Root Tab As Vacation Food

tiger15

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I am leaving for a 2 week vacation, and won't be feeding my fish and plants. Has anyone tried dropping a root tab as vacation food for the plants.

I am thinking of dropping one Flourish tab in a perforated root pot. I will do a large WC and front load with extra macros before I leave.

Flourish tab claims that: They contain essential trace elements, amino acids, and vitamins. They are rich in iron, manganese, magnesium, calcium, potassium, inositol, choline B12, biotin, and other factors that have been determined to be beneficial to aquatic plant roots. They contain no phosphate or nitrate that would promote algae proliferation.

http://www.seachem.com/flourish-tabs.php

Do you think it will be helpful or harmful?
 

Allwissend

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I don't see anything harmful, except the leftovers as the tab disintegrates. But more important is the frontloading, macros and chelated micros will do the trick. If fish food is dosed automatically, dry ferts can be added and give a rough way of dosing.

Lower light always helps. You can get your plants red when you come back but for now we are talking survival.

Also check your CO2 tank, swap with a filled one... Mine always seem to time itself either with long business trips or with legal holidays [emoji14]
 

tiger15

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Flourish tab contains mostly micros, so I have to front load macros. Is there a concern the time released micros can reach toxic level?

Flourish Tabs
Total Nitrogen (N) 0.28%
Available Phosphate (P2O5) 0.17%
Soluble Potash (K2O) 0.16%
Calcium (Ca) 14.9%
Magnesium (Mg) 0.06%
Sulfur (S) 12.2%
Boron (B) 0.029%
Chlorine (Cl) 0.55%
Cobalt (Co) 0.001%
Copper (Cu) 0.001%
Iron (Fe) 2.2%
Manganese (Mn) 0.23%
Molybdenum (Mo) 0.0009%
Sodium (Na) 0.14%
Zinc (Zn) 0.0024%


Another root tab I am considering is Osmocote, which is complete with macros and micros, so I don't need to front load macros. But is there a concern that the time released ammonia nitrogen can reach toxic level?

Osmocote tabs
TOTAL NITROGEN (N)*……………….....15.0%
Ammoniacal Nitrogen………………………8.0%
Nitrate Nitrogen……………………………7.0%
AVAILABLE PHOSPHATE (P2O5)*…....…9.0%
SOLUBLE POTASH (K2O)……………......12.0%
Calcium*...........................................................1.9%
MAGNESIUM (Mg)*…………………..…..1.4%
SULFUR (S)*…………………………….....4.0%
BORON (B)*……………………………......0.02%
COPPER (Cu)*………………………….......0.05%
IRON (Fe)*……………………………...…..0.45%
Chelated Iron (Fe)*………………..………...0.03%
MANGANESE (Mn)*…………………..…..0.06%
MOLYBDENUM (Mo)*…………….………0.02%
ZINC (Zn)*…………………………..………0.05%


The dosage recommendation in both tabs is based on burying them in substrate. I plan to place one tab (protected in a black perforated root pot) in open water in 75g. Is the dosage about right, and which root tab is better.
 

a1matt

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I just looked at your journal to see your tank setup, maintenance and dosing schedules.

If it were me I'd leave everything as is, but every time you dose on the week before you go away put double your normal quantity in.

If you do a WC just before leaving do another double dose then.

If you decide to lower your lights, maybe do a trial run for a couple of days a week beforehand. Lower light equals lower co2 demand, therefore higher co2 in the water, so it would be good to confirm the fauna aren't effected.

You've pretty hardy plants overall, so I wouldn't worry unduly.

If you have someone checking your house you can leave envelopes with premeasured portions of fish food (with simple instructions on the envelope, eg not to put more than one envelope in the tank on any single day).
 
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Allwissend

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Osmocote tabs
TOTAL NITROGEN (N)*……………….....15.0%
Ammoniacal Nitrogen………………………8.0%
Nitrate Nitrogen……………………………7.0%
AVAILABLE PHOSPHATE (P2O5)*…....…9.0%
SOLUBLE POTASH (K2O)……………......12.0%
Calcium*...........................................................1.9%
MAGNESIUM (Mg)*…………………..…..1.4%
SULFUR (S)*…………………………….....4.0%
BORON (B)*……………………………......0.02%
COPPER (Cu)*………………………….......0.05%
IRON (Fe)*……………………………...…..0.45%
Chelated Iron (Fe)*………………..………...0.03%
MANGANESE (Mn)*…………………..…..0.06%
MOLYBDENUM (Mo)*…………….………0.02%
.

From this it is easy to figure out the actual conc. you will reach in water if the entire pill would be dissolved

You first need to find the mass of one pill, say it has 10g. Take for example iron at 0.45% and an aquarium of 100L.

10g*0,45/100=0.045g=45mg
45mg/100L=0.45mg/L

You just need to put in your own numbers to figure out what you need to add.
 

tiger15

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Thanks for the response. I’ll stay with my plan to drop one Flourish tab which I feel more comfortable than Osmocote that contains ammonium nitrogen. The tab contains high % of iron and calcium sulfate so it looks like an iron pill bound by chalk.

I can’t lower the light anymore as I have only medium light around 50 PAR. I’ll do a 75% WC as usual and double macros before I leave. Last time when I returned from a 2 week trip, I had bba flare up. I’ll see how it goes this time.

I’m taking a Amazon river cruise trip in Iquitos Peru so I will see more fish, aquatic plants in natural habitat, or perhaps catch and eat a Piranhas.
 
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a1matt

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I've done a similar trip, but opted for canoe and paddles instead of cruise ship. It was awesome!
 

1077#1

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Don't know about the canoe and paddles.One could find themselves near madness from mosquito's?
 

a1matt

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The mosquitos were prolific. Often thick swarms at villages at night. Very little on the open water. You get somewhat used to swatting them away after a few days. The challenge with the canoe came from carrying it while trekking through the boggy areas. I could only manage a short stint then would have to leave it to my guide and assistant. Quite embarrassing at times!

All worth it though. Tiger, you'll have a great time.
 

tiger15

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Came back everything fine, with no BBA and cleaner before I left. The algae eaters worked extra hard during my absence. Plants and fish look healthy, and I even found the Kribs guarding a batch of fry.

As for the trip, it's a wonderful experience. I hardly got any mosquitos bites since I spent most time in boat trips, and I was told that black water does not support mosquito larvae due to high acidity (pH<5). I saw many river dolphins, birds, monkey, lot of floating Water Lettuce and Hyacinth, but no submerged plants or fish that I can see. The black water is very clean but loaded with tannic acid that light cannot penetrate more than couple inches. There are many fish as I saw fishermen caught oscar, piranha, Pacu and catfish common in aquarium.
 
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a1matt

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Sounds like a great trip (brings back some memories for me) and a good return home too.