Substrate ferts, root tabs, etc...

[Crazy Loaches]

Ok, I'm planning on setting up a tank with sand or perhaps 3M ColorQuartz if I can ever get up to the guy in Ohio selling it (Cleveland). I know this isnt as good as something like AS. Many seem to use root tabs and such for plants like swords and crypts which I am planning on having lots off. I've also heard horror storries about algae outbreaks because a root tab was disturbed and so forth. So my question is, will EI dosing suffice or with plain substrate do you really need to mess with root ferts? Since I'll have some loaches that might dig around a bit I'd like to minimize having to put anything in the substrate.

Some info on the tank: Lighting will be able to go moderate/high and co2 should be able to be maintained at optimum levels. I plan on dosing EI with dry ferts, and the tank will be heavily planted. I'm trying to stick with hardy plants that can tolerate loaches, like ferns, crypts, swords (and I'd appreciate suggestion for other well rooting tough plants-but I'll probably start a different thread for that)... though I've not really had any problems with any plants yet with them (but they are no where near full grown).

So root tabs/substrate additives good or bad?

 

[Professor Myers]

"So root tabs/substrate additives good or bad"?

Depends on your point of view. They are simply Outstanding for the folks that market them !!!

I've used them. Some are quite good, IE: Seachem and Tropica. I just honestly don't believe they are "AS GOOD" as ADA AS. Lord knows I wish they were as they might not be as messy sometimes. Still others are considerably more tedious.

The bulk of my tanks use Seachem Flourite or Onyx, but the tanks with ASA AS would appear to be Kickin some serious @$$ !

 

[Crazy Loaches]

Anyone else have opinions on root tabs? (more specifically for a tank that doesnt use a plant substrate)...

 

[SnakeIce]

I used root tabs back when I had river gravel and little water column doseing idea to speak of. If your water column is lean even stem plants benefit from them, but I have done as well without since then.

I'm currently useing Soilmaster Select "charcoal" which is basicly a fancy oil dry.

 

[Crazy Loaches]

So no one hear has 'horror stories' of root tabs causing GW or any other form of algae for that mater? And even with EI dosing the root tabs would still be beneficial since my substrate will be inert?

...And if so, lets say I get some Tropica root tabs. I'm sure they come with directions but curious as to how many you'd really need. Like for example for a full grown sword like red rubin, just one per plant or several? And how long would they last? Just curious as I have no experience with root ferts. In my previous tanks with EI and onyx or fluorite I did not use anything in the substrate other than a bit of mulm.