Soil/Flourite neccesary?

[TankMan]

Is soil or Flourite or any of the kind really necessary for a planted tank? And

I was originally going to get Miracle Grow Potting Mix and then cap it with sand, but I'm wondering if it's really worth all the trouble.

What would be some good ferts if I just went the sand route? I'm sort of a noobie when it comes to plants. Thanks!

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Plain sand is fine to use as long as you put root tabs under or near your root feeding plants. I have pure Flourite and I have to use tabs. For ferts you can either use normal store bought liquid ferts like Flourish comprehensive or make your own to save money. You can easily make root tabs, too.

If you decide to make your own tabs you can use the same stuff (Osmacote Plus) sprinkled lightly over the bottom of your tank glass and put the sand on top of it. That way you won't need to add root tabs for about a year.

 

[TankMan]

Plain sand is fine to use as long as you put root tabs under or near your root feeding plants. I have pure Flourite and I have to use tabs. For ferts you can either use normal store bought liquid ferts like Flourish comprehensive or make your own to save money. You can easily make root tabs, too.

If you decide to make your own tabs you can use the same stuff (Osmacote Plus) sprinkled lightly over the bottom of your tank glass and put the sand on top of it. That way you won't need to add root tabs for about a year.

Do you know where to buy Osmacote Plus? And how much should I sprinkle?

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Do you know where to buy Osmacote Plus? And how much should I sprinkle?

I ordered it from Amazon but Lowes or another garden center may have it. Make sure to get the Plus (orange top). You don't want to put much. The bottom should only be sprinkled with it and not actually coated. You should still have about 80% glass showing. It's really great, a one time buy and you're done. A bottle will last years and years even with multiple tanks.

 

[TankMan]

I ordered it from Amazon but Lowes or another garden center may have it. Make sure to get the Plus (orange top). You don't want to put much. The bottom should only be sprinkled with it and not actually coated. You should still have about 80% glass showing. It's really great, a one time buy and you're done. A bottle will last years and years even with multiple tanks.

Thanks!!

 

[mohican]

I just mix some laterlite with my existing gravel and my plants are easily 18-20in tall. Once substrate is seeded with good bio-load, u should be ok. I personally feel root tabs are a waste of money and never had luck with them. They contain less nutrients, percentage wise, than a liquid fertilizer. Each of us have different things that work for our tanks so their is no one magical formula.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

I just mix some laterlite with my existing gravel and my plants are easily 18-20in tall. Once substrate is seeded with good bio-load, u should be ok. I personally feel root tabs are a waste of money and never had luck with them. They contain less nutrients, percentage wise, than a liquid fertilizer. Each of us have different things that work for our tanks so their is no one magical formula.

No magical formula indeed! That said, heavy root feeding plants do benefit from liquid ferts but also from root fertilization. That can be less true for some tanks than in others so maybe you have a good point about bio-load. I tend to under stock my tank. When I first started planted tanks and had lots of fish I never used root tabs either, and had tons of healthy plants.

I have noticed very fast growth from some plants when I add tabs in my small system. Micro chain swords hate to grow in my tank without tabs. My crypts go crazy with them. Maybe if I tried it without the tabs it would be about the same but I always seem to use them.