15 Gallon Tank Sand Substrate, No Soil Only Fertilizer.

Can I grow plants without soil and substrate,may be adding sand only. I will be adding a few intermediate and beginner plants or mesh pot plants(Cabomba Caroliniana, aubias). Can it grow only with liquid fertilizers?

 

Depends on the plants you choose, some need root tabs, some only feed from the water column and do well with only liquid ferts.

 

Depends on the plants you choose, some need root tabs, some only feed from the water column and do well with only liquid ferts.

can we simply drop the root tabs in tank or they need to be placed inside soil or substrate.

 

Just push them into the sand next to or under the plant.

 

Plants can grow fine in sand. All of my tanks are planted and have Black Diamond Blasting Sand.

You just need to fertilize them. That's easy and done all the time. Fertilize the water column for all plants. Also fertilize in the sand (with root tabs) to feed root feeder plants.

You mentioned anubias. It shouldn't be buried and is a column feeder, getting its nutrients from the water.

 

You can try tying the anubias plant with fishing line to some hardscape if you don't want it to float.

 

bryangar

 

Can I grow plants without soil and substrate,may be adding sand only. I will be adding a few intermediate and beginner plants or mesh pot plants(Cabomba Caroliniana, aubias). Can it grow only with liquid fertilizers?

Some epiphyte-type plants such as Anubias or Java fern simply need to be tied or glued onto hardscape. In low lighting tanks that are well stocked, they may not need fertilizer because of their slow rates of growth. However, dosing a comprehensive water column fertilizer once a week isn't a bad idea.

As for plants in the mesh pots, they cannot stay in those long term, especially without some type of fertilizer. They may become root-bound from lack of growing space and unable to access vital nutrients. Even if you take your plants out and plant them in sand, they still need nutrients from somewhere. Pushing root tabs under the sand by their roots will help feed them for a few months, and plants such as Anacharis, Cabomba, and Rotala are also water column feeders and will appreciate a liquid fertilizer.

 

Thanks for all the feedback.