Unlike in natural waters, aquariums with fish mostly have a surplus of nutrients caused by feeding and the resulting fish excrement. Thus nitrates and phosphates in large (often too large!) quantities are available for the plants. Nevertheless CO2 (carbon dioxide), iron (Fe), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg) and further trace elements need to be supplied. JBL PROFLORA Ferropol was designed for this purpose. Caused by the low animal stock (and therefore the low food quantity) in a scaped aquarium there are other conditions : the nitrates (N) and phosphates (P) which are otherwise introduced through feeding and excrement have to be added through fertilizers.
Furthermore because potassium as a mineral is rapidly consumed, JBL has designed a NPK fertilizer, which contains three pre-mixed substances ( JBL PROSCAPE NPK MACROELEMENTS ). With the help of JBL PROAQUATEST NO3 nitrato , the JBL PROAQUATEST PO4 Phosphat Sensitive and the JBL PROAQUATEST K potassio you can check whether the JBL ProScape NPK fertiliser meets the demand in consumption of your plants. If you find that the nutrients are being consumed in different degrees, you can start to add them individually and to continue monitoring them. For that reason JBL offers the individual components ( JBL PROSCAPE N MACROELEMENTS , JBL PROSCAPE P MACROELEMENTS , JBL PROSCAPE K MACROELEMENTS , JBL PROSCAPE K MACROELEMENTS , JBL PROSCAPE Mg MACROELEMENTS ). A very popular supplement is volcanic rock meal, which contains a very high natural content of trace elements ( JBL PROSCAPE VOLCANO POLVERE ).
Ideal Water Values
In addition to light and carbon dioxide the plants need nutrients, and here you have to distinguish between macronutrients (those you need in larger quantities) and micronutrients, which are needed in smaller quantities (see table).
For well illuminated plant aquariums the following values need to be maintained:
- CO2 : 20-35 mg/l
- nitrate nitrogen (NO3): 10-30 mg/l
- potassium (K): 10-30 mg/l
- phosphate (PO4): 0.1-1.5 mg/l
- iron (Fe): 0.1-0.5 mg/l
- magnesium (Mg): 5-10 mg/l
Macronutrients: C - carbon, N - nitrogen, P - phosphorus, S – sulphur, K – potassium, Mg – magnesium.
Mikronährstoffe: Fe - iron, Na - sodium, Ca - calcium, Cu - copper, Co - cobalt, Zn - Zinc, B - boron, Mn - manganese, Mo - molybdenum, Cl - chlorine.
Probably required: Li - lithium, Al - aluminium, Sn - tin, Ni - nickel, J - iodine, Br - bromine.
