root tabs

[hcourts]

what is everyones thoughts on root tabs?? do they work? do they affect the fish in any way? root tabs vs liquid ferts??

 

[HN1]

We use root tabs quite a lot and have seen good results from them. If your plants are rooted, liquid ferts won't do anything for them if you have sand or small, compact substrate. Liquid is great for a tank of anubias, ferns, and mosses.

 

[aqua_chem]

It all depends on the plant. Many species will get many/most of their nutrients from the water column (stem plants), while some prefer to get nutrients from the substrate (crypts, swords). The opposite is true as well of course; stem plants will get some of its nutrients from the substrate and swords/crypts from the water column. Just doing one or the other usually isn't a good idea. It all depends on the plants you have in your tank.

 

[hcourts]

So doing both just to cover your bases is ok? And in regards to fish health. Will the tabs hurt my corys and snails and shrimp?

 

[mohican]

I personally don't use them and found them to be waste of $$ as far as "dosing" goes. I feel they dissolve too quickly and don't really carry every nutrient plants need. They great for swords in beginning but nutrients will be within water column. I recommend a good planting substrate rich in iron and other nutrients which will last and do better than root tabs. Liquid fert does get dissolved within water column and root plants do use this. This is just my experience tho.

 

[rkilling1]

I used root tabs when I first started a planted aquarium. I disliked not being able to move the plants around that I put the root tabs under.

I have plenty of heavy root feeders and never add root tabs for them. I just dose the water column.

I suspect if you are not adding ferts to the water column, you should atleast put root tabs under the root feeders.

 

[jetajockey]

Root tabs are an important addition unless you are using a soil type substrate. Even the nice 'planted' substrates off the shelf, for the most part, get their nutrients expended in a fairly short order.

 

[rkilling1]

Root tabs are an important addition unless you are using a soil type substrate. Even the nice 'planted' substrates off the shelf, for the most part, get their nutrients expended in a fairly short order.

That would not be entirely true. Plants will get their nutrients based on where the nutrients are avalible. If you are not adding ferts to the water column, then you should be providing the ferts to the substrate. If you are not adding root tabs, then you should add ferts to the water column.

There is plenty of literature out there that shows that plants have a greater increase in mass from water column dosing alone then with substrate nutrients by itself.

They also show that plant mass is the greatest when the plants are provided with both substrat nutrients and water column ferts.

 

[jetajockey]

That would not be entirely true. Plants will get their nutrients based on where the nutrients are avalible. If you are not adding ferts to the water column, then you should be providing the ferts to the substrate. If you are not adding root tabs, then you should add ferts to the water column.

There is plenty of literature out there that shows that plants have a greater increase in mass from water column dosing alone then with substrate nutrients by itself.

They also show that plant mass is the greatest when the plants are provided with both substrat nutrients and water column ferts.

Which part do you disagree with? I typically advocate both column and substrate dosing.

 

[Monkey Magic]

Should you add root tabs to plants like hairgrass??

 

[Coursair]

I have sand tanks. My Dwarf Chain Swords weren't putting out runners. I was dosing liquid ferts. I added DIY Osmocote Plus gel caps and they went crazy and now grow like weeds

I use both Liquid and Root Caps in my tanks. My Crypts and Swords seem happier, so I'm happy. I replace my root caps about every 4 months. My stem plants are just crazy anyway.