Which root tabs and fertilizer?

[jetajockey]

Anyone have an opinion on the best all around root tabs? I'm doing a planted tank so I'm putting in a bag of ecocomplete mixed with some regular gravel and sand, and I'm going to put some tabs down before I get anything planted.

I'm probably going to petsmart for them since my LFS didn't have any, go figure, they carry ecocomplete but no root tabs or flourish lol.

 

[sirdarksol]

Not sure what the best are, but Jungle sells root tabs at 65 for $10. They're sold as pond plant tabs, whereas most aquarium tabs I've seen are something like 12 for $10. Don't know if cost effectiveness is an issue for you, but I know that I've been having problems convincing myself to shell out that much for root tabs.

 

[jetajockey]

Not sure what the best are, but Jungle sells root tabs at 65 for $10. They're sold as pond plant tabs, whereas most aquarium tabs I've seen are something like 12 for $10. Don't know if cost effectiveness is an issue for you, but I know that I've been having problems convincing myself to shell out that much for root tabs.

Haha.. yeah I'm trying to do things cost efficient, how long do they last? A month or two?

 

[sirdarksol]

"At least two weeks" so not quite as cost effective as they first seemed.

Here's another possibility

100 six-week tabs for $20.

 

[jetajockey]

That sounds like a much better idea. Honestly I don't mind paying a bit more for something that lasts longer since I abhor tearing into the substrate.

Ugh, the shipping is 10 dollars =(

 

[A Sneaky Fatman]

I use the Flourish tabs and I believe they said they last for about three to four months.

They are doing a wonderful job in my 40 gallon and 10g.

The 40 pack sells for 27$ and the 10 pack sells for 7$.

 

[jetajockey]

nice. I'm gonna go to petsmart here in a few, I heard they don't carry flourish liquid anymore, but i'm going to check. If I can't find anything then its off to a real LFS.

 

[catsma_97504]

I also use the Flourish Root Tabs. They are fairly cheap as mentioned above and they last a few months too.

 

[Butterfly]

Just be careful when you use plant tabs for anything besides aquarium plants. Some of the pond tabs have larger portions of certain nutrients that could cause an algae bloom if stirred into the water column.
Since my friend quit making plant tabs for me I haven't used any but Flourish tabs have a good rep.
Carol

 

[Nate McFin]

My favorite hands down and I have tried quite a few.

 

[jetajockey]

I was looking at rootmedic also. I ended up using the API tabs since they were the only ones available at petsmart (9 dollars for 10 ) but yeah, now I have time to order ahead and get some quality ones online.

 

[PeaP]

Hi
I need some advice on fertilizers.
1. Which plant fertilizer is better overall TROPICA Premium Nutrition, easy life carbo, or Seachem Flourish advance.
Are they all shrimp and snail safe?
Thank you


Which root tabs are better.
Seachem flourish tabs or TROPICA Nutrition Capsules, or Easy life root sticks.
Are they both shrimp and snail safe?

 

[86 ssinit]

I use the seachem products. But I don’t add anything to my shrimp tank. Plants grow great in it without adding stuff.

 

[PeaP]

I use the seachem products. But I don’t add anything to my shrimp tank. Plants grow great in it without adding stuff.

Do flourish root tabs make the water cloudy when disturbed?
Because I have been using some sort of clay pot root tabs and my water was like dirt.

 

[86 ssinit]

Got root tabs I use osmacoat tabs. Seachem I use the liquid ferts. Comprehensive, potassium and iron. But again nothing in the shrimp tank.

 

[PeaP]

Got root tabs I use osmacoat tabs. Seachem I use the liquid ferts. Comprehensive, potassium and iron. But again nothing in the shrimp tank.

thank you

 

[Ksway]

Hi, I dose tropica ferts they have everything you need for plants and are alot more beginner friendly than seachem which you dose individually. Easylife carbo isn't a fertilizer it is a algaecide. They do offer a ferts as well but tropica is far better in my opinion. All are shrimp and snail safe bar some caradina shrimp which need specific tds levels which ferts can raise (but people have successfully used them with these shrimp as well).

Seachem root tabs are very good as are tropica. These are all relatively similar, I have used the clay balls you are talking about and the can cloud the water. Tropica come in like a pill form and shouldn't cause murky water. Also to note the root tabs should be pressed into the bottom of the substrate (all the way down) as if the ferts are not they can leach these into water column and cause massive algae as there is too much nutrients in water. Hope this helps

 

[PeaP]

Hi.
Is seachem flourish shrimp and snail safe?
Does anyone have any experience using it in a shrimp tank?

 

[RMtanks]

Hi.
Is seachem flourish shrimp and snail safe?
Does anyone have any experience using it in a shrimp tank?

I have used small amounts of Flourish in my tank with ghost shrimp and it hasn't caused any negative side effects on them or my trumpet snails & bladder snails. All shrimps have molted successfully and I haven't noticed any deaths since I began using it. It also actually provides calcium into the water as one of the minerals (0.14%) so it may even possibly be beneficial.

 

[StarGirl]

I have used the Flourish tabs and yes they do make a big black cloud when disturbed. I personally have hard water and not much would grow with the flourish tabs. I tried the Thrive root tabs and am having better success. I also use Thrive C low tech fertilizer. They have a shrimp formula also. Seachem products to me seem too complicated. I have not used Tropica so I can't recommend it.

 

[Pfrozen]

API tabs are nice, they contain NPK and Iron so can't really complain. I used a 10 pack to start my most recent 10g tank and so far so good. If you use terrestrial ferts just be aware that "ammonia formaldehyde" is what we call Formalin, it can be a bit hard on your stock if used incorrectly

Short of special ordering root tabs or using terrestrial ferts the API tabs are what I have access to here. The seachem brand root tabs are mostly sulphur with no macros

 

[bumblinBee]

I have used small amounts of Flourish in my tank with ghost shrimp and it hasn't caused any negative side effects on them or my trumpet snails & bladder snails. All shrimps have molted successfully and I haven't noticed any deaths since I began using it. It also actually provides calcium into the water as one of the minerals (0.14%) so it may even possibly be beneficial.

I second this, I have ghost shrimp, ramshorn, bladder snails and nerites in all my tanks - never had any issues with flourish. I also have a bamboo shrimp and black devil snail in one tank, and used to keep mystery snails with no problems. So flourish is completely safe for inverts!

 

[StickyRice]

Which root tabs should I get? I've seen the mainstream brands but I think they're too expensive. They usually cost around 10 dollars for ten root tabs. Even aquarium co-op's root tabs are a little too expensive for my taste. I've seen osmocote root tabs, which are supposedly more risky (never used them before) but are a lot cheaper. Then there are the sort of less known brands like NilocG and Planted aquarium concepts which seem okay and are sort of the median in terms of price. So my question is which brand of root tabs should I buy. I'm going to be using heavy root feeders and I want something that can last a long time without having to worry about water parameters.

Also, on a side note, I'm also not sure which liquid fertilizer to use. I'll be growing around 30-40 stems of low-medium light beginner plants and I was planning on getting the easy green as it's my first time using liquid ferts. I've also seen fertilizers from API, Seachem, and aqueon. Was wondering if other people could give me their input for which liquid fertilizer to use.

Edit: In terms of liquid fertilizers, it's probably going to be either API, aqueon, or aquarium co op, but I want some advice from other people. I'm really curious about the aqueon one. Apparently it's easy to use and cheap but clouds water. Don't really care about water clarity. Just want a brand that is easy, cheap, and don't have to worry about water parameter fluctuations.

 

[strobukm]

I buy the Seachem root tabs on Amazon, a 40 pack is usually around $25, and an 80 pack is usually around $38. They hold up well in my aquariums, which have sand substrate and don't cause parameter fluctuations. I've never used the capsule type root tabs, but have heard that some people have issues keeping them submerged due to the air caught in the capsules, especially if you have gravel substrate.

 

[Mudminnow]

Osmocote is a good, inexpensive, substrate fertilizer.

I've tried a few of the all-in-one fertilizers. They've all worked. For me, I like Thrive and APT the best, as they have formulations that have worked well for my tanks.

 

[Cody]

I have been happy with Thrive C for all in one. I have not ever regularly used root tabs.

Biggest at advice with any fertilizer is to check the make up and make sure your getting a go supply of macros and micro nutrients. Some cheaper products are cheap because they do not contain a full range of nutrients. And secondly when it comes to liquid fertilizers, check dosing instructions to see how concentrated they are. Both thrive and AC are fairly concentrated. But some brands you will need triple the amount to dose and use it up way faster. I found this true with Dustins Fishtanks All in one. I was very pleased with my tank while using it but it was not very concentrated and for larger tanks you would easily go through a bottle a month. So it’s hard to justify when AC product could last a large tank a year.

Lastly, dry ferts are the way to go for biggest cost savings, but a little more research and time in learning the process. This is something I have not chose to bite off yet. But many go this route.

 

[StickyRice]

I have been happy with Thrive C and Aquarium co-op for all in one. I have not ever regularly used root tabs.

Biggest at advice with any fertilizer is to check the make up and make sure your getting a go supply of macros and micro nutrients. Some cheaper products are cheap because they do not contain a full range of nutrients. And secondly when it comes to liquid fertilizers, check dosing instructions to see how concentrated they are. Both thrive and AC are fairly concentrated. But some brands you will need triple the amount to dose and use it up way faster. I found this true with Dustins Fishtanks All in one. I was very pleased with my tank while using it but it was not very concentrated and for larger tanks you would easily go through a bottle a month. So it’s hard to justify when AC product could last a large tank a year.

Lastly, dry ferts are the way to go for biggest cost savings, but a little more research and time in learning the process. This is something I have not chose to bite off yet. But many go this route.

Thanks for your input, but I have a few questions. Would you say that dry ferts are equally as good or better than liquid ferts? Also, which type of liquid ferts would you recommend to a beginner such as myself. Factors such as cost, ease of use, water parameters, and amount of doses per week/month/day(s) should be considered.

Osmocote is a good, inexpensive, substrate fertilizer.

I've tried a few of the all-in-one fertilizers. They've all worked. For me, I like Thrive and APT the best, as they have formulations that have worked well for my tanks.

Did you notice any changes in your water parameters after adding osmocote. Apparently, it contains ammonia and can cause it to spike.

 

[Cody]

Thanks for your input, but I have a few questions. Would you say that dry ferts are equally as good or better than liquid ferts? Also, which type of liquid ferts would you recommend to a beginner such as myself. Factors such as cost, ease of use, water parameters, and amount of doses per week/month/day(s) should be considered.

Did you notice any changes in your water parameters after adding osmocote. Apparently, it contains ammonia and can cause it to spike.

You could argue that dry ferts are better only from the point that you can fully control the dose if you notice issues in your tank. So if you see signs of a deficiency in your tank you can tweak the dosing to try to address that issue. Where with a liquid Fert you are getting the ratio determined by the company. Now that being said, for the average joe. A Liquid All in one should be more then adequate and it is more simple since you’re just squirting it into your tank based on dosing instructions. With a dry fertilizer you have to measure out several different dry powders. And to find the proper mix there are different calculators online to give you good guidance but it does require some understanding of what your doing. So it’s not what I could call beginner friendly But the cost of this is much less. Something to consider as you learn more.

I think Thrive C by Nilocg, Easy Green by AC are both good products that are also very concentrated and will last a while. APT is another great brand used by many people but I know this is a little less concentrated and you will use more in the long run.

Some my recommendation would be to try either Easy Green or Thrive c. As you gain experience and have more time to research maybe consider dry ferts. But this also depends on your tank size. I believe a bottle of easy green is supposed to be enough to dose a 55 gallon tank for a year. So we aren’t talking spending 100s a year even for big tanks.

Nilocg and Green Leaf Aquatics are two sites that a good to look at for resources in dry fertilizers if you want to consider that route. But as I said, you will have the same affect no matter what you use, but going dry gives YOU complete control and does save money in time.

 

[Mudminnow]

Did you notice any changes in your water parameters after adding osmocote. Apparently, it contains ammonia and can cause it to spike.

I have not noticed any changes in water parameters. My substrate is at least a couple of inches deep, and I push the little spheres all the way to the bottom. My guess is that placing the osmocote deep enough in my substrate, which has a high CEC, is what keeps it from noticeably affecting my water.

 

[RedOnion]

Try Jobes House Plant Fertilizer spikes for root tabs, extremely cheap and work just fine. I use them now over osmocote because the osmocote would keep popping up from the sand.

 

[StickyRice]

Try Jobes House Plant Fertilizer spikes for root tabs, extremely cheap and work just fine. I use them now over osmocote because the osmocote would keep popping up from the sand.

So I searched online for Jobes House Plant Fertilizer but I'm not sure that it's aquarium safe. It is meant for indoor houseplants after all. I might just go with the osmocote root tabs. I'll have around 1 to 1.5 inches of plant substrate with a 3 inch pool sand cap so I think I'll be fine as long as I put it in deep.

 

[RedOnion]

So I searched online for Jobes House Plant Fertilizer but I'm not sure that it's aquarium safe. It is meant for indoor houseplants after all. I might just go with the osmocote root tabs. I'll have around 1 to 1.5 inches of plant substrate with a 3 inch pool sand cap so I think I'll be fine as long as I put it in deep.

Osmocote roottab is also not meant for aquariums either. As long as you shove it in the sand you'll be fine

 

[Linda1234]

I'm personally paranoid about using stronger fertlizers like Osmocote roottab due to concern it is bad for the long term health of the fishes. A lot of people report success using it but i doubt many of these reports are for five or ten year periods or they have biopsy perform on their fishes when they die to determine if there had been issues. I certainly don't want to damage the organs of my clown loaches when i expect them to live 20 or 30 years. Having said this i'm not claiming the stuff is bad for the fishes I'm saying I don't know so i'm exercising paranoid until someone points me to long term studies indicating otherwise.

 

[Stoner1993]

I have not used thrive c but easy green has to much nitrate in it for my plant load. My fish where providing enough nitrate so something to consider. Easy green root tabs are definitely worth the money I add new ones once a month but you could get aways with longer. If you to purchase capsule root tabs it helps to poke a hole in one ends so air can escape. Makes keeping them down easier.

 

[Otomatic]

Hi, I dose tropica ferts they have everything you need for plants and are alot more beginner friendly than seachem which you dose individually. Easylife carbo isn't a fertilizer it is a algaecide. They do offer a ferts as well but tropica is far better in my opinion. All are shrimp and snail safe bar some caradina shrimp which need specific tds levels which ferts can raise (but people have successfully used them with these shrimp as well).

Seachem root tabs are very good as are tropica. These are all relatively similar, I have used the clay balls you are talking about and the can cloud the water. Tropica come in like a pill form and shouldn't cause murky water. Also to note the root tabs should be pressed into the bottom of the substrate (all the way down) as if the ferts are not they can leach these into water column and cause massive algae as there is too much nutrients in water. Hope this helps

Which tropica fert do you use? Speciallized nutrition or premium nutrition?

 

[Thunder_o_b]

I use the Seachem line. 6 liquid and the root tabs. I have some older shots I can post if you like.

I have been using this line for many years.

 

[tike]

Any ferts with iron will kill your shrimp so make sure whatever you choose dosen't have it.

 

[Thunder_o_b]

My amino shrimp and mystery snails have been living fine with the Seachem line.

That includes the iron supplement.

 

[FishDin]

Seachem tabs seem to be mostly micronutes. I've used them with poor results. Have just oredered another brand that has NPK in it.

 

[Thunder_o_b]

Seachem tabs seem to be mostly micronutes. I've used them with poor results. Have just oredered another brand that has NPK in it.

Remember that some plants are heavy root feeders while others feed from the water column.

I have had great success using the Seachem line.

I can post photos if you like.

 

[FishDin]

Remember that some plants are heavy root feeders while others feed from the water column.

I have had great success using the Seachem line.

I can post photos if you like.

I believe you Thunder-o-b. Just my anecdotal experience. I started using the Seachem tabs because they were highly rated. I don't doubt that people have success with them. Just wasn't my experience.

I tried growing amazon swords and cryps with Seachem tabs because they are considered heavy root feeders. I also used Seachem flourish ("Does not contain significant levels of nitrogen or phosphorus"-Seachem). They did not do well. The cryps never melted, but they didn't grow either and they appear pale. The new Amazon Sword leaves start to deteriorate when the get about 4" tall.

This past week I started using a liquid fert with NPK, so I'm in the process of trying to solve the problem. I haven't used the new tabs yet because I only want to change one thing at a time so I can better understand what's going on.

 

[Thunder_o_b]

Yeah those are root feeders. Please keep us updated on how the new product works for you. I am always looking to improve my game. The only brand loyalty I have is to older Harleys

 

[StarGirl]

I believe you Thunder-o-b. Just my anecdotal experience. I started using the Seachem tabs because they were highly rated. I don't doubt that people have success with them. Just wasn't my experience.

I tried growing amazon swords and cryps with Seachem tabs because they are considered heavy root feeders. I also used Seachem flourish ("Does not contain significant levels of nitrogen or phosphorus"-Seachem). They did not do well. The cryps never melted, but they didn't grow either and they appear pale. The new Amazon Sword leaves start to deteriorate when the get about 4" tall.

This past week I started using a liquid fert with NPK, so I'm in the process of trying to solve the problem. I haven't used the new tabs yet because I only want to change one thing at a time so I can better understand what's going on.

I had the same experience with swords. I couldn't keep any stem plants alive. I got some thrive tabs when I planted my 9g and my stems are doing great. I will have to try a sword with the thrive tabs to see if it is different. So far not a fan of the Seachem tabs. I just use the Thrive C fert because I am no chemistry major to be using 6 bottles of stuff. I dont know deficiencies to be able to dose this or dose that.

 

[86 ssinit]

I’m also a seachem user. But not the root tabs. I’ve been lucky with the api version and osmacoat tabs. Thing with tabs is don’t follow the instructions!! For me I use half a tap api or just 1 osmacoat under swords or crypts roots.
Thing with most stem plants. They will grow great in smaller tanks that are not deep. The problem arises as the tanks get deeper. You need good lights to reach the bottom of the tanks.

 

[StarGirl]

I have also been testing out some of Vishaquatics root tabs. I dont know if they are doing any more than the Thrive or not....lol I have both in there.

 

[Linda1234]

I use guppies to fertilize my plants. It works great - they grow faster than the ones in my high tech tank (but no red plants); just buy some guppies; wait a month until they start producing frys then plant the plants. Been working great for the past 4 years.