Root Tabs

enrique4jc

AC Members
Oct 17, 2006
615
13
18
Russell Springs, KY
Real Name
Eric
Any particular recommendations for root tabs? Low light, low tech, just trying to feed a few plants.

Edit: Open to buying from someone here if it makes sense. Happy to support a hobbyist vs Amazon.
 
Ive been using api root tabs, plants seem to like them. Ill probably be switching to the seachem ones just to match the rest of my liquid ferts.
 
DIY would likely be best so you can tailor the contents to best suit you. There should be an old recipe on here to make them with dry ferts and red clay.

Otherwise I would personally look for Thrive root tabs, they should be available on Amazon for convenience and are made by AC member (at least there's an account...) NilocG

You should be able to find his website pretty easily, and they are theost widely used tabs by anyone I know who doesn't roll their own.

I would likely stay away from Osmocote too, just because it's not very friendly with your water chemistry if it should become unburied

Hope that helps.
 
I've used several different fert tabs/sticks including osmocote "cicles". I can't say I've seen much difference in plant growth. But there is a big difference in tabs vs no or only water column ferts only in some plants; swords & cryptocorynes especially.

I'm a low tech medium light person & I can grow lots of plants...if my water isn't too soft for them. That seems to be my biggest issue, not enough KH or GH for some & I suck at dosing for those :(.

My "easier" stem plants grow well even though I have a light fish load (less food), often "too well" for low maintenance.

It's all about finding a balance that works for you & your plants...& admitting you just won't be able to grow all plants well. I belong to a plant club so I'm often given plants I have no business even trying...but I still do try them sometimes, lol. I "try" for "3 x out", but some are so pretty or available to me...it might be a few more tries before I totally give up on growing them...Now if I had to pay for them, that'd be different :p
 
I haven't used root tabs in a few years, but I recall the store bought ones to have a pretty poor ingredient list.
 
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