Although planted aquariums are often considered to be too difficult for the beginning hobbyist, we believe that planted aquaria are actually ideal for the beginner.
With the right substrate the beginner can have a successful aquarium with a minimum of maintenance. As the beginner become more comfortable in the hobby they will feel inclined to experiment a bit and thus build on the solid foundation they have already established.
From our (Seachem) product line we normally recommend one start with Flourish™ and/or Flourish Tabs™. These provide a broad range of micro-nutrients (vitamins, amino acids) and micro and trace elements (iron, manganese, nickel, cobalt, etc) that will enhance plant health and growth.
If the growth rate is substantial the trace elements are often utilized more rapidly than the other components in Flourish™, thus in this case it would be beneficial to also employ Flourish Trace™ along with Flourish™ and/or Flourish Tabs™.
Once that foundation is set one can then explore the use of parameter specific supplementation.
Because plant nutrient requirements, usage rates and source water can vary drastically we have determined that the ideal approach to supplementation is to separate each component so that each can be dosed individually as needed. Sometimes these requirements can be determined by testing.