I did the same thing you did. Was very proud of myself for having a bare bottom tank with plenty of water changes. My potted plants were growing like weeds and I did not observe any side effects from the tabs. But then again, I had mine planted in ordinary water glasses (no holes at the bottom). I would lift them up gently, just enough to syphon any dirt around the glasses. Once a week I would lift them out of the tank and wash the gravel a bit to remove whatever had accumulated on the top (1" deep). On one occasion I emptied one of the glasses completely into a bucket and I was very surprised by the amount of debries that were in it. I loved my plants but I knew that they had to go, for my peace of mind. After all that wc and syphoning, I just couldn't bear the thought that I have pots filled with dirt :-). I, like you have 3-4" juveniles that I want to grow to their highest potential. So, in my mind using the seachem tabs with potted plants is your best solution, if you have plants.
Hope this helps. Your tank looks super clean!
JC