What's best ROOT TABS?

[CHINABOY1021]

what's the best brand i should use?

I am not using flourite nor onyx. 2-3mm gravel.

amazon swords, other large plants.

any suggestoins?

if i plan on using flourite later on, will i have to change my brand of root tabs?

plus another thing, any other suppliments i should add? other than co2 and light and water.

thanks!

[125gJoe]

I'm using Aquarium Pharmecuticals (spelling?) Root Tabs.

I think SeaChem's root tabs would be good too.

[Skittyfish]

I think I have read somewhere that you can use Job's spikes.
I'll try to find it.

[Slappy*McFish]

Yes..Jobes spikes work great, just make sure you buy the ones labled for "ferns and palms".

[Rocketman]

Yes, I've heard the same about the Jobes. I think Slappy*McFish was trying to say this, but you need the ones without Nitrate.

I use SeaChem's Flourish Tabs myself. They cover 4-6 inch radius, and last 3-4 months or something. Also, they are heavy enough so they don't get picked up by fish or syphon. I bought them from a more expensive LFS for $8. There were 10 tabs in there.

Remember, only put the tabs were you have plants...it may seem obvious, but not until you actually begin to put the things in.

[nanahachi]

Chinaboy, thanks for making this thread. you saved me from having to do the same. :p

I think I'll order the Seachem tabs. Is it cool to use these in combination with the liquid Flourish? I would think its fine...but you guys many know different.

Also, where would one get the Jobes tabs? I'm assuming theyre not specifically designed for aquarium use....any florist or nursery?

thanks for the suggestions everyone!

[Rocketman]

I use Seachem Flourish Excel (Organic Co2) with my Seachem root tabs.

[Matak]

I am using the Jobes Fern spikes to feed three Amazons. Cost me $1.39 at Walmart. I cut them into three 1/8" or so pieces once a week or less. At that rate, they should last me three years :cool:

[Slappy*McFish]

Matak=smart...have you seen the prices for Flourish's root tabs?..unbelievable. Here they're around $12 per pack. Jobes fern and palm spikes are the best way to go if you plan on using root tabs on a regular basis.

[CHINABOY1021]

thanks guys. I've used JObes before, but i forgot what happened plus back then i was super aquarium newbie and i had very little lighting.

What element trace should i look for? before i remember looking for posstasium (sp). also before i bought these root tabs, but i totally forgot what they were. bought them at the lfs. bascially, they contain 0-0-12 posstasium.

Anyways can anyone explain to me how flourite works? I'm thinking of using those red flourite gravel. But i've heard onyx gravel/sand is much better. But i like the red gravel color better.

thanks all.

any tips and suggestions all welcome so we can all learn at the same time. SEE YA. THANKS!

[Matak]

Matak=smart...have you seen the prices for Flourish's root tabs?..unbelievable. Here they're around $12 per pack. Jobes fern and palm spikes are the best way to go if you plan on using root tabs on a regular basis.

Well thank you kindly :) I have found a great method for burying the spike peices. I used to try to push them in with my finger, but just made a mess and never really could tell how far down the tabs went. I found one of those 24" retractable claw grabbers at the dollar store. Grab on to a piece of plant spike with the claw, let it fully retract while clutching the spike piece and jam it the desired depth into the gravel at exactly the place you want it. Then retract the claw and pull out. Bingo! the spike is just where you want it. The claw works great for feeding aquatic frogs too. :)

[Slappy*McFish]

there is very little difference in quality between onyx sand and flourite...both are great plant substrates and neither is "much better" than the other..if you like the flourite, then buy it...your plants will grow very well in it.

[CHINABOY1021]

why are these jobe spikes not harmful for fish though? can i trust them 100%? because lfs tabs are not that expensive. so price isnt a factor, just wondering which one should be better. or should i use all lol.

does the spikes desolve after a while? because i remember making a mess while vaccuuming the gravel and the jobe spikes acted like a cloud bomb or something.

which kind should i buy? i mean for the jobes. i believe there's different ones for different type of land plants. thanks

[Matak]

Originally posted by CHINABOY1021
which kind should i buy? i mean for the jobes. i believe there's different ones for different type of land plants. thanks Fern Spikes

[CHINABOY1021]

hey matak. thanks. greetings from Markham

[plantbrain]

There's a number of things you can do for root tabs.

Soil also works, Soil + some water => freeze in ice cube trays and put under the plants you like.
Cost=not much.

I've never been keen on Jobes sticks but I'll tell you this. It doesn't matter whether they are Fern/Palm or not. Low N is the main thing if you do use them. The Fern/palm ones don't have much PO4.
But as far algae inducement, it's the urea and NH4 that is going to cause you problems should one get pulled up.
Live and learn. Well many folks that have used them over the years have had issues they can relate directly to the jobes.

I use them for inducement of green water cultures. NO3 causes no bloom.

You can make your own tabs also. Red art clay+ laterite or iron filings etc +KNO3, K2SO4, KH2PO4 traces etc can be rolled into the clay.

Agar is good and diffuses out through tiny pores at a given rate and it used for a number of lab related nutrient diffusion research and culture mediums.

I think it is an ideal medium for adding your own nutrient mixes for root tabs.
You can also make thin 1/2" sheets for whole tank application.
This way you can tailor the mix to whatever nutrient needs you may need(traces, NO3, PO4, K, GH and KH even etc)

Regards,
Tom Barr

[Matak]

Excelent Tom, thank you. Can you give us a recipe for a soluable plant nutrient to replace the multi $/bottle stuff we are currently using?

Hi China B.

[plantbrain]

Most folks already have the KNO3, K2SO4, KH2PO4 and trace mix of some sort. Just mix that with agar. You can use gelatin in place or agar. You want a thick dense consistency so you will need about 2-3 grams of agar to about 3 liters of water.
You can play around with the amounts of traces, KNO3 etc you add. Some might want a rich root tab, other might want a light root tab.

1/2 teaspoon of KNO3
1/2 teaspoon of K2SO4
1/8 KH2PO4
15mls of traces
3 liters of water
3grams of agar.

You can make trace tabs only or macro tabs etc. Plants use traces and PO4 pretty good through the roots. K and NO3 not so much. But if you forget etc to dose NO3, then there might some benefit to this.

Iron source in the substrate is the biggest issue with plant health and improvement if you plan on doing some water column additions of traces, KNO3 , CO2.

The others are simply lazy people's(Jobes, macro nutrient agar cubes) methods who forget to dose 2-3x a week if they use CO2. Non CO2 folks should not dose the water column generally and these might help out some there if you want to sub these for the soil etc or mix with flourite.

You don't know if they have been used up or not and you cannot test for them in the substrate too see if the level is good for plants etc.

I'll see about a good ratio of KNO3, PO4, K, Trace etc for the mix. That's just an estimation I've tried.

Regards,
Tom Barr