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What root tabs are the best?

DD1880

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I’ve had my scape set up for 8 months. I used uns controsoil and dose nilocg thrive c 2ml twice a week. No co2. I do a 40-50% water change my weekly. The tank is a fluval flex 9 gallon. The stem plants have seemed to really slow down growing and I’m guessing the soil needs a recharge. I wanted to try tropica capsules but have red reviews of them floating when trying to put them in the soil. Does anyone know if that’s true or a better root tab to put in? Also will this cause a nutrient spike? Thanks for any help!
 

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I've had good results with generic root tabs from eBay, I believe most of the generic tabs contain Osmocote. I suspect all root tabs will float, unless you can get them deep in the substrate. I have previously pierced the capsule to allow air to escape and stop them floating, but wonder if this could cause the ferts to disperse quicker than intended? Maybe not advisable?
 
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Tropica float if you don't get them in well and in my sand tank leave little resin balls everywhere that work their way to the surface. Plants grow well though.

I have swapped to flourish tabs recently to see what they are like, so far so good
 
Responding to the question in the topic - frozen balls made of decaying nettle water mixed with random debris from the garden (partially rotting leaves etc) plus a little bit of loam/clay helping with forming the balls.

If anyone can propose better root tabs, I owe him or her a pint.

Bear in mind that it stinks a little bit and it needs to be buried very deeply (you need at least 3in of substrate) as it may became of an ammonia bomb.
 
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I've had good results with generic root tabs from eBay, I believe most of the generic tabs contain Osmocote. I suspect all root tabs will float, unless you can get them deep in the substrate. I have previously pierced the capsule to allow air to escape and stop them floating, but wonder if this could cause the ferts to disperse quicker than intended? Maybe not advisable?
Thanks! I was thinking of piercing the capsules too! Maybe I’ll just try seachem then! I would hate to have floating tabs!
 
I've had good success with Easy Life Root Sticks, that's what I continue to use.
Ressurecting an old thread here @Courtneybst: are you still using Easy Life Root Sticks? I'd like to boost some plants without shelling out 70p-a-go on TNC root tabs. I'm wary of osmocote capsules given the associated ammonia risk people have highlighted on here, so the Root Sticks look like a good option - if they do indeed work.

Obvs if anyone else has a view I'd appreciate it
 
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Ressurecting an old thread here @Courtneybst: are you still using Easy Life Root Sticks? I'd like to boost some plants without shelling out 70p-a-go on TNC root tabs. I'm wary of osmocote capsules given the associated ammonia risk people have highlighted on here, so the Root Sticks look like a good option - if they do indeed work, safely
Hey Jack,

No I haven't used Easy Life sticks since that post actually when I was setting up a tank. I found that if you disturb something in the soil you get clouds of red dust coming into the water column and on the soil which isn't ideal.

I now use Seachem Flourish tabs and APT Jazz. I haven't had the APT ones long enough to see how effective they are but the Seachem ones seem to work well. A plus is that they're both black so blend in well and don't create any dusty clouds.
 
Hey Jack,

No I haven't used Easy Life sticks since that post actually when I was setting up a tank. I found that if you disturb something in the soil you get clouds of red dust coming into the water column and on the soil which isn't ideal.

I now use Seachem Flourish tabs and APT Jazz. I haven't had the APT ones long enough to see how effective they are but the Seachem ones seem to work well. A plus is that they're both black so blend in well and don't create any dusty clouds.
Thanks. Black does sound good, given how often I manage to unearth them 🤨
 
Has anyone tried the Adams Aquarium root tabs from Ebay?
it looks like way too much osmocote (20 pellets?) in a single capsule. :)

osmocote is best applied sparingly
(1) one pellet under each difficult plant
(2) should you ignore 1 and decide to add osmocote to your entire tank, cap the quantity at 1 pellet per square inch, applied progressively, not all at one go, do 1/3 of the tank in week 1, the other third on week 2, and the last third on week 3.
 
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