# Fish eating dry fertilizer



## Revernance (Aug 20, 2007)

I dry dose my fertz. The fishes think I'm feeding them and "chow down" on the fertz. I know they won't die, but what is really happening after the point that my fertz go into the water column?

I was reading a bit from this thread: 
Fish eating fertz

By the way, I get a semi small headache when I'm dosing. (I just got the dry fertz 2 days ago.) Is it all in my head that I "feel" like I'm getting a headache?


----------



## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Nitrates are capable of causing a headache, but I have never heard of any from dosing an aquarium. You obviously aren't supposed to crush it to a fine powder and puff it into the air. I suspect you are just tense worrying about the effect of the fertilizers on the fish. If they try to eat the crystals of nitrate or phosphate all they do is suck them in and immediately spit them out. No harm that I have ever seen. Eventually even stupid guppies seem to learn not to do that.


----------



## Edward (May 25, 2004)

Hi
So you worry about your possible headache from just handling the chemicals but at the same time you let your fish eat it? Nothing but cruelty to animals. Those salts are toxic to fish unless dissolved in water to low concentration.


----------



## oregon aqua (Jan 30, 2008)

If your worried about the fish and your headaches, i would where nitrile gloves and a dust mask and make a mix of stock solution. That way the fertz will dissolve faster into the water and your not playing with the dry powder as often.


----------



## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Edward, people all over the world are dosing dry fertilizers, and have been for a few years now, but I have never seen a single comment about that practice being found to harm fish. There is certainly nothing wrong with making solutions and dosing them instead, and that's what I now do, but dry dosing is not cruelty to fish.


----------



## Edward (May 25, 2004)

I know, fish never scream or give it to us in writing so we assume its ok.


----------

