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Trying to help out :
1. Depending of what kind of substrate you are talking about and the rate of uptake by plants, the nutrition within your substrate may be depleted in a matter of months or up to several years. Manufactured substrate like ADA soil usually last 1-2 years or so before they are running out of content and actually breaking up into fine pieces in the process (some says into mud), requiring a total change and overhaul in the end. While old school way of base fertilizer with gravel typically last for several months to a year before they need considerable addition of substrate additives such as root tablet.
2. When you are dosing liquid fertilizer at good regime, you would usually notice the need of substrate supplement first on the roots type plants. This kind of plant depend more and prefer better on the uptake via the roots, so a nutritious bottom is recommended for good growth. When everything grows just fine and your rooting/rosette type of plant does not grow as good, it is probably a sign to add in the tabs. How long substrate additive can last again depend on the uptake of your tank and the kind of substrate additive you add. Laterite based (usually in form of balls, they are reddish like soil when you cut them open) tends to supply minerals and iron and last quite long while formulated ones (usually in form of tablets, capsules) tends to supply essential nutrients with minerals for great boost. When the growth start to cease and the colors start to fade you just add again.
3. You need to balance the need of macro and micro nutrients when choosing liquid fertilizer. Usually the come as separate packaging. There are plenty of brands out there that work.
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