# Do root tabs contribute to the water column as well?



## aecraig (Jun 2, 2013)

I picked up some root tabs for my amazon sword today, but I was wondering, will the root tabs dissolve and provide the water column with more nutrients as well for my other plants (anubias and frogbit)? Or will I need to pick up something else if I want ferts for them?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Not really, they are pretty much all soaked up by plants who are planted, especially an Amazon Sword as they are one of the heaviest root feeders. If you wanted to feed your anubias and Frog-bit then a liquid fert will suffice for them as well and will actually help your Sword too because they like stuff in the water column as well as in the substrate.

SeaChem's Flourish Comprehensive is a really great liquid fert and I use 1 drop per gallon once a week, otherwise you end up with algae if you don't have enough plants to soak it up! But it works really well :-D


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## aecraig (Jun 2, 2013)

Okay thank you so much ! Another quick question: could i crush up a tab and dissolve it in water to use in a water change as a makeshift water column fertilizer or would that not work correctly?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

I don't think you should do that, I haven't read anything on that but my senses tell me that's probably not a great thing to do since the minerals/nutrients found in root tabs are different from what is found in liquid ferts. Look at the ingredients and compare if you can.

I do, however, break up my tab in half and put half under one sword and half under another because I have three so it's just easier to break it in half and then replace it each month. Saves me some money in the long run too, well money at the moment. It will all cost the same eventually but it makes sense in my head haha.


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## aecraig (Jun 2, 2013)

Okay  thank you very much for all your advice!


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

np! :-D


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