Mebbid's DIY root tabs

[Mebbid]

Tank is 60 gal. I used 6 caplets. Put them to the bottom or close as possible. Subtrate ranges from about 2" to close to 3" tank has been up and running for a year. Never had ammonia problems before.

My only thoughts would be that you would have to have a nearly nonexistant bio filter for the tabs to have any effect on water quality . I was using 12 at a time in my 55g with no ill effects.

Did you test for ammonia in your tank before adding the root tabs?

 

[vvjosh06]

Yeah no ammonia before. Maybe not deep enough?

 

[Brookster123]

Yeah no ammonia before. Maybe not deep enough?

Whats your substrate?

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[vvjosh06]

River pebbles

 

[Brookster123]

Could have leached out? I've been holding off on adding them to my tank with the same type smallish gravel.. I want to cap it with sand first..

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[Mebbid]

River pebbles

How large of a grain is it? Could you post a picture?

 

[vvjosh06]

 

[vvjosh06]

As you can see they range from a few millimeters up to 3/4 of an inch

 

[Mebbid]

As you can see they range from a few millimeters up to 3/4 of an inch

The grain size is probably a contributing factor, especially if it's a lot of large grained gravel where you placed your tabs at.

I've used them with small grain gravel, flourite, dirt, and sand and never had any issues but I've never even owned a gravel with as large of a grain size as yours.

How heavily planted is your tank?
How heavily stocked is it?
What do you do for fertilization / carbon?

 

[Delapool]

Could have leached out? I've been holding off on adding them to my tank with the same type smallish gravel.. I want to cap it with sand first..

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Not sure what to do. I have deep fine gravel at the tank back but holding off until I get some prime water conditioner delivered just in case ammonia does spike.

Sooo tempted to just buy a small bottle of prime so I can try this weekend though!

I was also wondering if store tabs are mixed with any clay to kind of fix it in place and not leach straight away?

 

[Mebbid]

Not sure what to do. I have deep fine gravel at the tank back but holding off until I get some prime water conditioner delivered just in case ammonia does spike.

Sooo tempted to just buy a small bottle of prime so I can try this weekend though!

I was also wondering if store tabs are mixed with any clay to kind of fix it in place and not leach straight away?

The seachem and API root tabs are a mixture of micro nutrients and have almost 0 macro nutrients in it. That's why they really are sub par at helping your plants grow.

 

[vvjosh06]

Right now my tank has lidwiga 4 amazon swords 5 anubias red tiger lotus. Ferts I use flourish once a week and I use fliurish excel for carbon. Tank is completely stocked per rule

 

[Delapool]

The seachem and API root tabs are a mixture of micro nutrients and have almost 0 macro nutrients in it. That's why they really are sub par at helping your plants grow.

Sorry didn't mean to sound negative, definitely will do it.

I've got a similar problem that some plants are in small pots so was thinking if I get some clay this might bind the ferts a bit longer so it releases slower. Or does that sound complete rubbish?

The pot plants I think I can get the capsule about an inch deep?

 

[jetajockey]

Okay I have some input that may help. A few years ago when this style of root tab became really popular, there were several reports of ammonia readings. We know that this is because this fertilizer is meant for terrestrial plants and utilizes ammoniacal nitrogen.

The little balls seem to be made of some sort of plastic or other material with very very fine holes so that the product is released over a long period of time, in a typical terrestrial plant substrate. Being that it's constantly submerged in the way we use it, we can assume that it releases it's contents faster. Also, if any of the balls are broken, or cracked/smashed, then you can imagine that the ferts are going to be dispensed immediately. So it'd only take a few broken ones to get fertilizer all over the other intact ones and cause a residual ammonia reading.

As far as the clay tabs go, the ones I've used and the ones that I make break down pretty quickly. I don't fire mine at all so they fall apart very fast. Even still, the idea is that they get put deep in the substrate where there is little to no water flow, so they don't get disturbed. The other benefit to using clay is it's high CEC, or ability to hold nutrients. So in that regard, it works better than osmocote-type products. But overall osmocote is much cheaper to use.

The steps I'd take if I had an ammonia reading after using osmocote would be to do a big water change and then test again in a few days to see where I'm at.

 

[vvjosh06]

Have done 2 50% changes since yesterday. Ammonia is down to about .25 which is significantly better. So maybe one capsule came apart or something and caused a spike. Will keep an eye on levels. So far my plants seem to love the root tabs. Noticed way better color then before.

 

[Delapool]

Okay I have some input that may help. A few years ago when this style of root tab became really popular, there were several reports of ammonia readings. We know that this is because this fertilizer is meant for terrestrial plants and utilizes ammoniacal nitrogen.

The little balls seem to be made of some sort of plastic or other material with very very fine holes so that the product is released over a long period of time, in a typical terrestrial plant substrate. Being that it's constantly submerged in the way we use it, we can assume that it releases it's contents faster. Also, if any of the balls are broken, or cracked/smashed, then you can imagine that the ferts are going to be dispensed immediately. So it'd only take a few broken ones to get fertilizer all over the other intact ones and cause a residual ammonia reading.

As far as the clay tabs go, the ones I've used and the ones that I make break down pretty quickly. I don't fire mine at all so they fall apart very fast. Even still, the idea is that they get put deep in the substrate where there is little to no water flow, so they don't get disturbed. The other benefit to using clay is it's high CEC, or ability to hold nutrients. So in that regard, it works better than osmocote-type products. But overall osmocote is much cheaper to use.

The steps I'd take if I had an ammonia reading after using osmocote would be to do a big water change and then test again in a few days to see where I'm at.

A little specific but with your clay tabs do you use white, light coloured clays or very dark clays? Just out of interest.

Thanks for the info, plan to check out slow release dry ferts from the hardware store this weekend.

 

[jetajockey]

I use red clay since it's high in iron oxide.

Sent from Peabody's rabbit hole.

 

[Britty]

Mebbid.You've inspired me to try this!! I've been wanting to root tab my plants but our lfs sells seachem root tabs for absolutely extortionate prices and I understand they don't last too long anyway. Replace each month as an average figure.

So I went hunting for info for DIY root tabs and I came across this thread. After reading your success I went shopping and I didn't find any Dynamite but I did find Osmocote root tabs for water and underwater plants. I'd never seen these before, but then I don't go poking around in the garden section very much either.

I don't know if these have been around for a while and if so what kind of reputation they have. But this is all new to me, so I took some photos of it.

It was 7 dollars for 50 pieces, and the package blurb suggests they last approx 6 months each. For my 18G tank, thats just about a lifetimes supply for 7 dollars!

Has anyone tried these. Apparently fish safe, if used to directions. I'd probably still stick these way down into the substrate as you have recommended, and the NPK nutrient spread seems to be 14/3.5/9 NPK as opposed to the Dynamite 13/13/13 which I'm not sure if its good or bad.

Can't be bad if I don't have any root tabs to start with right?

Do you think you would you use these? I think I'm going to try them out.

 

[Mebbid]

Mebbid.You've inspired me to try this!! I've been wanting to root tab my plants but our lfs sells seachem root tabs for absolutely extortionate prices and I understand they don't last too long anyway. Replace each month as an average figure.

So I went hunting for info for DIY root tabs and I came across this thread. After reading your success I went shopping and I didn't find any Dynamite but I did find Osmocote root tabs for water and underwater plants. I'd never seen these before, but then I don't go poking around in the garden section very much either.

I don't know if these have been around for a while and if so what kind of reputation they have. But this is all new to me, so I took some photos of it.

It was 7 dollars for 50 pieces, and the package blurb suggests they last approx 6 months each. For my 18G tank, thats just about a lifetimes supply for 7 dollars!

Has anyone tried these. Apparently fish safe, if used to directions. I'd probably still stick these way down into the substrate as you have recommended, and the NPK nutrient spread seems to be 14/3.5/9 NPK as opposed to the Dynamite 13/13/13 which I'm not sure if its good or bad.

Can't be bad if I don't have any root tabs to start with right?

Do you think you would you use these? I think I'm going to try them out.

As long as you water change regularly it should be worth giving it a try. Regular water changes will keep the absolute minute amounts of heavy metals that are in the tabs from building up at all.

 

[Delapool]

Mebbid.You've inspired me to try this!! I've been wanting to root tab my plants but our lfs sells seachem root tabs for absolutely extortionate prices and I understand they don't last too long anyway. Replace each month as an average figure.

So I went hunting for info for DIY root tabs and I came across this thread. After reading your success I went shopping and I didn't find any Dynamite but I did find Osmocote root tabs for water and underwater plants. I'd never seen these before, but then I don't go poking around in the garden section very much either.

I don't know if these have been around for a while and if so what kind of reputation they have. But this is all new to me, so I took some photos of it.

It was 7 dollars for 50 pieces, and the package blurb suggests they last approx 6 months each. For my 18G tank, thats just about a lifetimes supply for 7 dollars!

Has anyone tried these. Apparently fish safe, if used to directions. I'd probably still stick these way down into the substrate as you have recommended, and the NPK nutrient spread seems to be 14/3.5/9 NPK as opposed to the Dynamite 13/13/13 which I'm not sure if its good or bad.

Can't be bad if I don't have any root tabs to start with right?

Do you think you would you use these? I think I'm going to try them out.

That looks cool and I guess less phosphate is a good thing? Was that at bunnings?