Plant Care P

Aquarium plants need around 20 different nutrients to grow healthily. Phosphate is particularly important. Phosphate is a macronutrient. Along with light and CO ₂ , it is one of the most important requirements for balanced, healthy plant growth.

What is phosphate needed for in the aquarium?

Plants need phosphate to build numerous organic compounds. It plays a central role in energy metabolism (as ATP = adenosine triphosphate). It is also an essential component of cell membranes and the genetic material DNA. Since phosphate is usually in short supply in the wild, plants have developed highly effective enrichment methods. The nutrient can be stored in the plant cells and remobilized when needed. The addition of phosphate is not necessary in normal, planted community aquariums, as it usually enters the aquarium in sufficient or often even excessive amounts via the food and fish excrement. In the case of demanding plant aquariums (e.g. aquascaping aquariums, Holland aquariums), however, the situation is different. They have an above-average nutrient requirement, especially for macronutrients. Such plant aquariums are characterized by

• dense planting (more than 70 – 80 % of the soil surface)
• many fast-growing species
• lots of light (30 – 60 lumens/liter or more)
• CO ₂ fertilization
• 30 – 50 % partial water change per week
• no or little fish stock (but with shrimp)

Detecting Phosphate Deficiency in the Aquarium

In these types of aquariums, a phosphate deficiency can quickly occur. The plants then stop growing. The shoots remain short, the leaves are small and often turn dark green. Some species can also turn purple due to the accumulation of red leaf pigments (anthocyanins).

Resolving Phosphate Deficiency in the Aquarium

For demanding plant aquariums, it is therefore very sensible to keep an eye on the phosphate content and top it up if necessary. Each aquarium has a specific nutrient consumption depending on the number of plants, type of plant, animal population, feeding, water changes and growth conditions (amount of light, lighting time, _CO2 addition, filter technology, etc.). The amount of fertilizer required should therefore be determined individually for each aquarium. If the aquarium needs all three macronutrients N, P and K, the use of Dennerle Plant Care NPK is recommended. The nutrient ratios have been chosen so that all macronutrients are absorbed by the plants in equal proportions. Even with long-term, regular use, deficiencies or disadvantageous accumulations of individual nutrients cannot occur. Biological balance is particularly important with macronutrients, i.e. the nutrients should always be present in a certain ratio to one another. Nutrient imbalances should be avoided as they usually lead to algae problems. Under certain circumstances, the aquarium may have a specific need for phosphate. There are also tap waters that contain enough nitrogen and potassium, but too little phosphate. In these cases, Dennerle Plant Care P should be used to supply the plants with phosphate in a targeted manner. We recommend measuring the phosphate content regularly and dosing Plant Care P accordingly. Phosphate can be measured precisely and reliably using aquarium tests. Phosphate is absorbed very quickly by the plants and can be stored well. In aquariums that have been undersupplied with phosphate for a long time, this means that the added phosphate initially "disappears" from the water again. After around 7 - 14 days of regular addition, when the plants have filled their phosphate stores again, the measurable phosphate content in the aquarium water then increases again. At this point, the amount of phosphate added should be reduced accordingly. Phosphate is a real growth engine, both for aquatic plants and for algae. Phosphate can therefore be used to control both plant growth and algae growth. It has proven useful to use phosphate as a shock fertilization with 0.1 - 0.2 mg/L. You then only fertilize again when the phosphate content has been at zero for a few days. Aquatic plants can store phosphate better than algae. This method can be used to make life difficult for the unwanted algae. While the plants feed themselves from their internal phosphate stores and continue to grow in "phosphate-poor times", the algae "starve" and their growth is thus significantly slowed. A macronutrient fertilizer must always be used in combination with a micronutrient fertilizer (complete iron fertilizer). For a complete supply of nutrients and the best possible plant growth, we recommend combining it with Plant Care Pro . For magnificent plant growth and healthy fish and shrimp, we recommend a partial water change of 25% to 50% per week. This removes waste and inhibitors and prevents nutrient imbalances.

dosage

The fertilizer can be dosed precisely and accurately: 2 ml per 100 L adds 0.2 mg/L phosphate. The recommended concentration is in the range of 0.1 - 0.3 mg/L phosphate (max. 1 mg/L). Higher levels are rarely necessary, they usually just unnecessarily encourage algae growth. Plant Care P can be used as a weekly fertilizer or daily fertilizer.