Should I also be using root tabs for my plants?

[Mapleleaf]

I started a planted aquarium a month ago. 45 gal (36x24x12in) with a Fluval plant 3.0 led light. I have Oto catfish, ammano shrimp and harlequin rasboras. I have been using Flourish Excel everyday and Flourish twice a week. I have plants in the substrate as well as plants on rocks and driftwood. should I also be using root tabs or anything else?

 

[FishIord]

What brand of substrate

 

[Mapleleaf]

60 lbs of Caribsea Eco Complete. I have a small are with some white gravel in the middle also (10lbs).

 

[FishIord]

Sound good use the same stuff in my tank. Nothing else I can think of here.

 

[Mapleleaf]

Thanks. This is good to know.

Sound good use the same stuff in my tank. Nothing else I can think of here.

Do you have the same light I have. Are you using the preset planted setting or did you customize it?

 

[FishIord]

No I think its a hygger full spectrum. And it pretty basic lol. Theres a red blue gree setting red and blue and white and green.

 

[Mudminnow]

Flourish provides trace nutrients but not macronutrients. Depending on your tap water and fish load, you likely will have to offer more comprehensive fertilization sooner or later. You could use root tabs with NPK or maybe an all-in-one type liquid fertilizer...or both.

 

[FishIord]

Do you have any recommendations on all in ferts
Is leaf zone any good.

 

[sairving]

I use NilocG Thrive C and NilocG thrive root tabs in my tank. My aponogeton and dwarf aquarium lily get root tabs once a month. The water sprite, anubias, and frogbit feed from the water column. My plants have done better with an all-in-one fertilizer versus flourish. There are a bunch of all in one fertilizers out there. These are just the ones I could remember off the top of my head.

NilocG
Easy Green
APT complete
Dustin's grow juice
Marcus Fish tanks

 

[Mapleleaf]

I use NilocG Thrive C and NilocG thrive root tabs in my tank. My aponogeton and dwarf aquarium lily get root tabs once a month. The water sprite, anubias, and frogbit feed from the water column. My plants have done better with an all-in-one fertilizer versus flourish. There are a bunch of all in one fertilizers out there. These are just the ones I could remember off the top of my head.

NilocG
Easy Green
APT complete
Dustin's grow juice
Marcus Fish tanks

Do you have any algae issues with the NolocG Thrive?

 

[Dennis57]

I would pick up a bottle of Nilocg Thrive C from Amazon and use that

 

[Mapleleaf]

Since I have been using Flourish, and I still have a lot left, I bought flourish root tabs for now. We'll see how it goes. Thanks for all your replies guys.

 

[mattgirl]

It seems almost every one that starts out with plants gravitate to Seachem Flourish and Flourish Excel. That includes me. Both products are setting in the back of the cabinet under my main fish tank probably never to be used again.

Once I switched to the Thrive line my plants started thanking me by starting to grow well. I got Thrive first but realized it raised my nitrates higher than I was comfortable with. Once it was gone I bought Thrive C. It too raises the nitrates but not as much as the original Thrive. Thrive S adds the least amount of nitrate so is better for shrimp.