# Mbuna and Root Tabs



## riggles17 (Jan 4, 2011)

I'm cycling my tank right now, cycle appears to be coming close to being over (did a fishless cycle), and now I'm getting my fish organized for pickup. 

I have 3 Amazon swords in the tank, I know I'm risking the fish eating the plants, and I'm okay with that. For the time being that the plants are in the tank undisturbed I'd like them in the best health possible. I've been told by a few people that adding a root tab under each plant would help them tremendously. Particularly under the circumstance that I'm not running 'high light' because this tank is a fish tank and not a planted tank 

My question to everyone is whether or not you've had success with root tabs buried under plants for their health, without affecting the water chemistry for the cichlids?


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## newcichlidking (Dec 30, 2017)

Unfortunately, you do not mention which mbuna you keep. Anubias (barteri or nana) are the first choice for a mbuna tank and have a good chance to survive. But they are usually not planted in the ground, but on stones etc. Amazon swords are more soften. Generally, root tabs act as a fertilizer for the plants and yes, they can make your water a little bit more acid. But I do not think, that this will have a major impact to your tank (again, no information about the size), due to the fact, that you have only three of them. So the root tabs should have a good influence to your plants anyway. If the mbuna destoy the plants, try anubias and feed herbal nutrition with a high propotion of spirulina.
To be shure, measure the PH-value regularly for the first 4 weeks. If you detect an acid PH, remove the tabs, but I don´t think, that this will happen.
Have fun with your cichlids!

P.S.
Excuse grammatical and others errors. English is not my native language.


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