Best fertilizer for root feeding plants.

[Sushil Prasad]

Hi,

I am having problems with my amazon swords and crypt plant. The crpyt plant
was having green leaves in the begining and now the new leaves are brownish
red and holes frequently develop on this leaves. The amazon are having small
whitish green leaves. My aquarium has 3 inch thick pea size gravels and has
many plants. The prblems are with only the root feeding plants. I do
semi-weekly fertilization with tetra- flora-pride and seachem florish.

Question is, what would be best to help my root feeding plants. I was
thinking of adding latirate to gravel or maybe adding seachem root tabs.

Sushil

Sushil

[WD]

"Sushil Prasad" > wrote in message
...
> Hi,
>
> I am having problems with my amazon swords and crypt plant. The crpyt
plant
> was having green leaves in the begining and now the new leaves are
brownish
> red and holes frequently develop on this leaves. The amazon are having
small
> whitish green leaves. My aquarium has 3 inch thick pea size gravels and
has
> many plants. The prblems are with only the root feeding plants. I do
> semi-weekly fertilization with tetra- flora-pride and seachem florish.
>
> Question is, what would be best to help my root feeding plants. I was
> thinking of adding latirate to gravel or maybe adding seachem root tabs.
>

In the US, Jobes fert sticks for ferns and palms. They have just the right
mix of nutrients, but can be difficult to find. Break them into bits about
1/4 to 1/2 inch long and bury them under the plant, or very near the root
mass.

[LeighMo]

I would use both Seachem Flourish tabs and Jobe's spikes. Root feeders need
both micronutrients and macronutrients.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

[Sushil Prasad]

What would be the best distance from plant root to put the root tabs and
jobe's stick. I noticed the crypts root are coming out of gravel at the
front glass wall.
The crypt is planted about 5 inches from the front wall. Also at what depth
should the tabs be inserted.




"LeighMo" > wrote in message
...
> I would use both Seachem Flourish tabs and Jobe's spikes. Root feeders
need
> both micronutrients and macronutrients.
>
>
> Leigh
>
> http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

[LeighMo]

>What would be the best distance from plant root to put the root tabs and
>jobe's stick.

Maybe an inch or two away from the base of the plant.

>Also at what depth
>should the tabs be inserted.

As deep as possible. Especially for the Jobe's. Try not to disturb the gravel
afterwards.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

[tcbiii@NOSPAMearthlink.net]

As basic notion is to learn how to feed plants with the water column,
then you never have any distinction between one type of plant.

All the plants are well fed then.

I've tried a number of method over the years. The best is a simple
consistent method of doing water changes and dosing the water column.

While some plants are effective root feeders, I would not say they
prefer root nutrition. My have done better with the water column and a
good flourite base than any primary root feeding method.

Jobes have given enough Green Water and staghorn algae issues for
folks than you want to know about.

Just make sure you don't move them, and bury them real deep for at
least 2-3 months. Water change anytime you might have pulled one up.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[Tony]

) wrote in message >...

> Jobes have given enough Green Water and staghorn algae issues for
> folks than you want to know about.
>
> Just make sure you don't move them, and bury them real deep for at
> least 2-3 months. Water change anytime you might have pulled one up.
>
> Regards,
> Tom Barr

Tom,

Is that because they contain phosphate? I seem to think that I've
read using root tabs are beneficial for Echinodorus species. I
haven't used Jobes before, but I have used other root tabs. I'm
pretty interested in this subject because I am fighting hair algae in
a 10 gallon tank that I've been experimenting with. I am also having
problems getting a Nymphae lotus (zenkeri) growing. My thought was
that root tabs might encourage it to grow.

Thanks,
Tony

[LeighMo]

>Is that because they contain phosphate?

IME, it's not really the phosphate that's the problem with Jobe's spikes. It's
the nitrogen. Some of it is in toxic forms, like ammonium and urea.

> I'm
>pretty interested in this subject because I am fighting hair algae in
>a 10 gallon tank that I've been experimenting with. I am also having
>problems getting a Nymphae lotus (zenkeri) growing. My thought was
>that root tabs might encourage it to grow.

It's going to get much too big for a 10 gallon tank. You might be better off
starving it and stunting its growth. <g>

I've found that root tabs are necessary with Nymphaea. They are such nutrient
hogs. If you have one in the tank, you must feed each plant individually (with
root tabs) or the lotus will suck up nutrients as fast as you add them, and the
other plants will suffer.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

[Philippe Lemaire]

As Nymphea were the easiest to grow without and with CO2 (i.e. without root feeding),
as some other plants have a hard time now with CO2 (H. zosterifolia),

I started adding root tablets to Nymphea !

I will tell you whether other plants improve or whether I get 6 Nymphea (from 3)...

Regards,

Philippe


"LeighMo" > wrote in message ...
| >Is that because they contain phosphate?
|
| IME, it's not really the phosphate that's the problem with Jobe's spikes. It's
| the nitrogen. Some of it is in toxic forms, like ammonium and urea.
|
| > I'm
| >pretty interested in this subject because I am fighting hair algae in
| >a 10 gallon tank that I've been experimenting with. I am also having
| >problems getting a Nymphae lotus (zenkeri) growing. My thought was
| >that root tabs might encourage it to grow.
|
| It's going to get much too big for a 10 gallon tank. You might be better off
| starving it and stunting its growth. <g>
|
| I've found that root tabs are necessary with Nymphaea. They are such nutrient
| hogs. If you have one in the tank, you must feed each plant individually (with
| root tabs) or the lotus will suck up nutrients as fast as you add them, and the
| other plants will suffer.
|
|
| Leigh
|
| http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/