# Jobes Fertilizer Spikes 13-4-5(for Houseplants)



## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

Check to see is they contain urea, as most houseplant fertilizers do. Urea becomes ammonia in the aquarium, bad for starting algae, unless you can be absolutely sure they will never migrate up out of the substrate. If you do use them, I recommend cutting them into quarter inch pieces and using only a couple at a time - I did that a few years ago and the swords reacted very well. Of course, eventually they did migrate to the surface and I got a huge algae bloom.


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## rpc212 (Sep 29, 2005)

Ok this is what it says on the back of the package:

Total Nitrogen 13%:

2% Nitrate Nitrogen
2% Urea Nitrogen
2% Water Soluable Organic Nitrogen
7% Water Insoluble Nitrogen

Available Phosphoric Acid (P2O5) 4%
Soluable Potash(K2O) 5%
Derived from: Ureaformaldehyde Nitrogen, Triple Superphosphate, Potassium Nitrate.

Does the above constituents look safe and useable in an aquarium or are these bad? 

The Urea Nitrogen and Ureaformaldehyde Nitrogen scare me from what you, Hoppy, said above.

Thanks,

rpc212


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## jake (Feb 20, 2004)

I don't like jobes because months later you can still find chunks of them in the substrate, as in they don't completely dissolve away. 

If I didn't make my own fert tabs, I'd just buy the el cheapo AP Planttabs or something, like $3 for 50 or whatever. If those jobes you have got worked into the water column somehow, I'd think you'd have problems.


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## dschmeh (Feb 5, 2006)

i put one of the same under my amazon sword and its doing very well, I see a noticable improvement. its been in there about three weeks, so far so good . You have to make sure you bury it deep in the substrate and make sure you dont disturb it or it will enter the water and then youll have problems.


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## rpc212 (Sep 29, 2005)

What are AP Plant Tabs? Where can I buy them?

Thanks,

rpc212


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## Naja002 (Oct 12, 2005)

> they don't completely dissolve away.


That's True. I have found them after they "should" already be gone.

But, that said, I use them and I have exposed them within a couple of days, weeks and longer and never had any problems. Yet others claim algae outbreaks after exposing them, so....

I guess this is kind of a YMMV issue.


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## esarkipato (Jul 19, 2005)

I have a 1/4" peice under a crypt wendtii "brown" and it's sprouting many more new leaves than the similar sized wendtii that doesn't have a spike under it  

NOw if I can just keep those cories out of the substrate . . . . .


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## fosteder (Apr 8, 2004)

IMO they aren't worth the trouble. Some people may have success and that's good, but I am one that is always plants and replants, which usually includes disturbing the substrate. I don't like having to worry about spikes. They don't disintigrate well, even over time. They will cause algae. In my case it was BGA that wouldn't stay away. Blackouts, Maracyn etc. I finally replaced the substrate which solved the problem. If you are dosing water column, the plants should be fine without them. 

Just my 2 cents worth. :smile:


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

Yesterday I injected about a normal dosage of traces under a sword plant using a plastic syringe. If it perks up the plant I will certainly report it here. That seems to be the best of all worlds if it works. Has anyone had success doing this?


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## Marcotome (Aug 13, 2012)

I use jobe fertilizer stick on my tank. A lot at same time because my eco-complete is old. Somehow the sticks got exposed to water column and now I have a huge problem with nitrate. Does anyone now how to get my parameter to normal? I need help.
I even wash my substrate...


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Hi Marcotome,

Your best bet is to remove (if you haven't already) the parts that are exposed. Then do water changes, and do them frequently. The plants will eat the nitrates, so you don't have to worry too much, it's the fauna that can have issues. It should balance itself back out as the plants eat up the nitrates and you do water changes.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

As long as you use them with caution, they are great. I cut them into quarters, and push them all the way down into the substrate every 3-5 of months, or when plants start to grow smaller leaves.

Obviously, don't use a large number of them in a small tank with a very shallow substrate, UGF, or coarse gravel.

The binder material doesn't dissolve. Not really a big deal, if you pull some up after a year, just vacuum or net it out. Its nutrient contents will be depleted.

If you have to un-earth a plant that you recently supplied with stiks, just vacuum before, during and after you are pulling to remove most of the nutrients that might otherwise end up in the water column.


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