Root tabs for plants.

[wannapuffer-20g]

do u guys use them? i use them and put them in the sand, but every week i mix the sand for bubbles and it gets all cloudy from the tabs that disintegrate in the sand.

its only fertalizer and its only gets cloudy when i mix the sand, should i be concerned?

im getting a female red tailed red eye puffer either tonight or tmr and i wanna be sure it wont hurt her.

[Pamela]

I haven't a clue, but if you give us a list of ingredients of these root tablets, then someone will have an idea.
Pami.

[Bred]

Root tabs are great for fertilizing heavy root feeders such as Swords, Crypts, Lotus plants, etc. I would not place them in a substrate less than 3" deep--reason one being that this depth is what's needed to support the complex root systems, reason two is that these sticks are high-powered ferts and should not be kicked up into the water column where algae can capitalize on them. They should be placed at the base of the plants and not disturbed by gravel vacuuming.

A number of folks use Jobe's plant sticks in 1/4 sections. A whole stick in one spot is overkill.

The cloudiness from the ferts shouldn't bother the fish but should be avoided due to potential algae problems. In other words, try not to disturb them. If this is a planted tank, add more substrate and selectively vacuum. How's the light over your tank?

[wannapuffer-20g]

ive got 1.5wpg goin right now, and im getting a female red tail red eye puffer.

there lily pond root tabs(thats what there called)

......yah

[RTR]

It is a legal requirement in the USA for packaging of fertilizers to have an analysis of at least the NPK (nitrogen/phosphate/potassium) on the package, with the source chemicals listed. For example, 5-10-5 would be 5% nitrogen, 10% phosphate, 5% potassium. And it would specify "nitrogen from ammonium chloride" or some such.

Jobe's spikes (commonly used in planted tanks) have nitogen from an ammonium compound, so if exposed to the water column, the release/dissolved form is ammonia or ammonium ion, which promotes algae. This is why folks are so careful to bury them deeply, and not to dig them up.

[wannapuffer-20g]

well if the only effect is algue and not hurting my puffers then ill keep using them since i have a trio of oto's for that irresistable algue.

[RTR]

Otos do not touch filamentous algae, only soft green algae and diatoms.

[wannapuffer-20g]

hmmm..........well ill c if the algue gets bad or not, for now there isnt any but if it gets bad ill take'em out.

i also cleaned all the fetilizer that was resting on the top of the sand, the tabs are about 2" in the sand.

[mandycat]

Those lily fertilizer tabs are pretty hard core. If you dont plant them deep enuf, (or any root tab for that matter) you will fertilize your whole tank. Algae city.

[wannapuffer-20g]

well algue city hasnt gone up yet so i guess im lucky.

hourah!