Poisonous root tabs?

[bettafishlover86]

Thanks for the help you guys!

 

[Callisto405]

The correlation between the tabs and the dead snail is unlikely. Most likely what happened is your snail just died randomly. Apple snails are not known for living very long. 1 - 2 years is about all they live

 

[AmyKieran]

With API tabs, I'd say unlikely, and weren't they buried in the substrate?

I have experienced an unusual problem when I bought some cheap root tabs with no name brand that were made in China. I added some to my tank and they began releasing way too much nitrogen way too fast, causing a massive nitrite spike. Since they consisted of tiny yellow balls in a see through capsule, the capsules had already melted within a day, and I was desperately doing huge water changes twice daily, while also combing through the sand, manually removing as many of those tiny yellow balls as I could find. Took me two weeks to get the tank back under control again.

Since then, I'll only use and recommend name brand root tabs. I use NT labs, seachem or even the Tetra ones are okay. I wouldn't be wary of API branded tabs, but would be interested to hear your water test results.

Sorry to sound stupid but what are root tabs? I know a few users have mentioned before but that are they for?

 

[Essjay]

They are plant fertiliser in tablet form, and are used by pushing them into the substrate near root feeding plants. Some types are capsules rather than tablets but they are still referred to as root tabs.