A Question on Substrate and Ion Plant Gravel

[Wy Renegade]

Been doing some more research for my riparium tank, and ran across something called Ion Plant Gravel. I don't know anything about all these different substrates, but from what I read its a nutrient absorbing substrate that then releases those nutrients as plants need them. Supposedly similar to some other type of big name substrate? Has anybody tried either of these products, and what can you tell me about them?

 

[Nomadu571]

I don't know about the substrate "releasing it as the plants need it" seems abit of a bold statement to me. What your describing sounds like it has live heterotrophic bacteria which convert fish waste into nutrients for plants. The other big name brand is likely to be Eco complete. I use Eco complete and have had great results, however choosing a substrate would depend on what plants you wish to keep. Swords for example are fine in sand or gravel with root tabs. Fluorite and other brands are also really good at their job. The deciding factor for most people is simply the colour.

 

[jetajockey]

I'm far from an expert on this, but it sounds like wordplay. High CEC (cation exchange capacity) is what we look for in planted substrate materials, and it can be achieved with multiple substances, various forms of clay being the most popular.

Web definitions

In soil science, cation exchange capacity (CEC) is the capacity of a soil for ion exchange of cations between the soil and the soil solution. CEC is used as a measure of fertility, nutrient retention capacity, and the capacity to protect groundwater from cation contamination. ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cation_exchange_capacity

I use oil-dri (i.e. cat litter/spill absorbent) ] in my 125.

 

[Wy Renegade]

I don't know about the substrate "releasing it as the plants need it" seems abit of a bold statement to me. What your describing sounds like it has live heterotrophic bacteria which convert fish waste into nutrients for plants. The other big name brand is likely to be Eco complete. I use Eco complete and have had great results, however choosing a substrate would depend on what plants you wish to keep. Swords for example are fine in sand or gravel with root tabs. Fluorite and other brands are also really good at their job. The deciding factor for most people is simply the colour.

Thanks Nomadu, is the eco complete shipped wet? And just to display my total ignorance on the subject at hand, what is a root tab?

I'm far from an expert on this, but it sounds like wordplay. High CEC (cation exchange capacity) is what we look for in planted substrate materials, and it can be achieved with multiple substances, various forms of clay being the most popular.

Web definitions


Cation-exchange capacity - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I use oil-dri (i.e. cat litter/spill absorbent) ] in my 125.

Thanks Jeta - the substrate in question is indeed a hard clay substrate.

 

[jetajockey]

Honestly I think they just bag this stuff up with different labels and send it out. Some has different colors or sizes or whatnot, but a lot of it is the same basic stuff. Turface MVP and Soilmaster Select are two other frequently used and recommended products as well. The only thing that makes ecocomplete different is that it's shipped in liquid so the rinsing process has already been resolved, and it's embedded with a small amount of basic ferts. I wouldn't rely on them to do a whole lot, though, and would enrich the substrate with root tabs just like any other. The only thing that sells it for me is the convenience factor and color, otherwise I wouldn't bother, and I definitely look for cheaper alternatives on larger tanks.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Ok, so once again I have to display my ignorance - root tabs?

 

[Nomadu571]

No problem and yes Eco complete comes wet, it's quite weird to have already wet substrate but you just open the bag and dump it in, no washing or fuss. A root tab is a fertiliser tablet which you place under or near the roots of heavy root feeding plants in the substrate. It simply releases nutrients as it degrades.

 

[jetajockey]

That's correct, root tabs are a mix of ferts, most often macronutrients like NPK and iron bound in a clay tablet. There are probably some that are more comprehensive and include micros and macros, but I'm not sure of brands. I make my own.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Ok thanks, I assumed it was something along this line - similar to a fertilizer spike for terrestrial plants. So do you have to dig up the plants every so often in order to provide them with a new root tab after so long?

 

[jetajockey]

Jobes plant spikes have been reported to be good also, but I've never tried them myself. I have used osmocote granules, and I know of a few sites that sell them (or a coincidentally extremely similar slow release granule) stuffed inside pill casings and hocked as root tabs, but if you go that route I suggest just buying a 3lb container at the garden center for 1/10th the cost.

And no, I wouldn't dig up a plant unless I was moving it, you can just put another root tab down in the general area, the old one basically dissolves in time.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Awesome! Thanks for the info guys. So Jeta you mentioned that you make your own - how and what do you make them out of? If I may ask?

 

[jetajockey]

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f20/diy-root-tabs-191177.html

That thread has a list on it for reference. It's just my own concoction, it can be adjusted accordingly, heavily planted tanks with low fish stock would be better with more kno3.