Osmocote - aquatic plants

[labidis]

Has anyone used the Omocote water gardens and aquatic plants tabs?

Do they compare with the API root tabs ? - incredients attached.

The osmocotes last up to 6 months, whilst the API recommend new tabs every month.

OSMOCOTE - $7 for 50 tabs. Whole pack does approx 400ltr tank - last 6 months

API ROOT TABS - $20 for 10 tabs. Whole pack does 70ltr tank - lasts 1 month








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[Brookster123]

A lot of us use homemade osmocote tabs with food safe gel capsules. Those look about the same as mine just 100x the size... I'd be weary putting that much in one spot unless its for a pond of course. Where's it going?

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[labidis]

Yeah... I wanted to make em myself with empty gel capsules, but couldnt find the right osmocote to use, and then stumbled on these, so i thought what the heck.

It says suitable for fish tanks which i will be putting them in.
They are 5grams each.

Do the ingredients look right?




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[Brookster123]

Yah! Do it up! Mine certainly does not say safe for aquarium use haha.. plants freaking love it !

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[Britty]

Yeah... I wanted to make em myself with empty gel capsules, but couldnt find the right osmocote to use, and then stumbled on these, so i thought what the heck.

It says suitable for fish tanks which i will be putting them in.
They are 5grams each.

Do the ingredients look right?

View attachment 256565


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I found these at my local hardware warehouse about 6 months ago. Yes the ingredients are good and they do what they say they do. I liked they were low in phosphates.

The pack does say they are suitable for tanks but I still started small (and still do it to this day because one of those doses looks huge to me tbh). I break one up into its little balls, being careful not to break any open and fill gel caps with them and push those as deep as they would go into the substrate. They last about 6 weeks this way. A whole one provides enough for about 6 gel caps.

I didn't use any of the blue spheres though as they are a 'wetting agent' and I interpreted wetting agent as some kind of soap compound which I didn't really want in the tank even if the pack says its safe for tank use.

Overall my plants really love them. I can see when the tab has depleted when the plants just start to turn. I add another one and within a day or two they are fresh and green again.

Best part is a whole pack will last me a lifetime, all for 7 bucks. Great value!

 

[labidis]

Yeah will give it a go tonight
Might stick 5 tabs in my 130ltr... Don't think that will be over doing it.
After all the instructions say 4 tabs per 30ltr.

Any probs if i put them close to the roots of my amazon sword or other plants?
Anyone ever noticed a probs with being to close to plants ?


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[Britty]

Yeah will give it a go tonight
Might stick 5 tabs in my 130ltr... Don't think that will be over doing it.
After all the instructions say 4 tabs per 30ltr.

Any probs if i put them close to the roots of my amazon sword or other plants?
Anyone ever noticed a probs with being to close to plants ?


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I haven't experienced any problems sticking them right next to my swords or crypts. But I don't use whole ones either.

 

[labidis]

Well i will be the guinea pig then britty.

Thanks for advice


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[PerfectDepth]

Does anyone know if the Osmocote Plus Outdoor & Indoor type is safe to use? I bought some to make diy root tabs, but I'm not sure if I bought the right thing. It was the only thing that said "plus", the other kind they had was just osmocote with no micro nutrients. The container looks like this:

 

[Brookster123]

That's what I use!

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[RadMax8]

Ditto. Works real nice!


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[PerfectDepth]

Thanks guys! I guess I'll give it a try.


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[labidis]

In getting bubbles/suds at the top of my tank since i put the osmocote fertiliser in my tank.
Is this normal?
Please note these suds disappear as soon as i switch my air stone off and only run the filter on its own.


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[lectraplayer]

Mebid has a thread about Osmocote. I use Miracle GRO plant spikes myself.

Suds don't sound all that kosher... You may have the ferts a bit thick. How are the fish doing?

 

[fish wrangler]

Where do you guys get the gel capsules from?

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[labidis]

Well they are kinda like suds... Its due to the air stone bubbles not popping quick enough... Only started happening since osmocote was introduced.

Capsules can be found on ebay.
Look under gelatin capsules size 00


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[labidis]

Ps.. Fish are very healthy atm


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[Britty]

In getting bubbles/suds at the top of my tank since i put the osmocote fertiliser in my tank.
Is this normal?
Please note these suds disappear as soon as i switch my air stone off and only run the filter on its own.


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Thats the wetting agent I was talking about before. The suds eventually go away.

 

[labidis]

Hey brit, I totally overlooked that part of your post.
Thanks for reminding me.. Will ensure i take em out, as i did a gravel clean since burying the. Under the subtrate, and now the granules are visible so i can kinda pick them out from the subtrate.

Will there be any issues if they are not all under the subtrate now ?


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[jetajockey]

Not really, just don't crush them.