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Re: OSMOCOTE® calculation
"I've just received a bunch of TROPICAL OSMOCOTE from ScottŪ, it's a slow
release fertilizer particularly low in P."
Its a slow release fertilizer when used in terrestrial soil, as in a garden
or a flower box. In a submerged substrate, such as an aquarium, there
probably won't be anything "slow" about the release of the nutrients - they
(the nutrients within each osmocote granule) are water soluable and once
fully submerged, the nutrients will diffuse through the plastic coating,
probably rather quickly. You could encase the OSMOCOTE within clay balls -
that might slow down the release of the nutrients a bit and the CEC of the
clay particles might offer binding sites for the released ions so that they
stay in the substrate and don't migrate into the water column too quickly.
But that's a maybe, not a certainty. Be careful not to use too much at any
one time, or the ammonia released might damage your tank. If you go the clay
ball route - you could have more control over the nutrient levels since you
can decide when to insert more balls.
James Purchase
Toronto