DIY - Root Tabs

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newbieplanter

Registered Member
Jan 28, 2013
2
0
0
Right clay

This guide is for everyone that asks about DIY tabs, since I could never find a real good guide through google, so with the help of Jake from Plantgeeks.net, I present my process and ingredient list. Enjoy

I use equal parts Red Pottery Clay and Plantex CSM+B, but you can tailor it further if you need more macros in the tank or have very little water hardness, etc.

You can add Potassium sulfate, Magnesium sulfate (epsom salt), Potassium nitrate or Calcium nitrate, etc. You can't add any phosphorus because it will precipitate with the iron in the Plantex and clay, as the clay is iron rich naturally.

The typical mix:
3/4 cup plantex csm+b
3/4 cup red pottery clay
2 tablespoons potassium sulfate
2 tablespoons epsom salt
2 teaspoons potassium nitrate.

If it were going in a well-stocked tank, I'd leave off the nitrate.

The trick to it is to add only as much water as you need. I use distilled water, but reverse osmosis filtered water would be fine as well. I use a syringe to gradually add the water, as it takes less than you'd think to mix it to the right consistency. You want to only add enough water, and add it gradually enough, until you can mix and mold the stuff and it's not sticking to anything.

I roll it into small little balls and sit it on some tin foil or wax paper to dry. I usually leave it to dry a couple of weeks or so. I do not bake them, and from talking with others, the results arent very good, they get fragile and crumbly after that.

From there I'd just use it like any other fertilizer tablet. They dissolve quicker than you'd expect, but they last long enough to get them in the substrate. From there it doesn't really matter because it's all trapped under the substrate. You don't want to hold one under water while you think about where to put it, but you have enough time to get it from your hand to where you want it in the substrate before it dissolves.


Hopefully this helps, especially with the cost of root tabs, and if you already have all the dry ferts, then the clay is the only real setback.

If anyone has question, post them here or shoot me a PM, thx.
Hey Riiz,
I just wanted to make shure I got the right clay to make these tabs the clay I have is from Amaco and its Mexican pottery clay?
 

isoprem

Registered Member
Apr 25, 2013
1
0
0
This guide is for everyone that asks about DIY tabs, since I could never find a real good guide through google, so with the help of Jake from Plantgeeks.net, I present my process and ingredient list. Enjoy

I use equal parts Red Pottery Clay and Plantex CSM+B, but you can tailor it further if you need more macros in the tank or have very little water hardness, etc.

You can add Potassium sulfate, Magnesium sulfate (epsom salt), Potassium nitrate or Calcium nitrate, etc. You can't add any phosphorus because it will precipitate with the iron in the Plantex and clay, as the clay is iron rich naturally.

The typical mix:
3/4 cup plantex csm+b
3/4 cup red pottery clay
2 tablespoons potassium sulfate
2 tablespoons epsom salt
2 teaspoons potassium nitrate.

If it were going in a well-stocked tank, I'd leave off the nitrate.

The trick to it is to add only as much water as you need. I use distilled water, but reverse osmosis filtered water would be fine as well. I use a syringe to gradually add the water, as it takes less than you'd think to mix it to the right consistency. You want to only add enough water, and add it gradually enough, until you can mix and mold the stuff and it's not sticking to anything.

I roll it into small little balls and sit it on some tin foil or wax paper to dry. I usually leave it to dry a couple of weeks or so. I do not bake them, and from talking with others, the results arent very good, they get fragile and crumbly after that.

From there I'd just use it like any other fertilizer tablet. They dissolve quicker than you'd expect, but they last long enough to get them in the substrate. From there it doesn't really matter because it's all trapped under the substrate. You don't want to hold one under water while you think about where to put it, but you have enough time to get it from your hand to where you want it in the substrate before it dissolves.


Hopefully this helps, especially with the cost of root tabs, and if you already have all the dry ferts, then the clay is the only real setback.

If anyone has question, post them here or shoot me a PM, thx.
Great thread Riiz,
how many tabs you are using per gallon?
from where did you derive the tabs contents ? is there any website providing this information? or it is from your experience?
Many Thanks and best regards,
 

Trey Turner

AC Members
Oct 18, 2018
28
5
3
52
Dublin, Georgia
This thread is very old at this point, but here goes. If I wanted to double the amount of available iron in each tab about how much chelated iron powder would I have to add to the recipe. My tank has become iron deficient. Adding liquid iron is not a viable option. Seachem Iron clouds the water for about 8 hrs or so and within 20 hrs there is no measurable amount of iron in the water column. Adding enough liquid iron supplements would basically mean I have to live with a cloudy tank.

So I want to significantly boost my Iron Levels through dis-solvable forms. I also understand that reasonable overdosing of iron does not have any ill effects on plant or fish.
What do you think I should add to the existing recipe?
My choices of dry iron are
Iron Chelate 11%
or
Ferrous Gluconate 12.46%
 

fishorama

AC Members
Jun 28, 2006
12,682
2,125
200
SF Bay area, CA
I'm sorry I can't help you. I was given a "bag" of what I "think" might be iron chelate...but as to dosing I'm clueless. That's why I haven't tried it in 5 or 6 years since it got it.

I "know" tanker has said she gets some kind of algae outbreak when she doses iron but I don't remember her details, but she lives in my general area...
 

Trey Turner

AC Members
Oct 18, 2018
28
5
3
52
Dublin, Georgia
I ran a full spectrum test last night and I came up with my problem.
My phosphate is high 5.0 This is causing any iron I put in to immediately precipitate to ferrous iron. Plants cant readily use the ferrous iron. This also explains the white cloud when I add iron.

I recently (in last two months) started using CO2 for the first time. The plants are much more responsive to this. Good healthy color is back and new growth is coming along slowly.
I think I need to do a series of water changes to get the phosphates down immediately, and then add more plants to keep the phosphates in check. Then I should be able to worry about my iron levels. Until I get the phosphates down it wont matter how much iron I add.

My phosphates normally run between 1-2. I hadn't checked it in awhile. So from the plants taking a hit on the iron they dwindled allowing the phosphates to go even higher. If I get the phosphates under control I don't think I will have an iron issue anymore.

One problem I'm noticing is my water buff to remove chlorine from city tap water uses Phosphates.
Does anybody have a product recommendation for tap water conditioning that does not use phosphates? I have too many sources of phosphates. Tap water is already around 1.5 to 2, of course most foods use phosphate for preservative, my water conditioner, and fish waste.
 

fishorama

AC Members
Jun 28, 2006
12,682
2,125
200
SF Bay area, CA
Phosphate isn't something I've ever noticed...or checked for. In a general way where do you live? Are you on city water? You may be able to get info online, they usually check many more things than us hobbyists can. If you're on a well, there's no telling. Yes, fish food in a moderately stocked tank usually provides "enough" phosphate...for plants anyway.

There's a product called Phosguard, I think it's supposed to reduce that but I haven't used it. I "think" it's 1 of those renewable resin-type things. It might be worth a search if it's often a problem in your location. Sometimes there are "seasonal" water issues in some areas, we had some on both coasts but not a big deal for us, that we saw anyway.

What dechlorinator do you use? I've been a Prime user for many years...as a preservative I can't imagine it would have enough to have such a big impact on your tank...
 

Trey Turner

AC Members
Oct 18, 2018
28
5
3
52
Dublin, Georgia
I'm on city water in Georgia. My tap water is almost a 2 ppm phosphates.

I have done a couple of things recently that caused my phoaphate to spike, and I just put the puzzle pieces together.
When my plants started dying I redid my substrate with 40 lbs of eco-complete. High in PO4. I started using CO2 injection to help the plants and used seachem ph regulator to help control the ph shift. The regulator is high in PO4 and I also use it as a de-chlorinator with water changes. So I got a double whammy there.

My plants were dwindling from lack of iron, and everything I did increased the PO4 which draws more iron out. I also started using flourish root tabs, again added PO4. Hence I found this forum so I could make my own tabs without PO4.
 

fishorama

AC Members
Jun 28, 2006
12,682
2,125
200
SF Bay area, CA
Cool that you were able to figure out what may be causing your problem. It's often hard to tell what is happening when we change more than 1 thing at a time...& can't test for all of them.

Keep up on testing & post so we can all learn from your experience. Your parameters make me glad I have dry powder ferts & can adjust as needed...Have you looked at dry ferts?

Good luck!
 
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