API Leaf Zone safe for snail tank?

Chickadee

Chickadee

Snail addict
Dec 26, 2010
179
0
16
Traverse City, MI
I need fertilizer for my planted tank but have been afraid to buy anything that would hurt my snails. Today at Petsmart I read all the labels and ended up buying API Leaf Zone. I did not see copper listed in the ingredients. Is this okay? This will only benefit plants that absorb nutrients through the leaves, correct? Will I still need to get root tabs for the root plants? Or will the snail waste in the substrate be enough? Also, what is "melting"? I've seen this word mentioned a lot.
 
I believe Leaf Zone should be safe for invert's. Tabs will still be needed unless your using a substrate for plants.

Melting is when plants start to disintegrate, Val's are a good example common for them to melt when brought into a new enviroment the leaves start to go almost clear and fall apart down to the base. They usually bounce back though. Melting can happen due to change in water conditions or lighting.
 
API Leaf Zone ONLY contains iron (fe) and potassium (k), nothing more. You can use Flourish comprehensive plant supplement for your tank, I use it myself, and I've got thousands of pond snails in the tank, and flourish doesn't effect snail, shrimp, fish, etc..... Flourish is 100% Invert safe!!!!

What kind of plants do you have in the tank? Most aquatic plants are root feeders, meaning they get most of their nutrients from the substrate, so I would suggest root tabs if you have plants like crypt's or swords, because they are heavy root feeders. Plants like Anubias, and Java Ferns get their nutrients from the water column; Meaning they should never be buried into the substrate, because it'll kill them.

So basically if you have plants with roots like Vals, swords, crytp's, etc..... that are planted into the substrate, you should either have a good substrate medium that hold nutrients, or you should add root tabs.
 
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Thank you both for the info. I almost bought Flourish but went for the cheaper/smaller product. Okay, here are the plants I can remember off the top of my head: Crypt wendtii green, another crypt, 3 different annubias, dwarf hairgrass, hygro-something?, saggito-something?, java fern, moss ball, wisteria. I do have some fert tabs w/iron that I used another time and it made a mess in my tank and stained my snail's shell. I stirred up the gravel though so it was my fault. I do have kinda large gravel, probably not ideal for plants. I have a 2nd tank started w/finer gravel and will probably leave the wisteria in there. Also I plan to attach the java fern to wood.

ETA: I can stop after work and exchange the Leaf Zone for the Flourish.
 
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Yes I used to work at PetsMart lol, you can take it back and tell them you picked up the wrong product, and you want to get the right product lol. Doesn't matter if you opened it, used any of it, they'll take it back.


Saggio must be sagittaria, drawf sagittaria is a small grass like plant. I would go with the Flourish Root Tabs, they will not discolor the water, or paint your snail lol. Put them right into the substrate near the plants.
 
That's it, saggitaria! Glad you knew what I was talking about :o . About the annubias, I already planted a few of them in the gravel :uhoh:. They seem to be growing okay. I thought it was okay as long as you didn't cover all of the roots? Could I tie them to something other than driftwood like a rock? One is fairly tall and I like it in the back of the tank. Okay, off to Petsmart. Thanks!
 
Yep, tie them off to something, but in my opinion they seem to do best when attached to driftwood.
 
Okay, I'll see what I can do with the driftwood. So I got the Flourish. The ingredients list copper at .00001%. I'm a little nervous about this. I know everyone says it's safe and I respect Seachem's products. Just wish I had more reassurances that it was safe for apple snails. I mean, I've had pond snails and they can pretty much thrive in any condition.
 
My shrimp handle flourish just fine, and shrimp are way more selective to perfect water conditions than any other species of inverts. Plus when you say "copper" around snail people they immediately associate it with copper safe to treat the Ich parasite. The amount of copper within flourish is way less than the amount that can do any harm to inverts. The amount of copper in flourish is 1/10,000th of 1% , that's less than a spec of a copper dust from a piece of copper piping.

Here ya go - http://www.applesnail.net/forum3/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=12598
 
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Hey thanks, I was just looking on that site but nothing came up in my search. I'm sure it's fine then. I'm just paranoid because I had an issue a few months ago with snails dying and it might've been because I used fish meds in the tank previously. I've done some stupid things in the past with my snails and betta, putting meds/chemicals in the water without researching it first. Just trying to be more careful now.

I was just youtubing how to attach anubias & java fern to driftwood. Looks really cool and easy, can't wait to try it!
 
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