# Jobe's fertilizer spikes



## tazgan

I was just wondering if anyone has used these for the aquarium. I got some that are 13-4-5 and some Miracle-gro 6-12-6 with miconutrients. Can they cause any problems.

 I also posted this under equipment by mistake but dont know how to remove or move. sorry

Thanks Tony


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## Edward

Hi
They are great for house plants. In an aquarium the conditions are different. The sticks don’t work as well as K2SO4, KNO3, KH2PO4 and MgSO4 premixed and dosed daily to the water column.

Edward


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## rufus

Hi Tony,

Jobe's sticks were quite popular around 4-5 years ago, however iirc the general consensus in the end was that it was all too easy for excess nutrients to leach into the water column, and the fact that they contain amounts of urea (I think?) led to GW problems for many folks also. The biggest problem being when re-scaping tanks and uprooting stem plants during maintenance. I imagine some folks are still using them, however Edward is right; the water column ferts are a much better solution, and give better results.


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## tazgan

Thanks for the reply, it did sound to easy and cheap to be true. i have been fertilizing the water column with ferts from greg so i continue with them as a saver bet. 
Thank again tony


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## titan97

Also remember that terrestrial plant ferts often contain ammonia (aka urea) as a nitrogen source. 

-Dustin


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## Bert H

If you have plants that are heavy root feeders, or you just want to enrich your substrate for whatever reason, use the ones formulated especially for planted tanks such as the ones Seachem makes. See here: http://www.seachem.com/products/product_pages/FlourishTabs.html.


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## tazgan

thanks bert, As a matter of fact i use them but @ $12.95 plus 15% taxes thats about $1.50 per tablet that canadian funds and also are hard to find.
The package does say Total nitrogen (N) 6%, 2.17% water insoluble nitrogen,3.08% slowly available nitrogen from methylene ureas. So what effect does ureas have?
thanks tony


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## azfishguy

I use Jobe's spikes for palms and ferns with good results. I break them into short pieces and stick into the gravel (about 2" deep). I've never had any green water or any other algea problems for that matter. I used Seachem root tabs before and didn't see much difference in plant growth, only in price.


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## Mjproost

I too, used the Jobes for Palm and Fern with no real problems. But they weren't that great either. A mess if you pull a partially broken down one up. But, now I do all my macro fertilization in the water column. I have much more control and get better growth.

BTW- The Jobes Spikes and Flourish tabs are not really comparable at all. The Jobes spikes are mostly macros (mostly N, but some P and K I beleive). Flourish tabs are mostly micros (high in iron), basically like putting dry Flourish liquid in you substrate. I do use Flourish tabs under my heavy root feeders in an older tank with a somewhat nutrient poor substrate(70% gravel 30% Flourite/Schultz's). IMO- if you have a good substrate and dose micros in the water column they are unnecessary.

HTH


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## plantbrain

You can use them, but why?
You need to add KNO3 already in virtually all cases.

If you do use them, use them sparingly, add them deep, don't uproot.
Most folks had issues back then, but a few did not.

Depends on uprooting, etc and how much you add.

If you add ferts to the water column correctly, then you gain nothing/little from adding them.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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