# fertilizer sticks



## tropheusfreak (May 26, 2004)

Can you use the miracle grow plant sticks in an aquarium?

David


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## AV8TOR (Mar 28, 2004)

Not advisable. Too much phosphate plus there is urea in it. Jobes plant stakes for Ferns will be OK


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## SCMurphy (Jan 28, 2004)

Only if you bury them deeply and don't disturb the substrate, otherwise you could be asking for trouble. If you like to re-aquascape often and move swordplants, and the like, all around the tank then these would be a bad idea.


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## Sir_BlackhOle (Jan 25, 2004)

i think jobes plant sticks might be better.


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

It's nothing to do with PO4 in them, it is everything to do with NH4 and urea that is in them.

This gets into the water column and causes algae. 
You can add PO4 alone to the water and never get algae.
You can also keep adding more and more fish until you get an algae bloom for the same reason. 

I think the MG are lower in NH4 than the jobes also.
Make sure they are buried very deep and don't pull them up, you'll be sorry.


Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## aquaverde (Feb 9, 2004)

I have some large pond tabs in my non-CO2 tank. They contain urea, I have them about 3" deep in 4" of substrate. This tank gets very little replanting, and they have never presented a problem in the 6 months I've been using them.


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## paul236313 (Jul 23, 2004)

i think you should go with the flourish tabs by seachem there alot better that grow sticks


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## chrisl (May 24, 2004)

What happens to the Seachems Root tabs if you bury them and re aquascape? Do they also get disturbed and add to water column?


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## gpodio (Feb 4, 2004)

Flourish tabs stay solid until completely dissolved, that's the nice thing about them. You can simply pull one up and push it back down as if it was brand new (just smaller). I've used jobes plant sticks in the past to see how they worked, they did a good job, I don't think using the fern sticks is any better or worse than the regular house plant sticks but you certainly don't want them to leech into the water, as Tom said they use urea as a nitrogen source. If you pull one out by mistake you'll have to siphon it out with a gravel vac as it becomes a slimy glob that's impossible to put back where it came from. If your substrate is deep enough and it's a slow growing tank you may do fine with them but I'd prefer Flourish tabs personally. Plus don't forget that jobes sticks contain NPK only, no other elements, while Flourish Tabs also contain a good array trace elements.

Hope that helps
Giancarlo Podio


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## codeflag99 (Mar 19, 2004)

I believe the MG sticks I use in my house plants have traces listed.

I have not tried them in an aquarium. I use Flourish Tabs under my Turface/gravel.

I also water those house plants with water/mulm I have siphoned off during water changes. It has a VERY positive affect on the house plants!

I checked the package:

MIRACLE-GRO Plant Food Spikes

Guaranteed Minimum Analysis:

N - 6% -- 2.17% water insoluble
P - 12%
K - 6%

Mg - 0.5%
B - 0.025%
Cu - 0.055%
Fe - 0.2%
Mn - 0.055%
Zn - 0.055%
EDTA - 1.5%

_________________

George


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