# Best root tabs?



## Gerald The Mouse (Mar 21, 2008)

I'm just wondering what were the best/worst root tabs you have used for your fish tank, and why. I need to find some good root tabs for my 10g, because I'm using inert gravel, so supplementing my plants roots is a must.


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## goalcreas (Nov 20, 2006)

I have always and only ever used the Seachem Flourish.
They work just fine and have never had a problem that I could say was their doing.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Root tabs are not essential. All plants can take in nutrients through the leaves or the roots or both. (One exception I know of is Iacustris, or something like that, which only feeds through the roots.) You can even grow sword plants without root feeding. Most, if not all aquatic plants with huge root systems have those roots to anchor them in fast moving water, not because they have a preference for root feeding.


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## Gerald The Mouse (Mar 21, 2008)

But I'd much rather use root tabs over dosing into the water column, because I'm afraid I'll overdose and kill everything/create a giant algae bloom.


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## goalcreas (Nov 20, 2006)

Root tabs will never replace dosing in the water.
Get an easy to use dosing system like Pfertz.
www.pfertz.com
The substrate will never leech enough for your plants to truly thrive.


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## mikenas102 (Feb 8, 2006)

I've tried 4 or 5 different brands of root tabs and Seachem's are by far the best. They don't get mushy and fall apart when they get wet unlike almost all the other brands. You can pull them up, move them, remove them, do whatever and they hold their form. The others just disintegrate when you touch them and make a mess of your tank.


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## Gerald The Mouse (Mar 21, 2008)

Pfertz is pretty expensive though, $15 a bottle? No thanks.

And I'll look around for Seachem's tabs.


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## goalcreas (Nov 20, 2006)

You can get sets sometimes on blemish sale for $30


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