NilocG ThriveTabs Aquarium Root Tabs, 75 Count

ThriveTabs are NilocG Aquatics’ pressed root tablets for planted freshwater aquariums. Each tab is 1 Gram, and the bottle holds 75 Count. They use the same blend as the capsules: dry Thrive mix, iron rich clay and mineralized top soil, with both micro and macro nutrients.

Tabs versus caps

ThriveTabs and ThriveCaps share a formula. The difference is form: a pressed tablet instead of a gelatin capsule. Some keepers find tablets easier to break in half for small plants or nano tanks. The bottle also holds a few more.

Where to use them

• Under swords, crypts and other heavy root feeders
• In sand or gravel tanks with no built-in nutrients
• In aging soil tanks to top up nutrients

Placement

Use tweezers to push each tab deep into the substrate, a few inches from the plant base. Shallow tabs can release nutrients into the water, which feeds algae. Spread tabs out rather than clustering them.

Timing

NilocG describes them as a long lasting nutrient source. Add more when new growth slows, leaves pale, or older leaves yellow and die off early. Note the date and location of each round.

Nano tanks

For a small tank with only a few rooted plants, half a tab per plant is often enough. Overdoing root tabs in a small volume can raise nitrate quickly.

Pairing

Tabs feed roots. Stem and floating plants feed mainly from the water, so pair tabs with a liquid such as Thrive liquid fertilizer if you grow both.

Who it suits

Keepers who want a complete root feed and prefer tablets to capsules.

If you keep fish that dig, such as cichlids or large loaches, place tabs under rocks or at the base of established roots where they are less likely to be unearthed. A tab dug up into open water releases nutrients quickly and can trigger a burst of algae.