# Osmocote is it safe?



## Maryland Guppy (Dec 6, 2014)

Osmocote Plus has been the fertilizer of choice.
Don't remember the reason behind this though.


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## WinterSoldier. (May 5, 2019)

Maryland Guppy said:


> Osmocote Plus has been the fertilizer of choice.
> Don't remember the reason behind this though.


Okay! I have it. This week I am going to make my root tabs


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## AguaScape (Oct 28, 2018)

WinterSoldier. said:


> Okay! I have it. This week I am going to make my root tabs


I have never used Osmocote, but I have seen that some prefer to simply insert the individual balls under the substrate with tweezers and not even bother with the gel caps. From what many say, there is no real way to know how fast each element is released into the water column so maybe err on the side of caution? Personally I prefer to column dose as I know exactly how much I am putting in. Many have success with Osmocote. Hopefully more chime in with how they do it.


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## Maryland Guppy (Dec 6, 2014)

Seem to also remember some only using half a gel cap and folding over the top.

I've tried individual balls inserted with tweezers under certain plants.
Can't say that it was any better than just dosing the water column.
Been years since I used the osmocote.


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## diverjoe (Oct 21, 2016)

The other thing to consider is the Osmocote does leave the shell of those little round ball in the substrate have a tendency to find their way back up to the surface :-0

I have bdbs and it looks bad on that black. When I used them I did exacty what you are doing. I still use them occasionally for a new plant that is a root feeder that I want to give a jump start. 

I watercolumn dose all the rest of the time



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## WinterSoldier. (May 5, 2019)

diverjoe said:


> The other thing to consider is the Osmocote does leave the shell of those little round ball in the substrate have a tendency to find their way back up to the surface :-0
> 
> I have bdbs and it looks bad on that black. When I used them I did exacty what you are doing. I still use them occasionally for a new plant that is a root feeder that I want to give a jump start.
> 
> ...




Oh, I plan to use them for my swords and my lilies. I just need a few to keep them growing and give them a boost. So should I bother with the gel caps or not?


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## diverjoe (Oct 21, 2016)

Do you dose the water column? If not would probably help give them a jump start. 


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## WinterSoldier. (May 5, 2019)

diverjoe said:


> Do you dose the water column? If not would probably help give them a jump start.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


No, I am doing a walstad tank, but I decided to ditch it and use root tabs because it is kinda difficult to maintain


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## WinterSoldier. (May 5, 2019)

So shld I just bury the beads, or use the capsules


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## NotASpammer (Aug 23, 2016)

It's safest if you make sure it's covered with fine substrate and it's at the bottom surface of the tank. I made the mistake of letting the osmocote get too close to the substrate surface and killed a bunch of Amano shrimp. I don't think I will use it again soon, but will continue to use dirt instead. Next time, if I use it, I'll cover it with sand and go at least 2" of substrate on top of it


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## WinterSoldier. (May 5, 2019)

https://www.amazon.com/Clear-Empty-...teway&sprefix=gelatin+ca,aps,142&sr=8-23&th=1

This is what I plan to use as a capsule, I just tried jamming some beads down below one of my crypts and it made a mess


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## diverjoe (Oct 21, 2016)

Don’t forget the loose beads in the substrate is what you will have after about30 min in the water when the gel cap dissolves


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## Phil Edwards (Jul 18, 2003)

WinterSoldier. said:


> Oh, I plan to use them for my swords and my lilies. I just need a few to keep them growing and give them a boost. So should I bother with the gel caps or not?


You can also use regular Jobe's/MiracleGro fert tabs. Go for something with equal N P K like 4-4-4. Cut them into quarters and make sure to shove it down deep about 1/2" from the plant's base. 

Flourish Tabs are also excellent for those plants.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Probably one of the few that will say not to use them, or very sparingly.
In a water environment there is little stopping them from "releasing" fairly rapidly..
They make ones specifically for water environments but NOT available in the US..

bottom line is, not much different than water column dosing..


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## diverjoe (Oct 21, 2016)

Never thought of that


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## WinterSoldier. (May 5, 2019)

Phil Edwards said:


> You can also use regular Jobe's/MiracleGro fert tabs. Go for something with equal N P K like 4-4-4. Cut them into quarters and make sure to shove it down deep about 1/2" from the plant's base.
> 
> Flourish Tabs are also excellent for those plants.




I checked the prices and was really like "wow"


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## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

Maryland Guppy said:


> Osmocote Plus has been the fertilizer of choice.
> Don't remember the reason behind this though.



Plus has both micros and macros, the regular is only macros


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## AbbeysDad (Apr 13, 2016)

My concern with terrestrial fertilizers like Osmocote is the urea used. If you're going to use them, use them sparingly and push them deep into the substrate - right down to the glass bottom.


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## Phil Edwards (Jul 18, 2003)

AbbeysDad said:


> My concern with terrestrial fertilizers like Osmocote is the urea used. If you're going to use them, use them sparingly and push them deep into the substrate - right down to the glass bottom.


This is good advice for any root tab. Doing so helps to encourage deep rooting and a more well-oxygenated substrate.


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## Tiger15 (Jan 7, 2018)

Osmocote came in two types, terrestrial and aquatic. Both came in time release pellets, and the aquatic one has extra capsules to further slow down the release. The ingredients contain ammonium nitrogen, so if the release were not time delay, it may harm fish at high dosage. The instruction recommends burying one capsule per 4 square inches, so if you have a 75gal, you need to bury something like 50 capsules, sound awfully high. I am using it for vacation plant food, and plan to place 5 in the substrate in my 75 to play safe.


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## Botia dude (Feb 6, 2005)

Osmocote plus has 0.52% copper. I don't recommend them if you have shrimp unless you use very sparingly.


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## Botia dude (Feb 6, 2005)

Tiger15 said:


> I think it is 0.05% copper.
> 
> [Ebay Link Removed]
> 
> Bump:





Tiger15 said:


> I think it is 0.05% copper.
> 
> [Ebay Link Removed]
> 
> Bump:


Pardon me. You are correct. I lost a tank full of shrimp when the soil was disturbed so I just decided to be really careful using ferts with copper in them. I probably used more than recommended when I set up the tank. My own fault. Just putting it out there for folks that keep shrimp. 

Plantex CSM-B - Copper(chelated).................................................. 0.1%

Thrive + liquid - Copper(Cu)..................................0.0002%

Thrive S shrimp specific liquid - Copper (Cu)	Zero

Thrive Root tabs - Copper(Cu)..................................0.0001%

Miller's Microplex - Copper (Cu) ....................................1.5%

Osmocote plus - Copper (Cu)	0.050%

Tropica liquid ferts - couldn't find it 

Seachem Flourish - Copper (Cu)	0.0001%

Aquarium Co-op Easy Green - Copper 0.00%


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## ced281 (Jul 6, 2012)

jeffkrol said:


> Probably one of the few that will say not to use them, or very sparingly.
> In a water environment there is little stopping them from "releasing" fairly rapidly..
> They make ones specifically for water environments but NOT available in the US..
> 
> bottom line is, not much different than water column dosing..


I've gone to the extreme in using osmocote and I'd generally give it a thumbsup, especially if you use it properly. Like @jeffkrol said it can release fairly rapidly into the water column if it's exposed to free water.

I once used a 1 pellet deep 26x26cm layer on the bottom of a 30x30cm tank of mine that grew a massive Cryptocoryne parva carpet. I capped the osmocote w/ about 2 inches of the black aquarium sand sold at Petco. They lasted about 2 years without having to do much additional fertilization (aside from CO2 injection). I remember having a massive algae bloom (green water) at some point during the earlier stage of the tank, which I assume is from the rapid release of nutrients. I also grew a colony of RCS in that tank that that did really well.

I have also used osmocote by filling Laguna plant spikes and inserting that into the substrate. Would really only recommend this if you can bury it deep enough (burying at an angle works decently well). I did this in my larger tanks (60gal and 75 gal) and had pretty good results.

Nowadays, I primarily use it to power grow plants that I sell on the forums. I stuff like 5 or 6 pellets into a 1.5x1.5" rockwool cube stuffed into a 1.25" net slit pot. I only recently had an algae bloom (which I'm attributing to this) because the plants in two of the pots melted and basically released all the osmocote into the water column through the channels that previously contained the plant stems.

Overall, I'd say it's a good, economical choice for substrate dosing. I wouldn't consider it a true alternative to water column dosing though, since my understanding is that some plants are preferential substrate feeders and others can benefit greatly from both substrate and water column fertilization (probably varies from species to species). I personally do both, and lean more towards substrate dosing when I'm growing crypts and erios, though I will say FME rotalas and hygros tend to do really well with both root and substrate fertilization.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Just for reference..



> Thank you for contacting us and for the opportunity to help you with your lawn and garden endeavors.
> 
> .....unfortunately, we do not have any information on products that are sold in other countries. We also do not have information on why a product would be registered for us in some countries and not others. I do apologize for any inconvenience.
> 
> ...


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## Tiger15 (Jan 7, 2018)

Interesting. The manufacturer, Scotts, does not recommend Osmocote for aquarium use. But it is marketed for aquarium use by third parties everywhere.

Seachem markets Flourish Root Tab for aquarium use. The listed ingredients suggest Calcium sulfate or chalk is the coating material, so soft water will dissolve Root Tab faster than hard water. It is the same coating material vacation fish food use. 

Just wonder what coating material Osmocate employs to to delay nutrients release.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Tiger15 said:


> Interesting. The manufacturer, Scotts, does not recommend Osmocote for aquarium use. But it is marketed for aquarium use by third parties everywhere.
> 
> Seachem markets Flourish Root Tab for aquarium use. The listed ingredients suggest Calcium sulfate or chalk is the coating material, so soft water will dissolve Root Tab faster than hard water. It is the same coating material vacation fish food use.
> 
> Just wonder what coating material Osmocate employs to to delay nutrients release.


the 'balls" don't dissolve so it's more a semi-porous resin thing...




> The shells are not plastic but instead are compromised of semi permeable coating that allow moisture in and out of the prill at a controlled rate through the process of osmosis. These prills can remain for 4-6 months, and may remain even after the fertilizer is gone.






> The shell is a derivative of linseed oil and degrades biologically. One of the special qualities of Osmocote is the fact that because its nutrients are released via osmosis, it does not contribute to the eutrophication of rivers and lakes with excess nitrogen because it replaces the nutrients in the soil at the same rate that plants take nutrients up


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## Macfan (Mar 30, 2008)

It didn't seem to be a problem, other than, as others have said, the balls make their way to the surface when messing around with plants. They are light enough not to be siphoned out when vacuuming, so they just sit there. I found it annoying and wouldn't use it again for that reason. 

I got the gelcaps, loaded them up, and then I built an inserter using a BIC pen cap which happened to fit the gel cap in the open end. I affixed the pen cap to a stick and used another stick to push through a hole in the top of the cap. So I could load the gelcap in the end, push into the substrate, then use the stick to eject it from the pencap holder.


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## Tiger15 (Jan 7, 2018)

diverjoe said:


> Don’t forget the loose beads in the substrate is what you will have after about30 min in the water when the gel cap dissolves
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


My Osmocote Plus are made up of loose beads contained inside elongated gel caps. This post said that the gell cap will dissolve in 30 min.

So don’t know what balls refer to that are semi permeable to slow osmotic diffusion for days. Are there different packaging for Osmocote? 

I plan to use Osmocote for slow release vacation plant food. Is it appropriate?


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## Macfan (Mar 30, 2008)

If you bought it for aquarium use, then perhaps it came in gel caps, but if you buy it in the retail package, it's just the beads. The beads are reportedly small porous ceramic balls with the fertilizer mixed in. The water is able to leach the fertilizer out slowly over time. Whether or not it's truly osmosis, I don't know, but I'm sure that's where the name comes from. It's normally used in terrestrial plants, mixed into the soil, and I believe the package suggests it will leach out over 6 months. I've seen it in aquariums for feeding root feeder plants like crypts and swords. For vacation feeding, and feeding in general, I would pick up one of the $40 programmable dosers. You calibrate it and connect it to bottles of your fertilizer and every day it puts the correct amount in the tank. I wasn't good at fertilizing consistently when life got busy. Since switching to auto-dosing, it has been so much better.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Just an FYI:
For aquariums/ponds ect.. NOT available in the US..
https://www.scottsaustralia.com.au/...-trace-elements-water-gardens-aquatic-plants/




> How it works
> 
> In Water Gardens & Aquatic Plants, prills are compressed into tabs that are enclosed in a non-soluble casing to prevent water contamination
> The release of fertiliser is controlled by temperature (not by moisture)
> ...


What "we" inc. myself, use:
https://www.scottsaustralia.com.au/...mocote-plus-trace-elements-total-all-purpose/



> Not suitable for
> Do not use in hydroponic growing systems, ponds or pots submerged in water
> Do not use on lawns - use only specifically named fertilisers on grassed areas


NOW here is the thing, this is how they say it works:
How it works



> The release of nutrients from the fertiliser depends on soil temperature, not soil moisture


One could speculate that heat enlarges "pore sizes" so more is released (you need water though as transport) at higher temps..
Actually it is a bit complicated:
https://pcf.aces.illinois.edu/sites/pcf.aces.illinois.edu/files/pictures/everris_crf_guide.pdf



> moisturE. tEmpEraturE. rElEasE.
> An Osmocote Plus prill contains N-P-K, six micronutrients and
> magnesium. Water vapor is absorbed into the prill through the
> patented, polymer coating and dissolves the fertilizer inside.
> ...


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## Tiger15 (Jan 7, 2018)

So Osmocote come in all different packages. Mine as described below is slow release up to 2 months and is safe for shrimp and fish.

An all-in-one solution. One application contains 11 essential nutrients and feeds up to 1 to 2 months in an aquarium. Works with virtually all plant varieties and growing conditions. Each granule is coated with a unique resin that controls nutritional release. Plants get what the need, when they need it.

This product is an excellent plant food for aquarium plants. I use 1 capsule every 16 square inches (4"x 4") in my planted tanks. The amount of fertilizer that must be used should depend on factors such as water change frequency, amount of plants in the aquarium, temperature of the aquarium, lighting, etc. I suggest starting slow and letting the plants show when to add more fertilizer. I do 20% water changes on a weekly basis and fertilize my plants once a month, like stated above, watch your plants and feed them as needed. Insert the gelatin capsules deep into the substrate of your fish tank.

These root tabs are fish and shrimp safe.



Tabs are shipped with a dessicant bag to protect them from moisture.



GUARANTEED ANALYSIS:
TOTAL NITROGEN (N)*……………….....15.0% 
Ammoniacal Nitrogen………………………8.0% 
Nitrate Nitrogen……………………………7.0% 
AVAILABLE PHOSPHATE (P2O5)*…....…9.0% 
SOLUBLE POTASH (K2O)……………......12.0%
Calcium*...........................................................1.9%
MAGNESIUM (Mg)*…………………..…..1.4% 
SULFUR (S)*…………………………….....4.0% 
BORON (B)*……………………………......0.02% 
COPPER (Cu)*………………………….......0.05% 
IRON (Fe)*……………………………...…..0.45% 
Chelated Iron (Fe)*………………..………...0.03% 
MANGANESE (Mn)*…………………..…..0.06% 
MOLYBDENUM (Mo)*…………….………0.02% 
ZINC (Zn)*…………………………..………0.05%
* The nitrogen, phosphate, potash, magnesium, sulfur, boron, iron, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc sources have been coated to provide 12.7% coated slow-release nitrogen (N), 7.6% coated slow-release available phosphate (P2O5), 10.2% coated slow-release soluble potash (K2O), 1.1% coated slow-release magnesium (Mg), 5.1% coated slow-release sulfur (S), 0.015% coated slow-release boron (B), 0.35% coated slow-release iron (Fe), 0.05% coated slow-release manganese (Mn), 0.015% coated slow-release molybdenum (Mo), and 0.015% coated slow-release zinc (Zn) 

Thank you for Looking9


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## Silenced (Aug 20, 2012)

In my tank for the last 9 years of using them - no problem, but you gotta be careful about the dosage. in my case, 36 gallons shrimp tank - total 8 vegi capsules (4 caps at each back corner of the tank), and see how plants are doing for at least a week. 
I made my own vegi capsules by filling up the osmo, but later veg capsule melted and left outer shell in the substrate - not beautiful if you are neat freak... so I pour them into some sort of small plastic capsule or container, and punch a couple of holes which water can come in/out for release.


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## WinterSoldier. (May 5, 2019)

I have decided to try dynamite select, apparently its slow release, and has good reviews


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## frogmanjared (Feb 21, 2008)

My 29 gallon is only 6 weeks old, but I haven't had any issues using the individual bead method, osmocote +. I err on the side of caution and only use it every few inches near the heavy root feeders. I noticed my foreground plants were slightly more yellow in a place I missed and within a week of adding a couple they were nice and green. I should probably add more next water change. I also dose the water column.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Scotts Australia.. Clear as mud??
Scotts response


> Date:
> 5/10/2019
> 
> Message:
> ...


to reiterate US:


> Thank you for contacting us and for the opportunity to help you with your lawn and garden endeavors.
> 
> ... unfortunately, we do not have any information on products that are sold in other countries. We also do not have information on why a product would be registered for us in some countries and not others. I do apologize for any inconvenience.
> 
> ...


I give up..

Maybe just take some plain Nitrate/ammonium free water and dump a few in.. test every day..


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## Phil Edwards (Jul 18, 2003)

Jeff,

"We do not recommend..." is stock standard official language for "I can't tell you to use it in a way that's not explicitly written on the label for liability reasons.". I had to use that one umpteen bajillion times during my tenure with Brightwell. I'd be willing to bet the Aus answer is closer to the truth than you'll get out of any US rep.


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## diverjoe (Oct 21, 2016)

Ok so to sum up, we know lots of people use them. They sometimes leave the little BB sized balls over the substrate. You can put them in as the little balls or take a bunch and put them in a common gelcap which is generally easier to handle. There appears to be two varieties. One for terrestrial and another for aquatic. The aquatic is not for sale in the US. (Only confirmed in UK). These appear to have different mechanism for slow release. Aquatic is driven by heat and US is by moisture. There is a possibility of them dispensing more than expected. 

So with the info on the two varieties. The question of dispensing more than expected might be tied to which kind. 

I know I have used the US ones I put in gel caps. That was in moderation < 15 in a 75g with no noticeable ill effects. 


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## WinterSoldier. (May 5, 2019)

I have nearly come to a conclusion. I will use clay root tabs in sand, or a small amount of dirt, with 1 dynamite plus root tab under each amazon sword. I will make sure that I only use a little that way there is not chance of harming the snails


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