Show me your “HeavyRoot Feeders”

[Pepere]

But here is the kicker…

Looking for photos of plants grown in inert substrates only, with no under gravel filtration, root tabs use, and substrate is less than a year old.

Specifically would love photos of thriving Amazon Swords grown in inert substrate without root tabs…. But also crypts, val, pogostemons, tiger lotus…

Just looking for examples of what many people say is impossible…

 

[techman81]

This is similar to something I was thinking of asking, as I plan my larger tank builds with inert substrates. What plants, if any, just aren't going to do well regardless of water column fertilization? In my early 20 gallon farm tank, I was growing most everything well in Seachem Flourite, but I was using root tabs.

 

[Unexpected]

Young Quadrocostatus.

Old Quad left side.

 

[*Ci*]

These swords and crypts are all doing will in a sand/fine gravel mix, no root tabs, light water column ferts.

More crypts that have been established for a number of years in the same mix, but much shallower (1.5”) no root tabs:

Vals, swords and dwarf sag in pool filter sand, but only in the tank for a few weeks so far:

 

[Unexpected]

Oh, here's before I started CO2 and right after I started chasing pH. Went RO water and stopped dosing KH.

Green Nymph, BDBS left side.

 

[Unexpected]

Val right side. BDBS

 

[Unexpected]

Ha, leapord val.next to crypts

 

[MrJG]

@*Ci* love the potted plants inside the tank, that is awesome!

 

[Pepere]

These swords and crypts are all doing will in a sand/fine gravel mix, no root tabs, light water column ferts.

My goodness Ci. Until I saw that discus floating in mid air there, I Thought these were just potted plants on a shelf and not in an aquarium…

 

[Kwyet]

It’s not the greatest picture, but the Leopard Val grows like a weed and you can see the huge Red Rubin Sword. The lilies all start off well and then shrink. I think they do need some root ferts. This is low-tech and just inert sand.

 

[Naturescapes_Rocco]

Cyperus helferi behind the wood, Blyxa japonica, crypts, and a foreground carpet of Dwarf Hairgrass Mini, all in 100% inert BDBS sand.



More crypts, as well as Schismatoglottis pretoi, a "root feeder".



Here's a literal spreading carpet of Crypt parva in nothing but inert sand and water column dosing. Pics don't do it justice.

95% of all aquatic plant species can easily be grown with only water column dosing. Aquasoils make things SO much easier, but just know that the myth of "root feeders vs water column feeders" is just that -- a myth!

 

[TRyan]

Here's my previous scape with BDBS.

And my current scape using BDBS.