Root tabs?

[rainbowsmoke]

Hello! I'm new to aquariums, I just set up my ten gallon about a month ago. It is a planted tank with Anacharis, dwarf Amazon swords, and anubis. I was wondering if I need to use root tabs to help my plants out. I'm using Flourish liquid and my substrate is gravel. If I do need root tabs what would be the best to use? Thank you!

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[cgranola]

With swords I would use root tabs.

 

[rainbowsmoke]

What are the best root tabs to get?

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[Khuligirl93]

I know a lot of people like the sea chem ones, but they cost more. I use the API root tabs and they work fine. I know some people also make their own out of osmocolite+ plant fertilizer.
Just making sure you know, but the anubias should be tied on wood or rock and not planted in the substrate and the anacharis is fine anywhere, it does not need root tabs to my knowledge.

 

[rainbowsmoke]

Wow, thank you so much! It's so hard to go to my LFS here because they never tell me anything and I don't really know what to ask. Will I have to watch my water chemistry more when I put the tabs in?

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[Khuligirl93]

I don't think they should affect your water chemistry, as long as you put them in fast before they dissolve, and make sure to bury them deep enough. I'm not sure how the other kinds are, but with my API tabs they start to get slimy and dissolve very fast once they are wet. I imagine if they dissolved completely in your water column this could cause a problem, but if it's just for a second before they're buried I don't think it will cause any issues.

 

[rainbowsmoke]

Okay thank you! I just put my anubias in the rock as a temporary fix until I get rubber bands.

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[Khuligirl93]

That should work fine anubias grow very slowly, but once their roots start growing they will attach to any surface very tightly. Actually once I had one on a rock leaning up against my aquarium glass and a few weeks later I tried to move it, but the roots had grown stuck on the glass! I had to pry them off!

 

[rainbowsmoke]

Oh that's great then I think it'll work just fine where it is. Thank you so much for all your help!

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[Khuligirl93]

No problem! don't hesitate to ask if you have any other questions

 

[Dooboedoo12]

I didn't know that about the Anubis plants. I have 2 growing in my sand just fine

 

[Khuligirl93]

The rhizome (which is the thick part between the roots and the leaves) photosynthesizes, so it needs water circulation and light. If it is covered up it will slowly rot. Technically they can live with the small roots buried as long as the rhizome is above the substrate, but it is best to just tie it onto something.

 

[rainbowsmoke]

I got my root tabs today and put them in, everything seems to be perking up already! My anubias loves where I put it, it's already clinging to the rocks

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[Khuligirl93]

Great!

 

[rainbowsmoke]

My only problem is the root tabs made my water really cloudy. Did I not bury them deep enough?

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[Khuligirl93]

Hmm it became cloudy after you buried them? How large is the gravel you have?

 

[rainbowsmoke]

I have about two or three inches of gravel in there, I would say they're an inch long and wide maybe less? I was reading up on it though and I seriously think I really didn't bury them deep enough. I'm going to do a small water change to see if it clears up.

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[Khuligirl93]

Each piece of gravel is one inch wide? That sounds very large :/ if your gravel is too big, all the fertilizer will escape through the spaces. And your plants roots will have trouble growing.

 

[flitabout]

Do you have a pic?

 

[rainbowsmoke]

It's bout one inch, I'm really bad at guesstimating things, sorry. I'll take a picture when I get home

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