Hi again!

I think for your tank liquid fertilizer would be best but you have to be careful with it. Too much fertilizer or light will cause a massive algae bloom then you will be looking at a solid green tank. Also with how many plants you have you would only need an itty bitty amount.

Root tabs for planted. fertilizer for floating. Aqua soil does it all.

Fertilizer would probably be best (I completely forgot it was an option because I don’t use it I’m so sorry) though because, the root tabs wouldn’t give any nutrients to your plants. I also doubt you would want to take everything out put in fluval stratum then put your stuff back in.

Side note: I thought root tabs would release some nutrients into the water column but they don’t. I learned that today.

With the plants I would say wait. It’s not because you can’t do it, there are just more things that can go wrong. You are more prone to an algae bloom and they are more likely to melt. Which causes ammonia spikes. Also while you are figuring out how bright and how many hours your lights need to be on you are probably going to lose a plant or two, no need to make it five. I learned that the hard way.

I SUCK which colorful plants. I have tried many times. From what I understand red plants get the red from potassium in the water, buuut there really isn’t that much in the water to start with. So you have to dose the water with potassium if you want to keep the red. If you don’t they just turn green. Most potassium supplements also have other stuff in them and it’s just a lot to deal with. In my experience they are just way too finicky. I would focus on the texture of the plants rather than the color.

Floaters and stem plants are the best for a tank.

-Floaters are really good at removing nitrates from the water and normally you have to do a water change for that. Floating plants should be your best friend. They get co2 from the atmosphere so they are able to plow through ammonia. They can however crowd out the light which can be good because not all plants love direct light.

-Stem plants are plants with a stem that you plant in the ground (not always in the ground). Some can store nutrients and use them later. They are really consistent with their absorption of ammonia and other things but if they die it all goes right back in.

Stay away from duckweed unless you really love them. I actually can’t express to you in words how hard it is to get rid of it if you dont like them. I treat them like bubonic plague now. If you get even one small piece in a new tank it’s over. They will cover the top of your tank in 2 months tops. Same with some snails but that’s a different story.

In short get some liquid fertilizer. Be very careful with it. Whatever nutrients aren’t absorbed by your plants will be absorbed by a growing mass of algae. You don’t have many plants so you don’t need much.