Flourish Tabs

[PsyKick]

What do you guys think about Flourish tabs?
http://www.seachem.com/products/product_pages/FlourishTabs.html

If I have a 20 Gallon tank with plain gravel as a substrate, is it worth it to use these?

 

[Riiz]

I like them, depending on what plants you have or want, you might not really need them. I grow alot of swordplants, which are root feeders, so I use them alot.

 

[rich311k]

If you want swords and crypts they are a good product and would be a good idea.

 

[Mgamer20o0]

you can also make your own with clay. what kind of plants do you have?

 

[FluffynTex]

you can also make your own with clay. what kind of plants do you have?

Now that sounds like a good sticky to have. hehe

 

[FluffynTex]

I found the info hehe.....

Enriching the Substrate

To enrich the substrate fertility for heavy feeders like sword plants or large crypts, prepare 1/2 inch clay balls with about 10 granules of 14-14-14 fertilizer. Dry these until hard and place 1 or 2 into the substrate near the roots of heavy feeders. Repeat as necessary if growth rates become low (about 6 months). It takes about 1/2 a teaspoon of clay to make a 10 mm (1/2") ball of clay. Each ball of clay will have about 70 mg of nitrogen which is the equivalent of 300 mg of nitrate and about 70 mg of phosphoric acid (P2O5). (Estimates based on 113 granules per teaspoon, a teaspoon weighs about 5.7 grams)

 

[Mgamer20o0]

45 gram of traces
70 gram of K2SO4
30 gram KNO3
30 gram KH2PO4
175 gram clay, you can have approximately 200 balls 1 cm diameter each. But K2SO4 and KH2PO4 may not be necessary. Add water to the mixture drop by drop till it becomes not so muddy. Use gloves while rolling the clay balls between your hands. Put the clayballs on an even surface and wait for them to dry naturally in the room temperature. After 8 hours or so they dry completely. Heating the clay is not necessary but you have to be quick while burying the balls into the roots.

i never made them my self yet.

 

[Riiz]

Pretty cool Mgamer, I might try that after I get some dry traces. Thats alot cheaper than $8 a box of 10 tabs from Petsmart or even $4 at online sources.

 

[Mgamer20o0]

let me know how it goes if you do it. i keep putting it off. maybe ill start selling my own root tabs lol do a whole bunch at once... lol

 

[Riiz]

Yeah, for sure. I especially like the idea of adding clay and nutrients at the same time, basically improving cheap sand or gravel substrates.

Good idea about making them, hand out a sample with a plant purchase and turn around and sell them at way below commercial tab costs.