Can you fertilize roots with liquid ferts!

[cichlidcichlid]

If you were to inject the mixture at the doses you would use for the tank into the substrate would it work?

I am wondering if it is worth a try. Is there a possiblity that trapped ferts will cause problems or will the mixture just get slowly released in to the tank anyway?

When you use root tabs you are trapping the ferts in the substrate so I thought this would basically be the same concept.

Has anyone tried those root tabs that aquarium plant.com sells for 10.99 for 75 of them?

Do they work?

It seems like the same stuff that we use to dose the water but they have it in pellet form.

COULD YOU USE SOME SORT OF GELATIN THAT WILL DISSOLVE OVER TIME BUT KEEP THE FERTS WERE THEY SHOULD BE?

 

[tanker]

Different plants have different requirements. In general== Most stem plants use nutrients from water. Swords, crytps==from the roots.

I have never used that kind of root tabs before. I get my root tabs from LFS.

PS--If it is a gel--I do not think it will dissolve properly.

 

[DoctaQ]

if its a liquid it will likeley just dissapate into the tank, even if you have fine sand, root tabs work because they are heavier and even when they dissolve slowly their components stay in the area

 

[echoofformless]

I'm sure it would be slightly more effective than doing nothing, especially if you can get the liquid deep enough into the substrate that it wouldn't immediately dissipate. But I assume you'd have to do it almost every other day and would eventually oversaturate the water column with ferts to the point of making it an algae garden.

Not practical at all. Just get tabs and live easy.

 

[Mgamer20o0]

yes but not the way you are thinking. some gravel have a high (i forgot the name too late at night) substrate i use like sms able to suck in the ferts from the water and slowly release them into the root system. someone i hope will help me on this one.

 

[Bravofleet4]

LoL I practically asked this question just a few hours ago. It's starting to make me wonder why I spent all the money on fluorite if it can't retain fertilizers from the water column...

 

[echoofformless]

Cation exchange rate. Aquasoil, Turfex, Soilmaster, etc have the high number on that.

 

[coach_z]

if you get it down deep enough some may stay but remember that, although slow, water is flowing through your substrate.

-chris

 

[plantbrain]

Osmocoat does this just fine.

Takes 3-6 months to dissolve in aquariums and at a fair steady rate.
Liquid ferts will simply diffuse into the water column, might as well just add it there to begin with. Offers little use. Plants are opportunistic, they will nab nutrients from the sediment and the water column, all plants do this, not just aquatics(see fertigation and soiless horticulture).

Better to add to both locations, not one or the other.


Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[tackful]

Would you be refering to Osmocote General Purpose plant food?