all my nutrients perfectly levelled with auto dosing. Tried tons of nuanced differences in my dosing amounts (was mixing my own macros and micros etc.) And never got it to go away even with dosing a ton of gluteraldehyde (excel) and blasting the tank with h2o2 occasionally. Turns out my co2 system wasn't working properly and it was fluctuating constanyly.. 2 years of trying to get rid of it, it was faulty equipment. Moral of the story i 100% agree with balazs, keep it simple and stop overcomplicating things. I have an engineering degree in biochemistry and work in wastewater, and my aquarium beat my ass. Really good video green aqua!!

[@GreenAquaShop]

Yeah, so glad you second my thoughts! It's always something we DON'T think of, right? Haha. Glad you sorted it out. We do have BBA quite often too, and always use Clithon corona snails in big numbers. They eat it! But they lay eggs. :)

[@giu1644]

I think I have the same problem - how did you notice your CO2 system was faulty? How was it faulty?

[@cumacinabiasa]

I've discovered this channel during the lockdown period and i gotta say, i learnt so much in aquascaping. Now i'm excited to get my tank stocked! Thanks for sharing your knowledge to the millions and more fans who will benefit from all your videos. Thank you everyone in Green Aqua! Love you guys! Love from Malaysia, stay safe everyone!

[@GreenAquaShop]

Thanks for the kind comment Lance, thanks for watching our videos. You are great! Cheers.

[@SandBar1998]

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!! for the comprehensive overview!! I have been in the hobby for over two years, struggling with algae control. I have read and watched most everything I could get my hands on (especially T. Barr and D. Wong)! My core setup consists of an ADA 120P, Eheim 2080, Co2Art elite and Twinstar 1200SA. I have always had to reduce lighting to around 50%, thus reducing my PAR at the substrate to around 80 for algae control, never understanding why I couldn't succeed with high lighting like some pros. Co2 PH drop 1.2, tried low nutrients, EI and all ranges in between, 30% RO/DI water changes 2x a week. Seemingly tried it all with consistency. I always felt that using Excel was somehow cheating and that people with those beautiful tanks just have it figured out and maybe I'm incapable of creating this "pristine scapetopia". THEN the awakening moment!!! READY??? dosing excel everyday! I thought, Really??? What have I got to lose? After viewing this video I immediately started making a batch of RO/DI water. The next morning I did a 50% water change along with usual maintenance, lights to 100% power, (hey, I'm gonna see how this goes, I prefer the bright colors and separation you only get with high lights). Dosed 30ml of excel (60Gal water), re-mineralized added K and traces. Two days later I repeated and again after 4 days. Daily dosing recommended amounts of Excel on non-water change days. The filmaentous and green dust are almost completely gone! My scape is pearling so hard it look like it is raining upside-down!

[@lisaosaduik2502]

I'm a newbie in this hobby and listened to the end. 😊 Great tutorial in fertilizing, thank you!

[@GreenAquaShop]

Oh, that is so nice of you, cheers Lisa! And thanks for the feedback!

[@chattankunjaranaayudhya5275]

Your tutorials are so easy to understand and full of essential information. I am thinking of getting into aquascaping in a few months so the tutorials are just fascinating.

[@tobiau2218]

Wow, instant subscription! After reading and watching for probably 10 hrs in the past weeks, this was the bes, most complete and most relaxed overview. After using Tropica Specialized, my Iron Level was so high though, that I was happy to have tested. (0.4 ppm) While NO3 was 4 ppm. So needed to change the ferts.

[@kowsai]

After watching all of GA videos especially this one, I feel like I can get a Bachelor in Beautiful Aquascaping (BBA) from the University of KZbin. Thank you Professor Balasz!!!

[@GreenAquaShop]

Haha, thanks Alexander, great to hear that. :)

[@hou1314521]

The explanation is clear and Balazs 's husky voice can attract people to watch the whole video even it is almost 40 minutes.

[@GreenAquaShop]

Haha, it's the Sennheiser mike man. :D

[@kelly-bo-belly]

I didn’t even notice it was that long! Ahahaha!!! It was great information and deserves a few re-watches and some notes.

[@xtian2900]

After six months of watching all of your videos and with my very first tank now 3 weeks old, now all this has sense to me. thank you guys

[@matthagan4854]

What a fantastic video. Of course we all love the scape videos and Q&A's but this is a video that provides such detail for what we should all consider a fundamental element in planted tanks in general. This will help a countless amount of people including myself.

[@GreenAquaShop]

Really glad you liked it, I sacrificed a few viewers just to be able to deliver this kid of in-depth content to you guys. I'm sure many will take time to watch it through to find valuable info in it. Cheers, thanks for the support and the feedback!

[@caleb8677]

I can't believe I just watched and enjoyed an almost 40min video on plant fertiliser 😂 I have only been in the hobby for 3 months but you made it so easy to follow along and you explain things very well. Fantastic job!

[@GreenAquaShop]

Oh, cool Caleb, thanks so much for the positive comment. Glad you enjoyed this! Cheers.

[@masbudchannel]

High quality content... I Love green aqua, I Love Budapest... Thanks for Indonesian subtitle

[@GreenAquaShop]

You are welcome, glad you enjoyed this.

[@NikTischenko]

I like how you divide all ferts into two categories. It explains so much. And I totally agree with that. Great video!

[@GreenAquaShop]

Thanks, well, most of this is not my merit though, it has been done before, I just tried to combine all the knowledge with our experience. Thanks for watching and supporting us Nikolay.

[@chinapan69]

Finally a video that talks about fertilization in detail! Great work! Keep making videos of this quality. The great thing about GreenAqua is that it offers videos for different levels of followers.

[@GreenAquaShop]

Thanks for the kind feedback, yeah, we try to do things on different levels, I guess I'm quickly getting bored of doing the same thing all the time. Haha.

[@hit1955]

Why does Balazs have the most relaxing voice. It rivals Bob Ross

[@GreenAquaShop]

Thanks, glad you like it, it must be the Sennheiser mike, haha.

[@rifraf6135]

@@GreenAquaShop sennheiser FTW

[@marypaigeflynn4512]

He does ♥️

[@bacondreamer]

Someone needs to ps Bob Ross's hair on Balazs

[@marypaigeflynn4512]

@@bacondreamer too funny.. we can add a happy little plant here and there

[@9eno335]

For instance, you took the road of having a rich fert tank and changed your mind towards lean fert. How would you re-introduce/re-adjust your tank to that kind of situation?

[@GreenAquaShop]

Gradually. Slowly!

[@karlmccafferty2781]

Just wanted to say I am a beginner (first planted tank) and I really enjoyed your video. Liked and subscribed. If anyone is serious about getting into fertilising their tank I am sure they will watch till the end 👍 great content !

[@grumpybackpacker4558]

I believe this is the most import aquascaping video I ever watch and learned, yes I’m a beginner and much mistakes I ever made before, same achievements I have acquired. This just pop my eyes wide open, thanks a million I’m looking forward to make the best of me in the Aquascaping world.

[@soueuluan]

This video came just in time. Enlight me with your knowledge, Balazs. 😂

[@GreenAquaShop]

Haha, trying to man, trying to... :D

[@Liam-fr3sy]

Question: at 11:30 while listing the micronutrients you say "Mg - Manganese" Mg is Magnesium while Mn is Manganese. Which one did you mean? Which is included in the micronutrients?

[@GreenAquaShop]

Oh, I misspelled the Mn in the graphics, shoot. Sorry for that, I meant Manganese of course.

[@hollywoodtomato]

Hi, Balazs. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. I was sufficiently scared (as you warned some of us might be) but am feeling motivated. Enjoyed this video very much and have a lot of respect for your experience and that of your colleagues.

[@vijay.vichhi]

This is an awesome video, thanks for taking the time, it really paints a whole pitcure having such content available.

[@TobyCreates]

*Imagine if he accidentally “sanitized” his hands with one of the ferts...*

[@user-wz7in1sd2w]

I had that thought for a sec lol

[@GreenAquaShop]

Haha, that would have been funny. I should have done that, but I would have had to get up afterwards to wash my hands and my foot is broken, so it's a mess walking around with crotches. Haha.

[@kowsai]

Uh... imagine if he accidentally added sanitiser to one of the aquariums!!!

[@GreenAquaShop]

Haha, right Alexander.

[@Miller-EE]

Rather; "Accidentally" ^_^

[@oscarrodriguez9878]

I have been a subscriber for some time now and I really enjoyed watching this episode, thank you for putting this together. I have been doing planted tanks for about 5 years now its always good to refresh some knowledge and learn new things along the way. Cheers!!!

[@GreenAquaShop]

Thanks for watching us regularly, and thanks for the nice comment too! Glad to read you like this hobby as much as we do. Cheers!

[@joseniltoncostajunior7433]

Hello Balazs!!! Im from Brazil, not even a beginner yet, im only doing research to start it as much right as possible and not, you not lose me, I really had watched it all and have to thank you for all that I’ve Learned!!

[@GreenAquaShop]

Cool. Glad to hear, you'll get there, good luck with your first tank!

[@infernate2179]

Not only does this help the beginers, but also the more advanced. I finally solved my "plants not turning red" issue. I live in a region with really high Nitrates in the water. I never even suspected this could be the problem. Great vid, tons of info ! ♥

[@GreenAquaShop]

Cool, glad we sorted one issue out! On to the next one, haha.

[@seanmoon2746]

Thank you. I am a novice aquarist and this was very helpful. I was using Flourish thinking that's all I needed but my plants still seemed to be suffering. I didn't appreciate, until your video, that Flourish alone lacks the macro elements. Your channel has been one of the best resources in my exploration of the hobby so thank you very much. I have a 20l tank and this has been an awesome experience.

[@GreenAquaShop]

Cheers, glad you found this useful, thanks for the kind comment!

[@christianvasquez7921]

I'm about to start this freshwater hobby, and I've been doing a lot of research. I have been avoiding the fertilizing aspect of the tank because I found it overwhelming but watch this video @greenaqua WOW! you have just made my research so much easier. thank you so much!

[@GreenAquaShop]

You're so welcome, glad you found this useful and hope you'll like our other videos too. Cheers.

[@spawnkwan]

I can't believe that I watched this video till the end, very useful. This is the best video I found on this topic, very detail and motivated me to try to fert my tank. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@danieltrace7768]

Awesome lesson! Has taken me a year to find the right balance of ferts. Spent too long using others ideas, finally got it right by studying my tank and learning about my plants. Definitely no single method that does it all. Stay safe, love from the UK. Dan

[@GreenAquaShop]

Yepp Dan, you got it. Plants will always tell, experience tops everything. Thanks for that feedback, much appreciated. Cheers.

[@apridius88]

I don't even feel bored. I even repeated certain parts of this video several times. thank you Green Aqua for sharing knowledge, knowledge is expensive.

[@GreenAquaShop]

You're welcome, glad you found this useful. Thanks for watching. Cheers.

[@JohnM-hd9qi]

I just purchased my first CO2 system, and was feeling a bit iffy on ferts. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak about this topic; there is quite a lot of good information out there, but it can be difficult to take it all in without any sort of collation.

[@GreenAquaShop]

Thanks for the feedback 👍

[@bacondreamer]

I'm a beginner in aquascaping and am about to start my first tank and I didn't think this video confused me but instead cleared up some points that I had questions about. Thanks for this excellent video.

[@GreenAquaShop]

Oh, glad you found this clear and useful, mission accomplished. Cheers.

[@mahendrenmunisamy9834]

Thank you so much for this!!! The explanation was great and exactly what a lot of us needed. You will hear a lot of people come on KZbin and mention how important it is to use ferts but they never go into any details beyond that. And for those who might be intimidated you gave a great disclaimer to leave and just use an all in one option. Honestly speaking, I can't see how anyone can top what you guys have done here. Great job guys!!!

[@GreenAquaShop]

Thanks so much. Cheers!

[@ipurcell1]

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 bravo!!!! Brilliant. I have seen the majority of your videos and love the fact that you tell it how it is and absolutely no BULLSHIT! Been a keen aquarist for 25 years and aquascaping for a year now and I failed quite a few times but your videos are the BEST!! Clearly understand them unlike others...well done 👍🏾🇬🇧🇬🇧 I have purchased a 560l but i am currently still learning a lot with my other 3 tanks and when I think I'm ready I will pursue my goal of having a near perfect tank...........fingers crossed ...

[@GreenAquaShop]

Sounds really good, fingers crossed! Cheers!

[@hribeiro8551]

I’m a beginner. You didn’t lose me in 15mins because I took a hour break and came back for the rest of the video. Lol 😂 But it was very informative. 👍🏻

[@klebberbrazilian.theprofessor]

I just can't get enough of that video. IT REALLY DESERVES to be called as MASTERCLASS! Thanks, Balázs! Cheers from Brazil. P.S: I usually like deep water. So, I'll go into fertilizing details in my first (pseudo) aquascape, haha.

[@dondrewnyc]

I am a beginner, and appreciate your tutorial. Outstanding job. Thank you.

[@KalemsFishtanks]

Great video guys! I learned some new stuff for sure! Ferts are definitely a hard topic because so many factors change in a planted tank. I currently use salts and learned that I should probably retool my mixtures.

[@GreenAquaShop]

Cool, glad to hear, good luck with your tanks. Cheers.

[@drmscaper5878]

Basically, every hobbyist need to understand this. Very well explained! I enjoy it so much honestly.

[@GreenAquaShop]

That is good to hear, thanks for the kind feedback!

[@glenn4140]

This is one of the most essential videos when it comes to aquascaping. I dont know how I missed this. Thank you guys!

[@GreenAquaShop]

You're welcome, thanks for going back to watch this too!

[@AquaLady153]

I'm loving yiur masterclasses so far! Watching them all before I transfer my dirted 75 to a 125 since I'm running outta room to plant. Changing substrate and adding additional minerals, organic compost, and coco coir.

[@GreenAquaShop]

Whoa, you learn a lot!

[@zer0pulse156]

that's the beauty of this hobby, the science and the challenge of balancing your ecosystem. Personally, this is the reason why I love setting up tanks... Then when all is balance, the beauty of it is so breathtaking that I find myself staring at my tank for hours at a time.

[@Kyle_Hubbard]

"This is not a video for beginners." Watches it anyway. A great video and I understood everything perfectly. Definitely a well constructed video and excellently detailed without being overally complicated. I know a great deal more than I did 38 minutes and 18 seconds ago. Hugely appreciated it.

[@GreenAquaShop]

Glad to read that! Mission accomplished with you then! Cheers.

[@bradsmithstudios8881]

This is a great video. I’m brand new to this and everything you discussed made great sense and you didn’t lose me at all. Thank you for the warning about the health risks related to the seachem excell, I wasn’t aware! Wonderful video.

[@GreenAquaShop]

Thanks! Welcome to the channel!

[@mohammedsabeelvlogs5694]

This is the only KZbin channel I have seen who reply to all comments that is amazing and it takes time to do it I want to thank u sir for all your support ❤

[@GreenAquaShop]

You are welcome, yeah, I do reply to everybody, takes a lot of time. :)

[@silverwild]

The best channel in youtube for aquascaping,and thank you for subtitles in spanish

[@GreenAquaShop]

You're welcome, thanks for the support, and welcome to the channel.

[@alexandersalasjimenez2405]

Hi, Here's a scared but motivated beginner. I really appreciate each of the greenaqua videos. Thanks for everything!! Be safe! Greetings from Costa Rica!

[@GreenAquaShop]

Glad you like them! Thanks for the kind feedback.

[@marcinmorris]

This is the best explanation of Mikro and Makro fertilizing I have seen on YT so far...gr8 gr8 job Green Aqua

[@GreenAquaShop]

Wow, thank you! Glad you found this useful.

[@BuildsWithV]

I’m new to Aquascaping (about 9 months or so) and it’s been up and down ride for me. One thing I realized is that; as you mentioned in the video, looking at your tank is the best way to know if all good or something’s wrong. I setup a tank with aquasoil and sand as my first tank. Plants were growing beautifully, things seemed okay. Dosing lightly here and there with ferts and it was good. Few months pass and I notice my reds aren’t as vibrant as they were so I researched and figured it out. Then I proceeded to setup 2 more tanks and similarly I noticed either a deficiency or something and would research for hours or days at some points and I tried so many different things until I figured it out. Many people get discouraged, as I did 2 years ago when I bought my first aquatic plants (they died and I gave up on live plants till 9months ago). What I did differently this time was that I watched the plants closer and as soon as I noticed different leaves or weird new growth or whatever it was, I would research till I figured it out. I’m still learning as I go but my tanks are growing beautifully now! Didn’t loose any plants since I started and have actually done so many trimmings that I was able to fully plants 3 other tanks and all are thriving. Recently I ran into another issue with algae in my co2 tank and very bad growth in another non-co2 tank and I messed with times, settings, ferts and did weeks of work and I finally got them balanced and on the right track again and realized in the end what I did wrong. It’s a big process for sure! Lots of work. The key for me was to enjoy it and don’t stress it. The results of all that hard work pays off and I sit and stare at my tanks any chance I get. I love it and I love content like this for making it easier to understand things. Thanks

[@neeshrvlogs]

I took notes and wrote everything you spoke about. Glad to know about my new profound hobby to find a pro hobbyist aka aquascaper sharing all the details in 38 min.

[@Gitaelia]

I loved this. I'm setting up my first tank and this kind of deep dive is very helpful to get me sorted from the outset.

[@GreenAquaShop]

Thanks for your feedback. Glad to hear it helped in some ways

[@tnurshamimi]

All those studies in medical school has done me good. I was worried since you said that newbies probably wouldn't understand this, but in human bodies, we also talk about macronutrients and micronutrients in biochemistry! I'm glad I kept watching. Good things you teach here.

[@GreenAquaShop]

There you go, yeah, these are the same things - it's nature. :)

[@JohnWilliams-me1ks]

Thank you for all your time and energy in creating this video. I have already watched it 3 times. The bit about dark green mosses made me realise that I had been under-fertilising my tank. Possibly as a follow up video, you could do a more dedicated “lean” fertilising video, where you concentrate on examples of poor plant growth in your tanks, and what fertiliser action you take for each case.

[@GreenAquaShop]

Glad you found this useful John, thanks for the suggestion, that video would be very difficult to make as I'd have to shoot it for weeks in row to have the different scenarios covered, not sure I have the capacity for that. But we'll see. Thanks again!

[@thundercracker2004]

Thanks so much Balazs and GreenAqua!!! There is SO much misinformation out there! I appreciate you addressing the issue of those who insisit that you can have a beautiful hi-tech tank look without ferts, CO2 or even filtration. I've got a post-graduate degree in Environmental Science and I am still honing my skills with balancing aquarium nutrients

[@GreenAquaShop]

Yeah, it needs a bit of experience for everyone, you'll get there... :) Thx for the kind comment. Cheers.

[@MrThundercoil]

Thank you! :) Been waiting a long time for someone to post a video like this. Noticed a couple of mistakes I’ve done, so that’s nice.

[@GreenAquaShop]

Glad it helped! Cheers!

[@aquariumplantman]

Thanks Balazs, Green Aqua vids are the best. I always walk away with some great info. 💚🌱

[@GreenAquaShop]

Thanks so much for the support, you are great Pete, glad you found this useful too! Cheers.

[@hmarpakwar]

Outstanding and perhaps the most comprehensive information packed into a nice crisp video. Great job Balazs and the Green Aqua Team. I have been using Seachem ferts for quite some time and recently started ADA - but really liked the way you explained all the fertilizers required and how to cater to them. I so agree with you that the quantity, regime and mix of ferts is something you have to learn with time based on your observation. Overall, I like the way the Green Aqua team is passionate about the hobby ! Great job team; & Balazs, you are superb!

[@GreenAquaShop]

Thanks so much for the kind feedback, thanks for the support! Cheers!

[@edstaart8548]

Always interesting, but i try to keep iT simple like you said by watching my tank and especially my plants ,they tell me if I'm dosing correctly and enough, weekly WC helps with that: besides resetting your tank you r watching closely while maintenance and discover if all is doing well. These vids always help and clear up some of the unknown, thanks Balazs

[@GreenAquaShop]

You know what to do Ed. :) Cheers and thx!

[@nenadtomasek4030]

Thank you for this great tutorial I learned many new things you are the best!

[@GreenAquaShop]

Thanks for the kind feedback, glad you liked this! Cheers.

[@richanthony2914]

Great video. As someone fresh back into aquariums and newer to aquascaping, information and PATIENCE is key. I bought master test kits, not to just test the water, but to make sure I could recognize the changes as the readings changed. Now the kits sit until I start another tank. (Uh oh) A fertiliser schedule is key. I found that under-dosing on a daily or semi-daily basis was of great benefit, because my tanks (betta and threadfin rainbows) run at 26.3 degrees celsius and the temperature didn't mesh well with skipping days with ferts. I asked the great Balázs about moss and even that led me to knowledge. Higher temps meant deeper greens in my moss. I originally thought it was a phosphate deficiency, but there were no other signs. I use excel everyday - well under dosed - to keep algae away which increases supply for my plant uptake. I don't actually think the carbon from excel boosts growth in my tanks, but the algae prevention means more nutrients for them. It is all fascinating, and the only way to understand is to do it and check in with your findings!

[@GreenAquaShop]

Thanks for sharing your experience with us, I also think that mosses will get darker in warm water, we see that with the Betta tank too. Cheers.

[@AquaOwner]

Very nice and comprehensive Tutorial / Guide and you're totally right, it is a complicated topic and you surely can tackle that from various different angles. One addition, though: Manganese isn't a micro, it's a macro Nutrient regarding its levels in the water and in a planted tank in general. Levels of 3-5mg/l are fairly common even in non-aquascapes and therefor way higher then the highest micro nutrient, which is correctly iron.

[@GreenAquaShop]

I'm not gonna go into this now Toby. :) But Mn is always added together with the Micro elements - even in the EI, in very small quantities. :) The presence in some waters it another thing.

[@AquaOwner]

Green Aqua understood. It wasn‘t meant as lecture, but the definition is something people often do get hung up upon 😊

[@GreenAquaShop]

Yeah, I still try to avoid science as much as I can. B.

[@victordelgado5006]

Really great video, I learnt a lot not only about fertilizations also about all the options que have on the market. What I miss is some routine example as Filipe Oliveira do in his videos. i.e. this tank is a high and we put this and this everyday or this and this every week. Thanks for the knowledge guys!!

[@pkoppart]

Thank you. I still struggle to get my head around this, but I will get there someday. I have requested Jurjis for his expert advice as well.

[@jamesgrant3343]

Fantastic. Watched everything - I’m sure you didn’t put anyone off the hobby, but reassured people that there is good info available if/when they want to do the more demanding mosses/plants. Personally, I’m just new to CO2 and just started Tropica ferts - the one with nitrogen and phosphorus in. I realised that by using RO water (which is brilliant - if your tap water is mega hard, fluoride and nitrate loaded!). So now with RO water I always have zero nitrogen - which I was very pleased about but my plants were not doing well… duh!! (I remineralise with Seachem so there’s minerals and buffer but not really anything for the plants in the water column) So CO2 has been in for two weeks and already the Anubis are looking better, new growth with no algae. I kept a tank for 10years from 1990-2000 (before the Internet…) must have been incredibly lucky with tap water (since moved house) also, previously had under gravel filter intake to a canister filter which was brilliant for plants but makes the aquarium substrate look very very deep. Also my latest tank is 2ft tall so lighting is an issue for carpeting plants so they need a bit of help! Buuut - it’s so much fun. And videos like this help a lot!

[@sasai6991]

Well done mate. So far the best tutorial about fertilizing I watched 👍🏆

[@GreenAquaShop]

That is very very cool to read, thanks so much! Cheers!

[@Brynja24]

Very informative and understandable video! Thank you so much, high quality content as always!

[@GreenAquaShop]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the kind feedback Karin!

[@MrGhostsword]

Having been in the hobby for almost two decades, all posted in the video is the truth.. very well explained.. when I have people asking about planted tanks I will send them this video. Just watch it time and time again.. and take notes.. it is a perfect video.

[@GreenAquaShop]

Thanks so much! Your support - especially with your experience - is much appreciated!

[@mytee4422]

this is actually the best fertilizer guide here in KZbin... Thanks Greenaqua for this... Very informative as always 👍👍👍👍❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@GreenAquaShop]

Glad you think so! Mission accomplished.

[@siapa8904]

Great tutorial, fertilizers could be so confusing but on the other hand after tuning here and there knowing your tank characteristic its so easy. Macro after water change, micro for the day after and daily seachem flour excel, water change after a week, and thats it. Good joob Green Aqua, very special video as always.

[@GreenAquaShop]

Glad it was helpful! We do add daily ferts on most tanks though, but they can be added weekly too. Cheers.

[@triniaquarist9016]

Nice video Balazs. Thank you very much for sharing this info. Keep making these informative ones! We learn a whole lot!

[@GreenAquaShop]

Thanks, will do!

[@lucarboni01]

One of the best video that i ve ever seen about this topic. Thanks, please make more videos on this level.

[@GreenAquaShop]

Thanks so much Luigi, glad you like this! Will do.

[@Philip_smith88]

Great video. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@lianalim8212]

Thanks for your idea. I try your idea much better for my plant. And i try more to learn from u.

[@mathieugourgues6324]

Thanks for the video. One of the best videos about tank fertilizers.

[@kainredin]

This video helped me to clear up some doubts about the fertilizer products on the market. Thank you and congratulations.

[@GreenAquaShop]

Thanks! Cheers.

[@omfon]

Finally, thank you! First, it is very brave of you to go into fertilization topic as you know how it is these days on social media everybody knows everything better than others :D But, seriously it is unbelievable what is going on. One group using lean is basically saying that is the only right way all others are stupid. Then second group using rich fertilization is saying the same. Then, the third using salts making their own fertilizers saying people using branded ferts are stupid. As, I already said very brave of you. I am using on one tank rich fertilization, my version of EI with very low nitrates dosing as my tap water is quite high in nitrates. Tank is doing great, no algae and very nice plants. On other tank with different needs I am using all in one fertilizer but lean fertilization and adding some potassium and phosphate from time to time if it is needed. It was always amusing for me watching people saying only one way is right way. Also it is very good you explained disadvantages of lean fertilization over the time and need for adding some additional nutrients from time to time as that is what I experienced, usually phosphates and potassium and iron are needed at least from my experience. Each aquarium is different, nobody has same plants and same tap water so you need to learn how your aquarium is breathing and act accordingly. And in the end if it works for your aquarium it is right way doesn't matter what everybody else is saying.

[@GreenAquaShop]

Yepp, you sure know what you're doing and you are right in the fact that there's no one true solution, and there's always a big fight between believers. What we try to do is to unite people here. So far I only got one comment from somebody who said he is a self proclaimed expert and felt offended. Then gave a link to his website. Haha. Anyway, cheers. :)

[@Auxillia]

I swear the first time I watched this I was completely lost. But 5 months later I watch this for the second time, I understand everything. This is pure gold. This guy is an expert and this is a very concise video full of great advices.

[@GreenAquaShop]

Thanks man, appreciate the feedback 🙏

[@raziabanu4689]

@@GreenAquaShop12345667777888899000

[@swedishrainbow_garden7672]

I'm new to the aquatic growing, but I am not new to growing out of water and I think this was a good video and comprehensive information about all the things you need to think about. I will come back to this video in a couple of months once I have tried out some things (and probably both failed and learnt a lot). I have had great success in growing orchids previously and those are also finicky with micro and macro nutrients, lighting, humidity etc.

[@GreenAquaShop]

LOL, hope you don't fail though.

[@ShawnHineidi]

awesome content Balazs, you pretty much answered so many questions in this Master Class. To me, one of the important points in "consistency" in order to achieve balance which is key in healthy planted aquarium. Thanks for making this video!

[@GreenAquaShop]

Yes Shawn, consistency is key!

[@aquascapingathome9522]

Awesome video, lots of good tips and advice that I have struggled to find anywhere else. Thank you 👍

[@GreenAquaShop]

You are welcome, thanks for the feedback!

[@frankygoestocanada]

That is one very good information video... In fact, it's the third time I watch it and as my knowledge is "growing", I can understand and pick up some new informations each time I listen to it (because you have a lot of it in that video). And it's one of the best video on the subject (my opinion) to date! Thanks to you and your team!

[@GreenAquaShop]

You are welcome François, glad you found this useful. Cheers.

[@codyshowalter583]

This was such a helpful and informative video, thank you for doing this.

[@GreenAquaShop]

You are welcome. Glad you liked this one too. Cheers.

[@chenghsunchan3875]

What a useful video!!! I’m looking for the video like this for a long long time.I didn’t just spend 38 minutes,I reviewed many times.And learned a lot of things through this.You guys are so kind,teach us everything you know.Unfortunately I live in Taiwan,if not I hope I can talk with you guys.Thanks a lot.Expect your new video.

[@GreenAquaShop]

You can always talk to us here, we answer all comments - for now. :) Thanks for the kind comment, glad you liked the video!

[@cintiacastro-melendez138]

Thanks for the explanation, I am a beginner and was so confused, now I have a starting point!

[@marypaigeflynn4512]

Thank you Balazs. You are very thoughtful the way you have sat down and explained this. I'm totally new and this is a subject that can be overwhelming. I'm using seachem flourish because it was what was available and of course I don't totally understand fertilizers yet. My scape is basically alot of java fern and anubias for this reason. I do not have CO2 so I tried to do something that would be easier for a beginner like myself to do. Thank you so much for your time and I hope you have an amazing day.❤️🙏🐟🌱🌿

[@GreenAquaShop]

You are very welcome Mary, Flourish is a good base fert with those plants that you mentioned, you can always complete that with other ferts later if you think you need to - if your plants tell you to... :)

[@paulknight9731]

Thank you for your explanation. one of the best video I have seen on fertilisation. I appreciate your time.

[@GreenAquaShop]

Thanks for the support Paul! Cheers!

[@flaviowaki6493]

Best aquascape channel on KZbin! greetings from Brazil.

[@GreenAquaShop]

Wow, thanks so much for the support!

[@Aexzer88]

Great job on explaining all about the fertz. I know there’s more to it but you tackled the basic need to know. By the way, beautiful and gorgeous first fertz lady in the beginning 😊.

[@hainguyenngoc9575]

This is not only a video about fert’s, it’s also about the passion with your aquascape. Thank you so much, and sorry because my grammar ^.^

[@GreenAquaShop]

Cheers, thanks for the kind comment, your grammar is perfect.