[APD] Re: DIY balls

[Thomas Barr <tcbiii at earthlink_net>]

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"Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2004 15:17:17 -0400
From: "Byron J. Yu" <sixty9 at gmail_com>
Subject: [APD] diy substrate fertilizers?
To: aquatic-plants at actwin_com

just wondering what u guys think of diy substrate fertilizers.
Currently i use seachem tabs, but they are a bit expensive. Is mixing
clay and pmdd to make fertilizer tabs just as good? I think i've read
that seachem tabs are good at not leaking into the water.. how about
this diy method?
Any suggestions or advice is appreciated
thanks,
Byron
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Why is leaking into the water column "Bad" or somehow undesirable?
If you have the nutrients in the water column, this is where the plant will take it up. If none is in the water column, the plant will take it from the substrate. The substrate is mainly a back up in case we forget to dose the water column. Some methods can rely on less dosing and no dosing of the water column  if you so chose, but you gain nothing as far the growth is concerned(actually higher growth rates with water column supply), more an issue of dosing habits. It does not prevent algae FYI. I've shown that clearly for a number of years now.

There are a number of ways to make DIY balls etc, but soil works fine also.
Mud cubes etc or a thin layer etc when you set the tank up.
Mess is an issue so that is the biggest issue for most DIY sub balls/tabs etc.

Trace ferts can be added to clay etc and you can fine a fair amount in the archives on this.
Jobes etc.

The only bad thing is too much OM all at once and NH4/urea. Otherwise the substrate does pretty well with most fert routines you add.

Regards, 
Tom Barr






 



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