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Re: Osmocote
Jim Burrows wrote <jburrows at ix_netcom.com>
>I picked up a "sample size" at my local Home Depot (or was that Biulder's
>Emporioum?) for about $1.99 or so which will probably last me about 5 years
>at the rate I'm going. One thing I did notice is that if the balls are
>left on the surface of the gravel, you will get more algae, but used deep
>in the gravel, I noticed no increase that my SAE's and Otto's couldn't keep
>up with (IME). What I believe to be the best thing about Osmocote is the
>fact that it is a timed release fertilizer and comes in small balls that
>sink. There may be brands with better numbers that are also time-released,
>but I couldn't find them on that trip and haven't looked since.
I used "Osmocote Tree & Shrub Planting Tablets" which appears to be at
least a mechanically different product from your description. The
fertilizer is in roughly 2 cm diameter, 2 cm long tablets. Analysis is
20-10-5, from the lisitng on the box.
Total nitrogen (N)* 20.00%
7.0% water soluble organic nitrogen
13.0% water insoluble nitrogen
Available phosphoric acid (P2O5) 10.00%
Soluble potash (K2) 5.00%
Calcium (Ca) 2.6%
Sulphur (S) (Combined) 1.6%
Iron (Fe) 0.35%
derived from ureaformaldehyde, calcium phosphate, potassiom sulphate,
calcium sulphate, ferrous sulphate.
*17% Slowly available nitrogen from ureaformaldehyde.
One of these tables was cruched and mixed with the soil vermiculite
substrate in my 29 gallon tank. It's very high in P, and I would never
consider using it anywhere but in the substrate. I've read that Osmocote is
the same as "Lilypons" brand pond fertilizer tablets. Perhaps someone can
list the composition of Lilypons tablets.
Paul
Paul
Paul