When During the Day do you Dose Ferts?

[DGalt]

I know a lot of people say to put the ferts in when the lights come on. But...I would think that most of us are at work when our lights come on. I have my lights come on around noon so they're on for a few hours when I'm home at night (what's the point of having a tank if all I ever get to see is darkness :silly.

So when do you all put yours ferts in? Do you have your lights come on early in the morning? Or do you just put the ferts in later in the day (but 5pm or whenever people get home seems kind of late).

 

[excuzzzeme]

I dose mine whenever I happen to think about. I don't do schedules and the plants don't seem to care either. At least they aren't begging to be fed like the fish do!

 

[jpappy789]

Same. Some people say to dose right before "lights out" so the nutrients are available right when the plants enter their growing phase, but there's no noticeable difference.

 

[Riiz]

I dose first thing when I wake persoanlly, but I've never noticed any difference dosing before or after the photoperiod starts.

 

[Scrufdog]

i dose after water changes during the day. Considering they grow like weeds, works for me.

 

[coach_z]

i dose between 6PM and 1030PM. all depends on when i get home that day

 

[Wycco]

I'm low tech... with low demanding plants- root tabs and Leaf Zone (that gets added once a week)- therefore my ferts go in after my weekly water change- normally late morning.

I'm also low-tech in that I have to turn my lights on and off manually too! Usually the lights are on from 6:15am to 7:15pm. Yeah, I know, longer than they really should be on- but I don't have an algae problem and the plants look fine so I'm not overly worried.

 

[bazil323]

The only tank I dose is my planted tank at work, so I dose some point between 8:30 and 5:00 when I'm at work. Incidentally, that also happens to be completely within the 10-hour light period I've got set up with the timer. So, at some point when the lights are on, I dose the ferts. I don't really have a set time, and if the lights were off, I would still dose it. I don't think it matters much.

 

[echoofformless]

I honestly can't see it making a difference unless some of the elements dissipate from the water through evaporation. Otherwise, it will be there when the plants want it.

 

[angyles]

first thing in the morning: feed cats, dogs, fish, plants. don't think it matters though for ferts.