Fertilizer In A Communal Tank

[kabodhi]

Hi all im just looking for some advice.

I have a communal tank and want to grow some simple plants. The substrate is play sand which ideally i dont want to change for two reasons; 1, it looks real nice, and 2, I have 6 corys which like to dig about in the sand.
I have heard of putting a layer of fertilizer under the sand, but feel the corys will just mix it all up, so my question is can I just put the plants right into the sand bed and the place a fert capsile by the roots?

 

[roadmaster]

Hi all im just looking for some advice.

I have a communal tank and want to grow some simple plants. The substrate is play sand which ideally i dont want to change for two reasons; 1, it looks real nice, and 2, I have 6 corys which like to dig about in the sand.
I have heard of putting a layer of fertilizer under the sand, but feel the corys will just mix it all up, so my question is can I just put the plants right into the sand bed and the place a fert capsile by the roots?

Yep, Is what I used to do with sand substrate and crypt plant's in an aquarium that also housed corydora's.
Made my own root tabs with Osmocote pellet's wrapped in clay balls and baked in the oven.
Now day's I just let the clay balls or plugs dry for a week before placing them deep in the substrate near the base of crypt's, sword plant's.

 

[kabodhi]

brilliant thanks for that reply....always good to hear it from someone more experienced