Are plant fertilizers worth the investment?

[LellaMe]

I'm about to give my 200L tank a complete plant makeover with some low-maintenance additions and driftwood. Fertilisers - do I really need them, or can I get away without? I've heard mixed opinions, so I'd love to hear what you guys think. If I do need them, what are some good, affordable options? I'm not looking to break the bank on a tiny bottle that'll be gone in a week. Something a bit bigger would be ideal, thanks.

[kokomo]

I've had some great results with Seachem's Flourish system, specifically the Excel, Iron and trace.

Even when I'm using just a quarter of the recommended dose, I've noticed a pretty significant difference in how often new leaves sprout, how big they get, and how quickly they grow.

Lighting definitely plays a big part, but without a good fertiliser, growth is noticeably slower.

[Burgermuncher]

I'm a bit of a minimalist when it comes to fertilisers, I just use Seachem root tabs and that's it. I'm not exactly diligent with dosing, it's more like every 6 months or so. I've found that giving plants space to do their thing really works for me, the less I mess with them, the better they seem to grow.

[sSjey]

For my setup, I've found Seachem Flourish root tabs work well for the crypts and Echinodorus, while a lower dose of the liquid Seachem Flourish suits the rest of my plants. They're mostly slow-growing, easy plants, so I don't follow the bottle's recommended dose - instead, I use about a third of that.

[coltin]

I've had great success with Sera Florena - it completely transformed my plant growth. No matter how much light you throw at your plants, they just won't thrive without the right nutrients. I found that with regular doses of fertiliser, my plants started showing noticeable growth every week. The leaves became bigger, darker green, and started producing runners and branches. I was even able to take cuttings and plant them in other tanks.

Before using fertiliser, my plants would just slowly decline and I'd have to replace them every few months.

[raylite]

I've had a similar experience to coltin, where I've noticed a huge difference in plant growth since adding fertiliser. I'm currently using TNC Lite, mainly because it's great value and doesn't contain nitrate - my tap water already has around 30ppm, so I don't want to add more. The only issue with TNC Lite is that it's a bit light on other nutrients compared to the standard formula, so I've started adding the full weekly dose every three days. I've got a lot of fast-growing plants, and they seem to thrive on the extra nutrients - if I just add the standard dose, I start to get algae, as the light outstrips the nutrient levels.

[wandg]

I've had anubias, Java fern, and Amazon sword thriving in my tank for over a year now, no fertilizers needed.