API Root Tabs

Name: API Root Tabs
SKU: API-ROOT-TAB
Availability: InStock

$19.95

SKU: API-ROOT-TAB

Categories: AQUARIUM EQUIPMENT, Aquarium Supplies, Water Treatments and Medications

Description

API Root Tabs – Freshwater Aquarium Plant Fertiliser

If your aquarium plants are yellowing, dropping leaves, or simply not growing as they should, the problem is almost always a lack of nutrients in the substrate. Unlike fish, aquatic plants feed primarily through their roots, and standard aquarium gravel provides almost no nutrition. API Root Tabs solve this by delivering essential nutrients directly into the substrate where plant roots can access them, promoting vigorous growth, rich green colour and a lush, thriving planted aquarium.

Key Benefits

Root-Zone Nutrition	Delivers nutrients directly into the substrate where aquatic plant roots absorb them most efficiently. Far more effective than water column fertilisers alone for root-feeding plants.
Iron & Potassium	Two of the most critical nutrients for aquatic plant health. Iron supports vibrant green colouration and prevents yellowing (chlorosis); potassium promotes strong stem and leaf development.
Carbon	An essential building block for plant tissue. Particularly beneficial in tanks without a CO2 injection system, providing an additional carbon source to support healthy growth.
New & Established Plants	Gives newly planted aquatic plants the nutritional boost they need to establish strong root systems, while keeping existing plants flourishing long-term.
Fish Safe	Completely safe for use with tropical fish, coldwater fish and invertebrates when used as directed.

Are API Root Tabs Right for Your Tank?

Root Tabs are ideal for root-feeding aquatic plants such as Amazon Swords, Cryptocorynes, Vallisneria, Sagittaria and most stem plants. They are especially useful in tanks running inert substrates like plain gravel or sand, where nutrients are not naturally available in the substrate. If you’re running a nutrient-rich aquarium soil such as ADA Amazonia, Root Tabs are less critical but can still be used to replenish nutrients in older, depleted substrates.

How to Use API Root Tabs

Add 1 tablet for every 30 square inches (approximately 194 cm²) of gravel surface area.
Push each tablet midway into the gravel bed near the base of your plants. Do not leave them sitting on the surface.
A standard 38 litre (10 gallon) aquarium typically requires 6 tablets.
Replenish with fresh tablets every month for sustained, optimum plant growth.

Tip: For best results, place Root Tabs directly beneath the root zone of your plants rather than spacing them evenly across the entire substrate. Heavy root-feeders like Amazon Swords will benefit from a tab placed within a few centimetres of their base. Replace monthly even if plants appear healthy, nutrients are consumed gradually and deficiencies can appear quickly once they run out.

Suitable For

Freshwater planted aquariums of all sizes
Tanks running inert substrates such as gravel or sand
Root-feeding plants including Amazon Swords, Cryptocorynes, Vallisneria and stem plants
Both new plant setups and established aquariums with depleted substrate nutrients
Safe for tropical fish, coldwater fish and freshwater invertebrates

Not sure if Root Tabs are what your plants need, or want advice on building a complete planted tank setup? We love talking plants.
Get in touch for free expert advice anytime.

⚠️ Heads-up: Root Tabs address substrate nutrition but are only one part of a complete plant care routine. For plants that also feed through their leaves, consider pairing with a liquid fertiliser such as API Leaf Zone for best results.