Mebbid's DIY root tabs

[PB_Smith]

Aquarium Plants can kiss my fine arse if they want $37 ($22 plus $15 freaking dollars in shipping) for their pathetic device when Home Depot offers *this* for $5.

GrabEasy Grabber and Retriever-PF0401 at The Home Depot

I agree. Seems to be a lot of stuff like this for sale across the industry, schlocky junk that they want to convince the feebleminded they must have or they are "doing it wrong".

I posted earlier that the same thing could be made from two sizes of rigid airline.

 

[Coyne]

I think I missed something. Why not just use your fingers? Seemed to work well for me.

 

[Mebbid]

I think I missed something. Why not just use your fingers? Seemed to work well for me.

Agreed. More nimble and precise. If you're afraid of getting your arm wet once every other month then planted tanks might not be for you.

 

[Delapool]

I think I missed something. Why not just use your fingers? Seemed to work well for me.

I found since I started really packing the ferts in that it has gone better but before that they used to really start to try and float away before I could bury them. Actually just had a thought that I should crush up a bit of laterite iron gravel we have. That should weigh them down.

How often are people putting them in? I've been doing a few a week as new plants have gone in.

 

[Mebbid]

I found since I started really packing the ferts in that it has gone better but before that they used to really start to try and float away before I could bury them. Actually just had a thought that I should crush up a bit of laterite iron gravel we have. That should weigh them down.

How often are people putting them in? I've been doing a few a week as new plants have gone in.

They will last at least 2 months. I got paranoid about my plants and put them in monthly though. Didn't seem to hurt anything.

 

[Delapool]

They will last at least 2 months. I got paranoid about my plants and put them in monthly though. Didn't seem to hurt anything.

Thanks, I'd better be careful not to over do it

Edit - or under do it too

 

[schoeplein]

Agreed. More nimble and precise. If you're afraid of getting your arm wet once every other month then planted tanks might not be for you.

It has nothing to do with getting my arm wet and more to do with precision and not pushing plants over. A large portion of my tank is exceptionally dense, and it would be a lot easier to stuff caps into the soil with something longer and more slender than my arm. I'm also working with a 24" deep tank, so pushing anything into the soil, especially at the back of the tank, involves the edge of the tank carving into my armpit. After about five tabs that gets pretty old.

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[Mebbid]

Haha yeah, I understand the height thing. I have a difficult time reaching the back of the substrate on my 90g.

 

[Fishperson]

Yeah I've used my hands for everything.
Trimming, replanting, etc.

 

[Fresh2o]

I use scissors for trimming and tongs for planting / replanting stems. I don't have the deft touch to plant 1/3 - 1/2" Downoi stems. I use the injector thingy to push pellets into thick clumps such as these. My meat hooks would leave "holes" in the carpet:

 

[Mebbid]

Nice carpets! *sniff* I remember when my carpeting plants looked nice

 

[Coyne]

Im 6' 8" tall and sometimes don't realize that most people don't have arms as long as mine.

 

[Fresh2o]

Nice carpets! *sniff* I remember when my carpeting plants looked nice

The pic was from a while back. It does not always look like this. I am getting to the end of the AquaFertz root tabs. I may have to explore these tablets named after you.

Im 6' 8" tall and sometimes don't realize that most people don't have arms as long as mine.

No aquarium soaked armpits for you then. The rest of us have to use tools

 

[schoeplein]

This is what 1,000 caps of Osmocote Plus (12-9-15) looks like. There's still about 1/10th of the bottle left, so probably another 100 caps, give or take.

Well, maybe not. The phone ap isn't letting me attach pictures... Anywho, I was able to cap these in about two and a half hours. Not bad, considering I probably won't need any more for about a decade! Unless I end up using these in my potted plants, too. Hmm.

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[Brookster123]

This is what 1,000 caps of Osmocote Plus (12-9-15) looks like. There's still about 1/10th of the bottle left, so probably another 100 caps, give or take.

Well, maybe not. The phone ap isn't letting me attach pictures... Anywho, I was able to cap these in about two and a half hours. Not bad, considering I probably won't need any more for about a decade! Unless I end up using these in my potted plants, too. Hmm.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

My gf is astonished at how well her plants have been doing lately, nothing to do with the mebbid tabs I snuck in there coupled with tank water I should have taken before and after of those. Good gosh!!

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[mattcham]

What do you mean by "coupled with tank water"?

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[Brookster123]

What do you mean by "coupled with tank water"?

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I water them with my left over wc, mainly the water I squeeze my filter sponges out.. plants love the vishpoo and nitrates..

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[Delapool]

Just an added note - I finally picked up some fine garden clay at the hardware store. Made the tabs at about half ferts and half clay.

They sink a lot better now and mostly sit on the gravel where I can just push them in with fingers.

How far do people push them in from plants?? I want to get them close but I guess not too close to wreck the roots?

 

[Mebbid]

The only problem I see withbusing clay is that it might not release the ferts very readily.

I just push my tabs right beneath the plants.

 

[eddyk]

If anyone wants to see the fruits of mebbid's advice ( Thanks Mebbid ) and Erik and few others,

This was my first planted tank. No experience, just info from this forum.

Here are a few pics. I use mebbid's fert tabs, and PPS Pro.( super cheap compared to Seachem)

Aquarium has exploded ! I just need to figure out how to properly manicure everything !

Granted the tank is far from balanced and a major re-scaling is slated in a few weeks.

Thanks to everyone on this forum !