plant tablets (terrestrial stuff)

To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
Subject: plant tablets (terrestrial stuff)
From: Nick LaRocca <nickl at css_sed.monmouth.army.mil>
Date: Wed, 20 Mar 96 10:58:27 EST
In-Reply-To: <199603192039.PAA12611 at looney_actwin.com>; from "Aquatic-Plants-Owner at actwin_com" at Mar 19, 96 3:39 pm
Mailer: Elm [revision: 70.85]

Hello rob:

If your aquarium has any fish or other animals, they will generate
more than enough nitrates and phosphates.  It will not be necessary
for you to add any.

On the contrary, adding these compounds may cause algae problems
since the algae appear to take them up in preference to the
higher plants which you want to encourage.

You did not say what brands of tablets were involved, but
I would not use them.

If you need to add trace elemsnts (e.g., iron) there are products
which will do this without adding nitrates or phosphates.

> 
>     after purchasing some plant tabs from tfp mail order i read the 
> ingrediants and then went to a plant shop and found that they were 
> almost identical.  the only difference is that the terrestrial stuff 
> has different concentrations of phosphorus, nitrogen and phosphoric 
> acid.  
> these are the three main ingrediants of any plant fertilizer.  
> 
>     now what i was wondering is if anyone would have a reason that 
> this would not be a good idea to use instead of the plant tabs from 
> tfp, because for about half the cost you can get almost 3 to 4 times 
> as much stuff.
> 
>     if anyone would like to know the exact percentages of each i 
> would be happy to post them, but as i said they are pretty close and 
> i am sure that if you searched enough you could get even closer.
> 

*************************************************************************
* Nick LaRocca		e-mail:	nickl at css_sed.monmouth.army.mil		*
*				larocca at doim6_monmouth.army.mil		*
*************************************************************************