should I add fertilizer?

[Stlouisfish]

While the majority of my plants (onion plants, swords, java fern & anacharis) are growing pretty nicely, my wisteria is getting tall but the top leaves have small holes in them. I read on another post in another section that holes in leaves are caused by lack of fertilizer? I have been toying with getting a bottle of API liquid fertilizer but didn't want to spend the $ on "easy" plants. Would this stuff improve the leaves or should I not bother?

[Cliff]

The last time I had Java fern and onion plants, I had used a plant fert by seachem, it was either flourish or complete (sorry can't quite remember which one). It was a general purpose fert and seams to work well. There a lot less of those little holes in the leaves after that.

[chrisfraser05]

some over the counter fertilisers do not contain phosphate, lack of phosphate is the main cause of the holes in the leaves.

If money is a factor your best bet is to buy dry powders and do what is called the EI (estimative index) method to fertilise.

I know you are asking if it is worth doing on cheap plants. If you learn about ferts and what the symptoms of the different Deficiencies are on cheap plants you will have the confidance to try more difficult plants successfully in the future :)

This site here will tell you all about deficiencies and fert techniques;
http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/index.htm

Chris

[smaug]

I have used leaf zone with good results.

[Stlouisfish]

some over the counter fertilisers do not contain phosphate, lack of phosphate is the main cause of the holes in the leaves.

If money is a factor your best bet is to buy dry powders and do what is called the EI (estimative index) method to fertilise.

I know you are asking if it is worth doing on cheap plants. If you learn about ferts and what the symptoms of the different Deficiencies are on cheap plants you will have the confidance to try more difficult plants successfully in the future :)

This site here will tell you all about deficiencies and fert techniques;
http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/index.htm

Chris
Thanks for the link Chris - I looked on it and it indicates that Potassium is what's missing - causes pinholes. Now at least I know to look and make sure Potassium is in the ingredients of whatever I get. I've been trying to avoid adding ferts to the tank, but the look of those leaves is just bothering me too much and I have several stems in there- it's obvious there's something wrong.

[chrisfraser05]

pottasium.... thats what I meant lmao

(blush)

[dbosman]

Root tabs will fertilize the plants and not affect the water column much.