# Root Tabs



## AlecFish (Nov 26, 2011)

Are there any good root supplements? 

I now have Sera root tabs which are terrible and only work for a month or so. 
One of my friends is using this Root Medic substrate fertilizer, I don't know how well that would work in my 75. I was looking into pure laterite but put my sand down already so I can't layer it beneath. 

Open to any suggestions...


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

Why wouldn't RootMedic work in your 75 gallon? I use them in tanks well over 300 gallons.... The are quality RootCaps and thus size of tank does not matter.


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## AlecFish (Nov 26, 2011)

I'll just buy the complete capsules they sell. It says they have all the necessary nutrients plants need. 

Which ones do you use?


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## nilocg (Jul 12, 2010)

Aquarist14 said:


> I'll just buy the complete capsules they sell. It says they have all the necessary nutrients plants need.
> 
> Which ones do you use?


If you are looking for a good cheaper alternative, osmocote capsules would work very well for you.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

Aquarist14 said:


> I'll just buy the complete capsules they sell. It says they have all the necessary nutrients plants need.
> 
> Which ones do you use?


I use them all. I am rootmedic. Complete it complete+ are the most popular. The quality compared to knock off DIY products like osmocote is light years apart. These are products fine tuned for aquarium use. Not terrestrial products used to make knock-offs.


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

Fert posts easily get confusing at times. This may help.



OverStocked said:


> Primary differences: RM Complete releases nutrients slower, designed for an aquatic atmosphere. Osmocote is designed as a terrestrial product and as such when subjected to full submersion can leach pretty quick. YOu need to make sure you bury osmocote as deep as possible.
> 
> RootMedic Gel Caps are a thicker, tougher product than I've seen offered by others. The capsules take about 40 hours to dissolve in the substrate, so you can get them in and don't risk them falling apart before you get them to the dirt. I've worked with about every gel cap out there and these are the best i've found. They also add a touch of potassium to the mix, not much. But some.
> 
> ...


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

wkndracer said:


> Fert posts easily get confusing at times. This may help.


Thank you. I should really use that post more often.


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## AlecFish (Nov 26, 2011)

What do you mean "i am rootmedic" ?

I think just getting seachem root tabs might be easiest, they're simple not as complicated as the rootmedic stuff.


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## ua hua (Oct 30, 2009)

Aquarist14 said:


> What do you mean "i am rootmedic" ?
> 
> I think just getting seachem root tabs might be easiest, they're simple not as complicated as the rootmedic stuff.


He means he is the one that owns/operates Root Medic. I don't think seachem is any easier than Root Medic, you simply push the tabs in the substrate. It isn't any more complicated than that.


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## AlecFish (Nov 26, 2011)

That's pretty sweet that we have the owner of root medic on this forum. He's like a celebrity. lol 

One of my friends just ordered some of the root medic so I'll see what he says about it. Because we have similar tanks.


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## jccaclimber (Aug 29, 2011)

One downside to the Seachem tabs (other than price) is that they will turn your substrate black around them. This isn't an issue if you bury them deep enough, but can get annoying if you don't.


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## AlecFish (Nov 26, 2011)

I didn't know that would happen. I have a pretty white sand so these might not be the best for me... 

Other than root medic and seachem are there any others?


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## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

osmocote, i have these and theyre pretty good so far.


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## AlecFish (Nov 26, 2011)

Overall, It seems like the RM has more nutrient structure than seachem. With that mentioned above. I'll probably go with the RM complete. Its going to be a more sustainable source for me and my plants.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

ua hua said:


> He means he is the one that owns/operates Root Medic. I don't think seachem is any easier than Root Medic, you simply push the tabs in the substrate. It isn't any more complicated than that.


This x 2.

RootMedic offers lots of options because people ask for them. The Complete or Complete+ are perfect for just about any tank They contain way more nutrients than seachem and last way longer. 

Too bad you want to wait, because they are basically buy 1, get 1 free today. 

http://rootmedic.net/http:rootmedic.net/black-friday-sale/


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

Aquarist14 said:


> Overall, It seems like the RM has more nutrient structure than seachem. With that mentioned above. I'll probably go with the RM complete. Its going to be a more sustainable source for me and my plants.


Aw you see the light! 

Remember to PM me if you have any questions.


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## AlecFish (Nov 26, 2011)

Thank you for everyone's input on helping me choose the right one! 

I'll be ordering the RM Complete as soon as possible!


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## RSidetrack (Jul 17, 2011)

OverStocked said:


> This x 2.
> 
> RootMedic offers lots of options because people ask for them. The Complete or Complete+ are perfect for just about any tank They contain way more nutrients than seachem and last way longer.
> 
> ...


Hate to say this but the sale ended on Black Friday (yesterday):



> From today through 11:59 pm on Black Friday


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

RSidetrack said:


> Hate to say this but the sale ended on Black Friday (yesterday):


LOL. I OWN RootMedic. I decide when the sale ends... and since TPT was down for 20 hours yesterday I extended it.


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## YellowDawg (Nov 1, 2011)

OverStocked, I actually bought a package of the RootMedic Complete a few weeks ago, for my 55. Honestly, would I need anything else? I'm looking into making full-on baby tears carpet, as heavily planted as is possible while still letting the fish swim. So with your _unbiased_ opinion, will a single set of Complete be enough?


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

YellowDawg said:


> OverStocked, I actually bought a package of the RootMedic Complete a few weeks ago, for my 55. Honestly, would I need anything else? I'm looking into making full-on baby tears carpet, as heavily planted as is possible while still letting the fish swim. So with your _unbiased_ opinion, will a single set of Complete be enough?


Should be, dependent on lights/co2/ferts/other mumbo jumbo. Complete is balanced and does the job well. 

The deal right now is more of a stock of and wait thing.


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## YellowDawg (Nov 1, 2011)

Ah. I see. Well, as I am not planning on setting up another tank that isn't a riparium for a while, I'll be okay. Thanks, and I apologize to Aquarist14 for the thread hijacking.


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## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

You can always make Laterite Ice cubes and stick them in the sand that would help along with a good root fertilizer.


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## nilocg (Jul 12, 2010)

[B said:


> OverStocked[/B];1609533]  _Primary differences: RM Complete releases nutrients slower, designed for an aquatic atmosphere. Osmocote is designed as a terrestrial product and as such when subjected to full submersion can leach pretty quick. YOu need to make sure you bury osmocote as deep as possible.
> 
> RootMedic Gel Caps are a thicker, tougher product than I've seen offered by others. The capsules take about 40 hours to dissolve in the substrate, so you can get them in and don't risk them falling apart before you get them to the dirt. I've worked with about every gel cap out there and these are the best i've found. They also add a touch of potassium to the mix, not much. But some.
> 
> ...



Can you tell me exactly why having a capsule that takes 40 hours to dissolve is beneficial? The ones that I have been using take an hour or two until they dissolve(probably longer but havent bothered to test), which gives me plenty of time to bury them. Whats the point of the extra 39 hours?

You say your product is far superior compared to regular osmocote+ capsules, can you please explain why this is. Other than the fact that the capsules take longer to dissolve and the osmocote that you use has a thicker membrane and lasts a little longer? Im not saying they arent better, just curious what these benefits are.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

A thicker capsule allows you to work with it in the water longer. Thin clear capsules start to dissolve instantly. The thin ones crush in shipping too. I've sampled some from vendors here(just about every one of them so far) and I could barely get them in my tank before they were coming apart. Further, the RootCaps we use are potassium based so the help to add more potassium to the system. 

"lasting a little longer" isn't really stating it right. The clear point is that they don't dump everything all at once. They are designed for this use, so they won't dump all of that ammonium out in a sneeze when they get their first taste of water. 

Much like the clay products RootMedic has been selling since the start. They are tested and formulated to guaranteed to be safe and effective for our uses. Our new clay products will come in red or black, and we're working to get our Complete membrane in a darker black too. 

People have managed to do pretty well with osmocote, but they've also managed to dump a bazillion gallons of ammonium into their tanks if they aren't careful, too.


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

I just wish there was a way to have the spheres disappear without chasing them with a gravel vacuum LOL


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## AlecFish (Nov 26, 2011)

When I buy the Complete root caps can still use dry ferts in conjunction with it? 

Are the root caps only for the substrate or do they leech in the water column?


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

Aquarist14 said:


> When I buy the Complete root caps can still use dry ferts in conjunction with it?
> 
> Are the root caps only for the substrate or do they leech in the water column?


You can still dose the water column, and usually should. It might leach some, but not a lot.


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## nilocg (Jul 12, 2010)

OverStocked said:


> A thicker capsule allows you to work with it in the water longer. Thin clear capsules start to dissolve instantly. The thin ones crush in shipping too. I've sampled some from vendors here(just about every one of them so far) and I could barely get them in my tank before they were coming apart. Further, the RootCaps we use are potassium based so the help to add more potassium to the system.
> 
> "lasting a little longer" isn't really stating it right. The clear point is that they don't dump everything all at once. *They are designed for this use, so they won't dump all of that ammonium out in a sneeze when they get their first taste of water. *
> 
> ...


That is one of the things that i have wondered about. Hopefully you can answer this. Lets assume regular osmocote releases all of its nutrients once it has been placed into the substrate, is there really any problem with this? Shouldnt the substrate hold the nutrients in place until the plants can use them? 

Obviously this can be a problem if you dont get them all the way into the substrate, its going to be a problem for any root capsule that uses ammonia, just to different extents depending on how quickly they release their nutrients.

Thanks for your help

Also Im not sure what kind of capsules everyone else is using, but the ones that I have been getting take quite a while to dissolve and if packaged correctly they dont crack in shipping(unless the mail man decides to drive over them that is, which considering how some of the packages look they are delivered you wonder if they actually do run over them.)


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

OverStocked said:


> A thicker capsule allows you to work with it in the water longer. Thin clear capsules start to dissolve instantly. The thin ones crush in shipping too.


+1 on thicker capsules. The ones purchased on eBay or in local health food stores break down within a minute or two at most. Sometimes it takes a while when re-fertilizing a substrate in a tank that's already filled with water. More time to work can become imperative if you've got sensitive shrimp or fish.

(The only reason thin ones crush in shipping is because they're not packaged well.)


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

nilocg said:


> That is one of the things that i have wondered about. Hopefully you can answer this. Lets assume regular osmocote releases all of its nutrients once it has been placed into the substrate, is there really any problem with this? Shouldnt the substrate hold the nutrients in place until the plants can use them?
> 
> Obviously this can be a problem if you dont get them all the way into the substrate, its going to be a problem for any root capsule that uses ammonia, just to different extents depending on how quickly they release their nutrients.
> 
> ...


If you have a substrate that is inert like sand then the nutrients will not just "stay" there magically. Despite appearing to be one barrier of substrate, water does move in and out of your substrate and it will go straight into the water column. If your substrate does not have a decent CEC they won't do anything. 




The cheaper capsules I had were also brittle and cracked with little effort. In our machines we couldn't use them without about a 15% breakage during processing.


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