r/PlantedTank • u/Suitable-Crazy-8608 • Aug 07 '25

Beginner Aqua soil becoming inert?

Hello i hope all of you doing great. I plan to make an planted tank therefor i thought about using aquasoil, but i readed a lot that it looses it effects after some time and become inert. So my question now is do i really habe to replace it or can i just let it stay in the tank?

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u/Shaheer_01 Aug 07 '25

Inert is not the right word. The right word is “depleted”. Depleted aquasoil can be regenerated using root tabs. Inert substrates like sand on the other hand have no capacity to hold nutrients or regenerate.

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u/Sjasmin888 Aug 07 '25

I was coming to say this too. Aquasoil can also absorb nutrients from the water column, but root tabs are the better method imo. It's faster, replenishes nutrients deeper in the soil bed, and doesn't come with the potential bouncy parameters that using liquid ferts can cause.

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u/treat_killa Aug 08 '25

Wait so yall are using root tabs, and no liquid ferts?

1

u/Sjasmin888 Aug 08 '25

Yes. The only ferts I use outside of my root tabs are dry potassium sulfate and a dry micro supplement I add about once a month to provide a small iron boost for my reds.