Re: [AGA Member] Dosing plants with NPK home compunds

["Roger Miller" <roger@spinn.net>]

On Fri, 12 Dec 2003 22:30:35 +0200, Amit Brucker wrote
> Hi,
> As part of my effort to save my Amazon swords, I think my tank lacks 
> some Nitrogen and Potassium. After a short visit to the plant 
> nursery I finally selected Jobes Spikes and some liquid fertilizer - 
> Yes for home plants! The Spikes made of: N - 6% P2O5 - 2% (trying to 
> keep phosphate as low as I can, not that I have any Algae 
> problems...) Potassium 3% And Iron 1% (EDTA) Which I doubt will have 
> any effect, Since it is not chelated

There are various formulations of Jobes Spikes.  I think that all of them
contain some ammonia and/or urea.  In my experience, sword plants respond very
well to Jobes Spikes.  Break the spikes into quarters or thirds and push the
pieces into the substrate around the base of the plant.  Make sure that the
pieces are thoroughly buried.  Once you have placed the pieces around a plant
the substrate must be undisturbed for several weeks, otherwise they can
release ammonia into the water.  The spikes don't break down completely for a
long time and anytime they are disturbed they can let loose a lot of
light-grey sediment in the aquarium.

There seems to be a high incidence of green water problem when people use
Jobes Spikes.

> The liquid is made of:
> NPK all 7% 
> I still need to look for KNO3 and other 'hydroponics' related compounds.
> Does anyone have any good experience with NPK home compounds ???
> 10x

The usual problem with houseplant fertilizers is that some of the nitrogen is
present as ammonia or urea.  These can be toxic to aquatic life and cause
algae blooms.


Roger Miller
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