Are root tabs mandatory?

[fishiee]

Recently, I ordered live plants and I saw that people were saying root tabs helped the growth of their live plants.

As of right now I have 2 amazon swords, 1 anubias, and 1 java fern. Last week, I ordered 2 ludwigia repens, 2 water wisterias, 2 brazilian pennyworts, 2 moneyworts, 2 water sprites, and 2 hornworts.

I was thinking of getting the Seachem Flourish plant supplement for freshwater this week, would it be recommended for me to buy root tabs?

 

[Derekshatch]

I use root tabs and they do a great job at making plants grow very quickly so i would recommend it but you dont have to. I also use THRIVE all in one fertilizer you can get it off of amazon.

 

[CassCats]

Hm... your sword plants and moneywort will need the tabs. I find they struggle without it. Liquid fert wont help too much with them as theyre root feeders... but the rest will do well with liquid ferts, especially ludwigia.

 

[Byron]

Agree. Swords are heavy feeders, and always benefit a lot from substrate tabs. However, this is a small tank (10g, mentioned in your other thread) and you have many plants. You might not want the swords exploding!

Aquatic plants take up nutrients via roots and leaves; some nutrients are just one of these, some both. Swords have very extensive root systems and as I said are heavy feeders which is why the tabs do help them. But the other plants will not benefit from tabs with the liquid.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I also agree with everything said above.