Best Root Tabs?

DKRST

Two totally different items. Flourish comp is a fertilizer. Flourish Excel is glutaraldehyde, about a 1.8% solution. It's a chemical carbon supplement, NOT a fertilizer. You want to use Flourish comp.
I make my own Glut solution and it grows plants up to 4x normal, dosed daily in a fish tank. It works well. Honestly though, pressurized CO2 gives much better results (up to 200x increased growth rates(!) - without the dangers of working with Glut. Glutaraldehyde is a pretty nasty respiratory and skin irritant. It's actually an agent used to chemically disinfect equipment.

For more background, plants need nutrients (the flourish comprehensive and root tabs), light, and a carbon source to grow. Excel increases biologically available carbon. Pressurized CO2 also increases the carbon availability. That being said, you do not need to use either one, plants will grow well, just more slowly (normally).

JulieJules

Oh ok, got it. Thanks for explaining it and helping out this newbie haha. I'll do some more research on my own.

Thanks again!

Geomancer

I'd skip the Excel personally. As DKRST said it's a rather nasty chemical ... and while yes it helps some plants grow (it will also kill other plants) it is not something I would use with fish in the tank.

Byron

Agree. And there is plenty of natural CO2 occurring in a fish tank sufficient to balance the light and nutrients.

Flourish Comprehensive is a good complete fertilizer, I use it as do many others here.

You might want to check out my 4-part series stickied at the head of this section entitled "A Basic Approach to the Natural Planted Aquarium" that will put all this in perspective.

Byron.

JulieJules

oh ok, thanks everyone!

@Byron, I definitely will!

Tracy Bird

I use Seachem tabs under and around my Vals, Crypts and Swords and have been very happy with the obvious favorable results.

Have also heard wonderful feedback on the Rootmedic tabs.

I do believe that Rootmedic and Oscomote Plus are very similiar in terms of ingredients - very, very similiar.

avraptorhal

+1

beaslbob

I don't use anything and my plants seem do to well.


(my .02)

rexpepper651

youre lucky cuz no where around here carries any root tabs lol