Poisonous root tabs?
- Thread starter bettafishlover86
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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.
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.
OP
OP
bettafishlover86
Fish Fanatic
Ammonia is 0 ppm
Test nitrites and nitrates too! What test kit are you using?
OP
OP
bettafishlover86
Fish Fanatic
Master
OP
OP
bettafishlover86
Fish Fanatic
API master test kit
results for nitrite and nitrate?
How big of a tank are you using those root tabs in ? I shy away from them as my tanks are small , 20 gallons and less , and I think they are too strong for most of us to be playing around with.
OP
OP
bettafishlover86
Fish Fanatic
5 nitrate and 0 nitrite. I have had my tank up for half a year and it should be fully cycled but I don’t know what happened
OP
OP
bettafishlover86
Fish Fanatic
Mine is 29 gallons
Sounds cycled, and probably not the root tabs, just an unfortunate coincidence that the snail passed around the same time. Sorry about your snail though.
Oblio
Fish Herder
Somewhat related to the topic, I am about to exhaust my supply of Flourish tabs and was thinking of DIY Osmocote in gel caps. Has anyone here tried that?
perhaps people are selling rebranded garden tabs
Oblio
Fish Herder
Nitrate is not that high, that is my level after a WC. Could there be a systemic insecticide as part of the composition, if it's a rebranded terrestrial tab?
According to API packaging one 2 nutrients are listed iron and potassium. Too much of either could kill animals. If thereto tabs dissolved too fast or you didn't do any water changes they iron and potassium levels my have gotten too high. Too many unknown to make any concusions.
However plants need 14 nutrients to grow. Adding 2 is not going to help in most cases. I would recommend Seachem root tabs that have 13 nutrients which has worked for some people.
However plants need 14 nutrients to grow. Adding 2 is not going to help in most cases. I would recommend Seachem root tabs that have 13 nutrients which has worked for some people.
Osmocot has Annium Nitrate, Ammonium sulfate.They are designed to release nutrients whenever you water plants. In an aquarium they could release a lot very fast. Overall I wouldn't recommend them.
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