Do amazon swords need Root tabs? Or can they be fine with no fertilizer/Leaf zone?

Byron said:

API Leaf Zone is liquid fertilizer, but only iron and potassium. And I have never seen any scientific evidence it actually does whatever people say. But I do know it can promote problem algae due to the excess iron. Iron is a micro-nutrient that if overdosed can kill plants (I had this, twice). And as I tried to explain, there are other nutrients just as important if not more so.

I tried to explain the balance.

The issue for plants is GH, not pH. The GH is the level of calcium and magnesium. Long Island is a granite rock island, this is not going to add calcium or magnesium to the water, so I will assume it is soft like all of New York area. GH is not an issue here.

Anubias and Java Fern are both slow growing plants, which means they need less light and less nutrients in balance. Both do best under floating plants for the shade.

There is no way to tell how intense a fluorescent tube is, unless we know the way it was made. There are T8 and T5 tubes, but the newer ones are more intense for less wattage (energy-saving). What is the type and the spectrum? These may tell us something.

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Ah, I see. Whats your personal SINGLE favourite fertilizer for plants, general use? Is fluval grow+ or Seachem flourish good? How about brightwell aquatics shrimp florin?
Amazon reviewers with small tanks claim API Co2 helps plants grow a bit faster and kills algae, so thats on my list. I might also get a fertilizer.

Is this good substrate?
https/www.petsmart.com/fish...
I use petsmart because the app gives me coupons for playing matching games for some reason, and petsmart points can perhaps get me that fertilizer or something else for free.

UnityLover said:

Thats not what I mean. Cause Ive heard that you cant grow root plants with normal gravel, which I use. Do you need special substrate? If so, any recommendations that can be found on amazon or at petsmart?

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More false and misleading information. This hobby is certainly ripe with such.

Aquatic plants will grow in any substrate in an aquarium provided it is not too large a grain. Pea gravel for example will hinder some plants, and the grain size should be smaller. Sand is absolutely ideal. Nothing is better...what do you suppose the substrates in the habitats are? Sand, with mulm and dirt often. I had medium/fine aquarium river gravel for years, until I was persuaded to change to sand (for my cories, but I liked the sand so much all the tanks in the fish room were changed during two years). All plants will grow well, and I mean very well, in inert sand.

If nutrients are needed, as for the swords, the substrate tabs do the job excellently. I was again persuaded to use a so-called plant substrate some years back, happened to be Flourite. Bad mistake. Within a week my cories had no barbels and had to be removed, and I left the tank for two years until I got fed up. Fish restrictions are not the way to go just to have a questionable "plant" substrate. And the plants fared no better either, which really was disappointing. Complete waste of money, I tossed the Flourite out in a hole in the back yeard and used soft play sand. Plants thrived, fish thrived.

You can use aquarium river gravel, for a small tank the cost will not be too expensive. I moved to Quikrete Play Sand in all my tanks. No rough issues, no bacteria issues, and ideal for rooting plants. And it makes the space visually seem larger. Photo below is my reset 70g with play sand following the Flourite fiasco. And the 40g housing my 40-some cories and upper fish, I see nothing wrong with that plant growth in play sand with a tab every 3 months.

UnityLover said:

Ah, I see. Whats your personal SINGLE favourite fertilizer for plants, general use? Is fluval grow+ or Seachem flourish good? How about brightwell aquatics shrimp florin?
Amazon reviewers with small tanks claim API Co2 helps plants grow a bit faster and kills algae, so thats on my list. I might also get a fertilizer.

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You really must discount most of the information on all this. There is no reason to add CO2 in a tank with fish being fed. The decomposition of the organics in the substrate produce a lot. It is true that if you want an aquatic garden that is high-tech, then mega light, diffused CO2, daily nutrient fertilizing become necessary. It is all about the balance I tried to explain. Increasing one aspect means adjusting everything to be in balance.

A few years ago there was an article in PRK that CO2 does harm fish. This is not at all surprising. I know from my own experience that the CO2 production during darkness can affect the fish, I increased the surface disturbance and sorted it out. It all depends what you want--a fish tank that considers the fish's health and has some plants in it, or an aquatic garden planted tank with few or no fish. There is a host of options in between these. For the sake of my fish, I learned early on to intervene less and let nature do its thing. The fish stand a much better chance of being just fine. And I was never unhappy with the result. If plants do not grow, it has nothing whatever to do with CO2, but everything to do with the balance of light and nutrients.

UnityLover said:

Is this good substrate?
https/www.petsmart.com/fish...
I use petsmart because the app gives me coupons for playing matching games for some reason, and petsmart points can perhaps get me that fertilizer or something else for free.

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For a betta tank with no substrate fish, fine. Your call. The betta is unlikely to succumb to any problems that substrate fish definitely would, so don't consider this for other tanks with such fish. I would bet that your plants will not really do any better, but suit yourself.

Byron said:

More false and misleading information. This hobby is certainly ripe with such.

Aquatic plants will grow in any substrate in an aquarium provided it is not too large a grain. Pea gravel for example will hinder some plants, and the grain size should be smaller. Sand is absolutely ideal. Nothing is better...what do you suppose the substrates in the habitats are? Sand, with mulm and dirt often. I had medium/fine aquarium river gravel for years, until I was persuaded to change to sand (for my cories, but I liked the sand so much all the tanks in the fish room were changed during two years). All plants will grow well, and I mean very well, in inert sand.

If nutrients are needed, as for the swords, the substrate tabs do the job excellently. I was again persuaded to use a so-called plant substrate some years back, happened to be Flourite. Bad mistake. Within a week my cories had no barbels and had to be removed, and I left the tank for two years until I got fed up. Fish restrictions are not the way to go just to have a questionable "plant" substrate. And the plants fared no better either, which really was disappointing. Complete waste of money, I tossed the Flourite out in a hole in the back yeard and used soft play sand. Plants thrived, fish thrived.

You can use aquarium river gravel, for a small tank the cost will not be too expensive. I moved to Quikrete Play Sand in all my tanks. No rough issues, no bacteria issues, and ideal for rooting plants. And it makes the space visually seem larger. Photo below is my reset 70g with play sand following the Flourite fiasco. And the 40g housing my 40-some cories and upper fish, I see nothing wrong with that plant growth in play sand with a tab every 3 months.

Click to expand...

Oh I can use sand? Thats a mixed bag. It lets me spend a lot less money on gravel, but I have to buy root tabs constantly for nutrients. Do these root tabs last long in the container? Or do they become worthless after 4 months as usual?
This sand is good, right? I want black sand cause yes.

UnityLover said:

Oh I can use sand? Thats a mixed bag. It lets me spend a lot less money on gravel, but I have to buy root tabs constantly for nutrients. Do these root tabs last long in the container? Or do they become worthless after 4 months as usual?
This sand is good, right? I want black sand cause yes.

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Other members will have to offer advice, as I know nothing of either product. The black sand would never be advisable with substrate fish, but again this is for a betta tank (unless I got that mixed up). I had to use substrate tabs and liquid fertilizer when I had the Flourite so-called plant substrate. I suspect all of these are more trouble than benefit. I like keeping unnecessary chemicals out of my fish, and I think they appreciate that.

I use aquarium sand, just a natural beige coloured one, and my plants have thrived. My tank has only been set up for 2 months, I put root tabs in when I first set it up and that's it. I thought I'd bought fertiliser but it was an oversight on my part and I hadn't, so it's actually had no fertiliser so far, but I do finally have some on the way. I would just say don't overcomplicate things, get some root tabs and some sand to start with and then some liquid fertiliser once things have got going.

Nice tanks Byron!
For 40 years I had very little success with plants then, in 2015, I set up a home made sugar/yeast CO2 system and since then my plants have grown very well. Having often read that CO2 isn't necessary I've experimented by reducing the amount from time to time, and on every occasion the plants have suffered considerably. For me at least CO2 seems to be essential.
I only use liquid feets. I've tried root tabs for plants I have found more challenging and I've never noted any difference - they either grow or they don't with or without the tabs.
What I did find was that I would get cycles where the plants would grow well then algae would start to take over and I would cut back the effected plants, after which they would then grow well again. I used to think I was overdoing ferts so would cut back. In fact it turned out to be the opposite - as the plants grew more they needed more ferts so me maintaining the normal dosage was insufficient, allowing algae to get a hold. Cutting back the plants would reduce the ferts requirement which is why the algae would then subside. Moreover, I use TNC Lite which comes without nitrate as my tap water is high in this, but I noticed that all the other ingredients are actually at a much lower level than the standard product too.
I immediately doubled the dosage (full dose added, but twice weekly instead of once) and the algae cycle all but disappeared. Very occasionally I see a bit of algae start to develop in which case I add another dose which sorts it out.
I would conclude that every tank is different and it's impossible to say whether CO2 is needed; for me it seems it is. Also, whereas excess nutrients will cause algae, insufficient nutrients will do too, so you need to read the signs that your tank gives you. For me this was that I was seeing more algae the more plants I had, which told me that I needed to add more.
It's a dark art!

UnityLover said:

Oh I can use sand? Thats a mixed bag. It lets me spend a lot less money on gravel, but I have to buy root tabs constantly for nutrients. Do these root tabs last long in the container? Or do they become worthless after 4 months as usual?
This sand is good, right? I want black sand cause yes.

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I'll either use black sand or normal sand, and the black sand is apparently inert. The plan for the tank. Is a marimo moss ball, 3 shrimp, 3-5 neon tetras, and a betta. I've been able to keep 4 guppies in a 5 gallon alive ( and seem to be happy) for around a year, until they pass. I should be able to keep this bio load with a 10 gallon and the plants.

So right now, im getting...
Sand of some sort: $15
seeds for carpet plants: $10
driftwood covered in christmas moss: $10
aqua scaping tools: $12
Root tabs of some sort: ?$
No Co2 because it is gained from feeding fish.
Any Root tab brand reccomendations? Ones that last a decent amount of time in shelf life?

Byron said:

For a betta tank with no substrate fish, fine. Your call. The betta is unlikely to succumb to any problems that substrate fish definitely would, so don't consider this for other tanks with such fish. I would bet that your plants will not really do any better, but suit yourself.

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This isnt to help my plants, I just need substrate, as I dont have any yet. I like the black color, so thats why im thinking of getting that one. Will it harm shrimp? (even though there will be a carpet) How about neon tetras?

Byron said:

Other members will have to offer advice, as I know nothing of either product. The black sand would never be advisable with substrate fish, but again this is for a betta tank (unless I got that mixed up). I had to use substrate tabs and liquid fertilizer when I had the Flourite so-called plant substrate. I suspect all of these are more trouble than benefit. I like keeping unnecessary chemicals out of my fish, and I think they appreciate that.

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Why not with substrate fish? Is it too rough? And I cant get plecos anyway, my tank is too small. Ill have a carpet, so my betta wont hurt its fins.

Also how do I siphon with a carpet? Do I just have the siphon in the middle of the water column and dont vacuum the plants (I might uproot them) Or do I use a turkey baster to disturb all of the food and then siphon up the water?

I have chosen seachem flourish root tabs to buy. Since no one opposes the black sand, and it is inert so it wont affect water quality, I think I got a good plan.