# stem or root feeder?



## xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx (Jul 12, 2011)

It's a stem plant that's a root feeder, most stem plants are root feeding. But plants like anubias, java ferns are water feeders, meaning they get their nutrients from the water column.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Most aquatic plants take in nutrients both ways.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi kenshinH,

+1 for Diana's comment, most aquatic plants absorb nutrients both ways.

Microsorum pteropus (java ferns) do absorb nutrients through their roots.


> (Microsorum pteropus) grows as an epiphyte that's said to thrive out of water, as long as it's in a spray zone and constantly wet.





> From the rhizome also spring the copious brown thready roots, which act as as holdfasts for the plant as well as conduits for nutrients. Since much of Microsorum's nutritional uptake is through the roots, leaving them untrimmed on the robust form encourages mature, winged leaves up to 18 inches tall.
> Which makes sense since the velamen layer of the roots is the common method of nutrient uptake for epiphytes.


That said, I dose ferts both ways; I dose the water column which benefits most species to some degree and for heavy root feeders like Crypts I use plant (root) tabs as well.


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## Zorfox (Jun 24, 2012)

Diana said:


> Most aquatic plants take in nutrients both ways.


Yup

Short answer is both.

In fact, they will *ALL *do well with water column feeding. However, many benefit from substrate nutrients. That said, if I had to choose one, it would surely be water column.

A combination of both seems ideal. ADA substrate with EI dosing for example. That's about as close to nirvana as plants are going to come to with current mainstream supplies IMO.


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