ffemt89

Hey All,

Im going to be using a pool filter sand substrate and have read that sand can stop nutrients from getting to plant roots because it compacts so I was thinking about buying some flourish tabs that Ive read about and crushing them into a powder and mixing them into my sand when I set up my tank and then using supplemental tabs at a later date. Ive never had a planted tank and it will be a "low tech and low light" set up. No CO2. Any suggestions and or experiences doing this?

Diana K

I would not do that.

Pool filter sand does not compact, so no need to mix fertilizer in any attempt to spread it more equally. Roots will grow through it just fine, and find the fertilizer.

Water does flow through this sand, so any fertilizer mixed with the sand will end up in the water column. Fertilizer that is at the surface of the sand will almost immediately enter the water column, and the water will become a fertilizer-rich soup that encourages algae.

Crushing the tablet will allow the fertilizer to become available to enter the water column faster.

The most I would do might be to cut a tablet in half, and sink the half-tablet all the way to the bottom of the tank (touch the glass) so it is well buried.
Other options for fertilizing the tank with slow release is to use Osmocote in a 00 gel cap. The gel cap will take some time to melt, then the Osmocote is slow release, too.

In a low tech tank you do not want the fertilizer to get so rich in the water column. Leave the fertilizer in its tablet, and tiny traces of fertilizer will end up in the water column, at a rate much closer to what the plants can use.

ffemt89

Thanks for pointing that out, never thought about it getting into the water column, these forums and the members are an amazing source of information!