# Jobe's sticks



## ShaneSmith (Feb 15, 2004)

In a tank with 160 watts over 50gallons 36x18x20 planted heavily with Rotala Macranda green (Narrow leaf), Limnophila aromaticoides, Rotala Rotundfolia sp. green, Heteranthera zosterfolia, Echindorus tennelus Micro, Eusteralis stellata broad leaf( Actually one stem but hoping to have more soon. How often should i expect to add these. I really have absolutly no idea whatsoever. I just need a ball park so i can narrow it down from there in experimentation. Light fish load too that doesn't get fed (Algae eaters). Tank is fully fertilized heavily through water column. Plants prefer to tank out of the water column but the addition near the roots seems to help.


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## Steve Pituch (Jan 25, 2004)

Hi Shane,
If you have a soil substrate, my experience on plants like Echinodorus that require root feeding is that you don't need to add extra substrate fertilization. The soil provides a lifetime of micronutrients such as Fe. Mine have never needed macro nutrients NPK. Be careful with Jobes Spikes! In the PMDD era, they were used only cautiously because of the high phosphate. I think the best Jobes spikes were the ones for Palms?, I think, because they had the least amount of P.

I don't know about the other plants you mentioned since I haven't grown them.
Steve P.


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## Wheeler (Feb 8, 2004)

These are best used cut up into smaller nuggets and placed *deep* into the substrate. I've never found any benefit to using them. I'm trying it again now on a small tank with Glossostigma and E. tenellus, and I don't think it does much, really.

I would use one per 10g cut up into quarters or eighths and spread around evenly and as far down as you can get them. That way if you acidentally pull one up it won't as big of a deal... Yes, the one for "Lush Palms and Ferns" is the most desireable.


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## ShaneSmith (Feb 15, 2004)

I chopped mine into thirds, I dont think Glosso will be able to reach the jobes wheeler. The Tennelus might be able to. How long does a jobes spike last in a tank? I use the House plant one can't find palm a ferns. I mainly use them for phosphates anyhow.


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## Wheeler (Feb 8, 2004)

Even if the roots don't reach the actual spike, the nutrients will diffuse out of them and bind with clay particles, humics, and biofilms. In fact, they will distribute themselves evenly throughout the substrate. The nutrients will diffuse at different rates: the more surface area (ie: chopped into smaller bits) the faster it will expend itself. I don't think anyone knows exactly how fast it will spend itself.


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## ShaneSmith (Feb 15, 2004)

Thanks for the help. Good to know about diffusion i only put the sticks under plants i thought would reach them. I'm adding them once every two months i guess, i doubt i will know when i run out though.


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