Co op easy roots tabs, and API water tap change.

[Country joe]

I would like to use the co op easy roots tabs just at the beginning to give my plants a good start, but they appear hard to come by, I've only found one distributor who sells them but its a large quantity and is priced at 75 dollars, is there anywhere else sells these in smaller tubs, if not I will try the Seachem ones.
Also I want to use a water conditioner for water changes the API tap water change or the API Aqua Essential, which one do think would be best to use.

 

[Essjay]

Re water conditioner, it depends on whether your water supplier adds chlorine or chloramine to your water supply. You could ring them or email them to ask which they use for your area.
For chlorine, use API Tap Water Conditioner. All this does is remove chlorine and bind metals.
For chloramine, use Aqua Essential. Chloramine is ammonia and chlorine joined together. While both conditioners split chloramine into ammonia and chlorine and remove the chlorine part, Aqua Essential also contains a chemical to detoxify this ammonia for around 24 hours until the filter bacteria or plants have had time to remove it.

The fewer chemicals we add to a tank the better. If you have chlorine rather than chloramine, go for the one with fewer chemical - Tap Water Conditioner. But if you have chloramine you need the extra in Aqua Essentials.



The root tabs seem to be an American product so they won't be easily available in the UK. Look for one which is available such as Seachem Flourish root tabs or TNC Plugs.

 

[Country joe]

Re water conditioner, it depends on whether your water supplier adds chlorine or chloramine to your water supply. You could ring them or email them to ask which they use for your area.
For chlorine, use API Tap Water Conditioner. All this does is remove chlorine and bind metals.
For chloramine, use Aqua Essential. Chloramine is ammonia and chlorine joined together. While both conditioners split chloramine into ammonia and chlorine and remove the chlorine part, Aqua Essential also contains a chemical to detoxify this ammonia for around 24 hours until the filter bacteria or plants have had time to remove it.

The fewer chemicals we add to a tank the better. If you have chlorine rather than chloramine, go for the one with fewer chemical - Tap Water Conditioner. But if you have chloramine you need the extra in Aqua Essentials.



The root tabs seem to be an American product so they won't be easily available in the UK. Look for one which is available such as Seachem Flourish root tabs or TNC Plugs.

Thanks for that Scottish water main building is just around my corner, the water in my area has chorine, will check out the plants tabs.

 

[Country joe]

Re water conditioner, it depends on whether your water supplier adds chlorine or chloramine to your water supply. You could ring them or email them to ask which they use for your area.
For chlorine, use API Tap Water Conditioner. All this does is remove chlorine and bind metals.
For chloramine, use Aqua Essential. Chloramine is ammonia and chlorine joined together. While both conditioners split chloramine into ammonia and chlorine and remove the chlorine part, Aqua Essential also contains a chemical to detoxify this ammonia for around 24 hours until the filter bacteria or plants have had time to remove it.

The fewer chemicals we add to a tank the better. If you have chlorine rather than chloramine, go for the one with fewer chemical - Tap Water Conditioner. But if you have chloramine you need the extra in Aqua Essentials.



The root tabs seem to be an American product so they won't be easily available in the UK. Look for one which is available such as Seachem Flourish root tabs or TNC Plugs.

Do you think if using the Seachem on new plants to a 125 jewel aquarium I would get away with halving the tabs.

 

[Essjay]

You would need something very sharp to cut through the seachem tabs - I use them and they are about a cm wide and almost as deep. I'd use a whole one from the start. They just need to be pushed into the substrate close to the roots. They do last a while, I put new ones in around 3 to 4 months.

 

[Country joe]

I to would like to thank for all the good advice you have given me, especially from a beginner who has found it quite daunting at times, have to take in all information and there is a lot to know, anyway thank you,