# Eco complete and root tabs?



## Blackheart (Jul 5, 2011)

Could it be even more beneficial to use root tabs in Eco Complete?


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## rrattani (Sep 3, 2014)

Definitely, IMO root tabs are a must with eco-complete.


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## CoryLover8 (Jul 31, 2014)

What are the best root tabs out there?


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## jrill (Nov 20, 2013)

Depends what your trying to grow. Most aquatic plants do just fine pulling nutrients from the water column. Tabs may help some plants but rarely necessary.


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## Gametheory (Apr 25, 2014)

Yea it's pretty beneficial to use root tabs with Eco Complete.

I use it myself! Just make sure to bury the tabs deep!
Supposedly Eco has high CEC which absorbs and stores fertilizers which can be used by plants later on.


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## mattinmd (Aug 16, 2014)

That depends a bit on what you are looking for in "best"... Best nutrients? easiest to use? lowest chance of killing shrimp?... 

IMO Osmocote+ is hard to beat in terms of nutrient balance. However, some folks have problems with them working their way back up out of their substrate and floating around. I have yet to try them, but probably will when I run out of the below... They're also quite cheap, even having someone else fill them.

Flourish tabs are great in terms of being low-mess, but they are expensive and don't have much NPK going on (0.28-0.17-0.16, with 16% sulfur, 2.2% iron and many other micros). They are dense-pressed pellets with a bit of a "flattened point cone" shape to them. I ram them in with tongs point-down and have no problems with them, other than their very low NPK content when compared with their iron content.

API root tabs are a bit of a mess IMO, as they dissolve very fast on contact with water. I have had some luck clamping them in a planting tongs above the water, and jabbing them quickly down and into the substrate. There is no time to lower it down to the substrate, pick a spot and plant it. The tablet will start falling apart about 3 seconds after touching water, so you really have to move quite fast. They are just NPK+iron (3-1-1 and 5% iron), no other micros. I haven't used any of these since I put fish in my tank.


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## Blackheart (Jul 5, 2011)

I'd been using Seachem root tabs before with great success. Was growing Crypts like crazy.


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## StrangeDejavu (Jun 23, 2014)

Agreed on Flourish root tabs. Even with PAR in the -teens, my crypts are doing very well with the tabs. I've found they don't have enough iron to keep my Ludwigia sp. "Red" happy, but i'm pleased with overall growth.


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## Blackheart (Jul 5, 2011)

I've never really had luck with Ludwigia in Eco Complete. It was a very, very slow grower, if at all.


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

Manufacturers of various subs state the mineral content of them and say it goes to the plants but it does as much as the mineral content as the dinner plant that you eat off of gets it's minerals into your food. Not true/w Laterite and a couple of others.
So your Ludwigia may just have not had nutrients it needs.
The Ludwigia may prefer a different texture of sub but more likely some other condition is not right for them in where you have them.
My "bookmarks" is acting up and won't allow access right now but if/when it does I'll PM you a link. There is a plant/fish site/data base which also tells you the sub prefference of the plants...sand/pebbles/fine gravel etc.
I co-sign both StrangeDejavu and mattinmd..but if no water ferts are in the tank the Osmocote+ are better.


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