Dosing in Advance of Planting

[JayP]

I'll bet @Naturescapes_Rocco has an answer for this, but I thought I'd ask the community. For a new tank with an inert substrate, have you began dosing in advance of planting to build nutrients in the system. If so, how many days prior and at full dosage or a smaller level. All plants going in are fully transitioned mature plants/cuttings.

 

[Naturescapes_Rocco]

It probably doesn't make too big of a difference, but I do believe that getting the microbiome in the tank's substrate, even inert soil, used to the expected conditions asap helps a lot.

I dose my empty tanks to the full KH/GH/Macros/Micros, and usually let them sit for a few days in the dark before planting.

 

[Sulla]

I can't see it making a difference to be honest. The only time I can think of making sense is when setting up using used aquasoil. This could make sense as the aquasoil would have likely been depleted and if you dose the water colum it could absorb some. But honestly even then why not just use fert tabs?

 

[Pepere]

Dark starting a tank for 4-6 weeks to develop a diverse mature bacteriological environment prior to planting will yield more benefit than letting a tank sit for a few days with inert substrate and fertilizers…

Using Under gravel filtration in a tank with inert substrate has the advantage of washing plant roots in water column ferts that otherwise not occur in the substrate without active flow..