[klaus777]

I use Flourite in my tank right now and dose regularly with Seachem products. I have been to the website and seen the nutrient content of Flourite, but is it considered be a nutrient rich substrate or do some of my swords need additional ferts?
I've also been looking at new plants which say they need a rich substrate.

 

[fshfanatic]

It is good stuff, but I would recommend some sort of plant tab buried near the roots of swords.

 

[hoppycalif]

Flourite is not nutrient rich. It is a baked clay product that can be considered to be inert. The clay gives it a high CEC, which the plant roots can take advantage of for grabbing nutrients from the water, but not from the Flourite itself.

Nutrient rich means ADA Aquasoil.

 

[stuckintexas]

well if we use ada aquasoil (which is what im going to use) then how often should we add ferts to the tank/soil?

 

[davemonkey]

Ditto on the roots tabs for swords, and for crypts as well. I have a similar type substrate (fired clay product) and it's great for making nutrients available to the plants' roots, but the substrate itself is inert, like hoppy stated. The nutrients come from what you put in it.

Also, I dose EI method with ALL the liquid nutrients and still my swords need root tabs to do well.

 

[Nelumbo74]

I use Flourite with no water column ferts, just CO2 injection, and I have no problems growing plants, including swords, that "require" a nutrient-rich substrate. The tabs won't hurt, but it's not enirely necessary.

 

[hoppycalif]

The best use of a nutrient rich substrate is as a backup source of nutrients for the plants. Just dose fertilizers as if there were none in the substrate. Read the Fertilizer Forum here, and look at the stickies about EI dosing and PPS dosing, then pick one that appeals to you and follow it.

 

[klaus777]

Most of my tank right now are swords and crypts. Can I safely use root tabs throughout the tank as well as maintain my regular dosing with no ill effects on my fish? or will I need to cut back on some?

 

[hoppycalif]

If the root tabs do not contain any urea or ammonium you can use them if you wish. But, all plants feed just as well, if not better, through their leaves than through their roots. So, root fertilizing is not essential. The idea that some plants are "heavy root feeders" is a myth. Almost all aquatic plants have roots to anchor them in place, and to allow them to survive a drying up of the water they live in. Even terrestrial plants can feed well through the leaves, as well as the roots.

 

[davemonkey]

But, all plants feed just as well, if not better, through their leaves than through their roots. So, root fertilizing is not essential. The idea that some plants are "heavy root feeders" is a myth. Almost all aquatic plants have roots to anchor them in place, and to allow them to survive a drying up of the water they live in. Even terrestrial plants can feed well through the leaves, as well as the roots.

So, if my swords aren't doing as well without the root tabs, does that mean I am underdosing my liquids? (A very real possibility, especially since I don't test my water for ppm, etc...) I'm just afraid to dose more than I am because the other plants (stemmies) do well with what I'm doing (EI method) and I don't want to take a chance at screwing something up.

But on secong thought, I have read in a few articles and on PlantFinder how more phos and trace can help deter Green Spot Algae (which I have plenty of), so maybe a touch higher on the ferts is just what my tank needs....

 

[Bert H]

If you have a lot of gsa, I would definitely bump up the phosphates.

 

[davemonkey]

Will do, Bert. Thanks.

-Dave