How do Vals Feed ?

[nagukush]

Friends, just wanted to know if the Vals feed from Roots or can they also use liquid fertilizer drops ? I dose my tank with liquid ferts and just wanted to know if they'll be enough for my Vals. I also have these Tablets called Tetra Crypto - Is it better to use them for the vals or not needed ?

Kindly guide me...
Thanks !
Kush

[Ozymandias]

vals are heavy root feeders, that is not to say thay don't get nutrients from the water collum just thay get more from the roots. don't know exactly what the Tetra crypto have in them but if thay are made for aquariums i cant imagin thay will hurts if you but them in the substrate under the vals.

[jpappy789]

I agree, but IME vals don't really need all that much in terms of nutrients.

[tanker]

I agree, but IME vals don't really need all that much in terms of nutrients.


My vals grow like nuts and I do not root feed my vals (just my swords).

[jpappy789]

I've never used root tabs either for my vals.

[phanmc]

Plants will grab nutrients from wherever they can, from the water or the soil. Plants in a nutrient rich substrate will develop better root systems but this doesn't necessarily translate into better overall growth.

[plantbrain]

All plants, unless they lack roots, can and will take up nutrients from both locations.

This is true for terrestrial plants also, they use fertigation and use sand and bark for nursery production. So they spray and irrigation with KNO3/KH2PO4 etc, it's a 8 Billion $ per year industry here in CA.

Aquatic plants are opportunistic, they can take nutrients from either location, however, K+ is virtually always taken up mostly through the leaves.............rarely through the roots, however, they can do some K+ root uptake also.

So the fact of the matter, in nature and in aquariums, they do both.

If you want to get the bets dosing routine, you'd add nutrients in both locations. Then you have plenty for any situation, and you have more flexibility for the water column should you forget to dose and the sediment will last longer as a source if you dose the water column.

Folks should stop thinking "either.... or", black or white, with or against.
The world and plants are simply not that way. Sometimes folks get caught up in things, and forget their common sense.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[steveywinet]

Listen to Tom. He helped me get my first planted tank going several years ago.

[Ozymandias]

yup man is an absolute guru in planted tank (and probably plants in general)

[nagukush]

Hi Friends,

Thanks a lot for the kind replies and for guiding me. Its just that I dont have a high-tech setup and I badly want my Vals to do well. I thought that because the Vals have thick leaves, they might not be able to take up the nutrients thru the water column...

Sorry for the ignorance, Friends - its just that I dont have any experience with plants.. and I really want my Vals to do well, multiply and spread around...

Thanks a lot for caring and for guiding me Tom - Just wanted to request you if you can kindly give me a few pointers on growing Vals well in particular. My Lighting is low - 3 x 30W Tube Lights for my 4 feet, 200 Liters tank... Kindly guide me...