Coop Root Tabs

[David Retired LEO]

I am going to be setting up a new 29gal, planted, community tank. I was wondering if you can add root tabs to the bottom of the tank, before the substrate? Will they be too deep? Can you put in too many root tabs? Or can I load up? Thank you 

[jwcarlson]

I don't think you can really go too deep.  I think substrates are probably too thin if anything, on average, in the hobby.  For plants, I mean.  

They usually like to start moving around if you put them on the bottom and start dumping something in on top.  I would put down maybe an inch of whatever you're doing and then shove them in and start covering them.  Otherwise they're not going to stay where you want them probably.

As far as too many.  You probably can.  But I've put a whole bunch of them in (and capped them with sand) more than once and haven't had a problem.  If it's something more open like gravel, I could see there being some marginal amount of additional risk.  But I don't think the ACO root tabs use ammonia unless I'm mistaken.

[Katherine]

On 2/20/2023 at 3:05 PM, jwcarlson said:

But I don't think the ACO root tabs use ammonia unless I'm mistaken.

They do not use ammonia.

[knee]

The roots will always find them no matter how deep. I've had a tank with 4-5" substrate at the back and the roots went all the way to the bottom.

You can also open the capsules and spread the contents on the bottom then cap with sand, I'd then put an extra unopened root tab on spots that will have some root feeders. I've done this with a different brand root tab that uses capsules as well.

[ccc24]

From my experience you can just load up. My only concern with putting them in first is that the plant has to have the nutrients to grow to reach that far (but the nutrients are in those deeply buried tabs). 
I have a pair of hemostats that I use to shove them down in the substrate without any floating issues. 

[nabokovfan87]

On 2/20/2023 at 12:51 PM, David Retired LEO said:

I am going to be setting up a new 29gal, planted, community tank. I was wondering if you can add root tabs to the bottom of the tank, before the substrate? Will they be too deep? Can you put in too many root tabs? Or can I load up? Thank you

First question is how deep do you plan the substrate. I'd say 3-4" is about optimal and would be good for root tabs on the glass, then add substrate.

Common practice is to add half the substrate, add the tabs, then add the rest of the substrate.

As for spacing, I tend to do them in a 2" grid, offset with how the plants are, let me see if I can make it make sense....

x * x * x * x * x * x
* x * x * x * x * x *
x * x * x * x * x * x

^^ Let's say this is your tank, looking at it from the top down to the bottom glass.

* = Root tab location
x = Plant location

Spacing for the plants would be dependant on what you're planting, general 1-3" apart. tabs would be somewhere on that 2-3" grid across the substrate.

On 2/20/2023 at 1:13 PM, knee said:

You can also open the capsules and spread the contents on the bottom then cap with sand, I'd then put an extra unopened root tab on spots that will have some root feeders. I've done this with a different brand root tab that uses capsules as well.

This also works and is probably a way to guarantee no air bubble issues.  I poke holes with a thumb tack in the end of all the tabs, both sides, or they are just too boyant for me.

[David Retired LEO]

Thank you all for the info!!!

[jwcarlson]

I've had way more issues with them floating up in gravel than I have in sand.  They seem to stay pretty well in a couple inches of sand.  In gravel they seem to want to pop up or at the very least get close enough that the gelcap blooms up out of the gravel.  I didn't even pop holes in the last ones I put in sand, I don't think.  

As far as placement, I get a rough idea what I want to do when I'm setting up a tank and almost make piles of them where I know plants will be most dense.  and leave them out of places I want to stay open.  It works OK, but can be easy to forget exactly where you put them.  But being precise isn't that important in this instance.

[David Retired LEO]

Thank you for the info. I have had problems with them floating up also. One of my goldfish dug one up and swallowed it. He was burping out the contents for 20 minutes. I was worried for awhile.  That was 6 months ago so I guess no harm was done.