# Using Osmocote Plus as a dry fert



## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

Measuring a dose would be next to impossible. Also, the cost of it, per lb, is more expensive than just buying proper dry fertilizers from aquariumfertilizer.com 

From someone who has tested osmocote products in just about any manor possible, it is a bad idea. The shell on the outside will not dissolve so you'd have funny bits floating about.


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## MrMoneybags (Apr 13, 2010)

not to mention the greenwater from teh urea that osmocote contains...
great for substrate fertilizing...bad for your water

choose one or the other


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

Urea does not cause green algae. Both Rootmedic Macro and Pfertz Nitrogen contain Urea in smaller quantities. I dose the living daylights out of it and no green water... 

There is literally no science to suggest that it would cause green water. Green water is almost always caused by too much light, too much nutrients, and not enough plant mass.


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## FSM (Jan 13, 2009)

osmocote uses ammonium nitrate as the nitrogen source, which means if you dump it directly in your tank, the ammonia level will rise and possibly kill your fish.


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## heydude819 (Mar 17, 2009)

So I guess no one actually tried doing it. It does make sense that it would be impossible to measure a dose for the tank. 

I have a low light/low tech/low maintenance tank using MTS and capping off with colorquartz. It seems to be doing well, but my water column is a bit dry for my nana petites. Also, this is the first tank where I wasn't able to grow duckweed!


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

I do substrate fertilization with osmocote for tanks over 5-6 months old. For water column fertilization dry frets is better since you can control ingredients instead of premixes. For low tech anubias setup even expensive ada green and brighty shades is ok. A $20 500ml bottle will last for 6 mos to a year based on your tank size and plant mass. You just need a few squirts a week.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

So what's wrong with using KNO3, KH2PO4, CSM+B?
Too expensive?


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## MrMoneybags (Apr 13, 2010)

what IS CSM+B anyway?? I see it mentioned and know I can buy it by the lb...but what does it consist of?


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## heydude819 (Mar 17, 2009)

The price isn't too expensive. I just wanted to know if others actually ventured out to try the aforementioned method and if so, what were their results.

I'm keeping my tank low tech with minimal fertilization. Right now I'm doing MTS and DIY osmocote tabs and they seem to be working for me. If it ain't broken, don't fix it right?


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

For what it's worth, I added osmocote directly to one of my tanks when I first started. I carefully sat down, did the math of the square footage of my tank and dosed that amount into my tank. Just poured it in, didn't know that I had to bury it. The very next day, I woke up to bright green water. Proof enough for me. Interestingly enough, the fish didn't mind it.


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## Green Leaf Aquariums (Feb 26, 2007)

sewingalot said:


> For what it's worth, I added osmocote directly to one of my tanks when I first started. I carefully sat down, did the math of the square footage of my tank and dosed that amount into my tank. Just poured it in, didn't know that I had to bury it. The very next day, I woke up to bright green water. Proof enough for me. Interestingly enough, the fish didn't mind it.



Sewingalot took one for the team!! Yikes!


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## heydude819 (Mar 17, 2009)

What I've done so far was to add about 10 pellets of osmocote into a plastic arizona container and filled it with water. I use that water to top off my 40 breeder once every 2 to 3 days. I would then reuse the same pellets and repeat the process every few days. So far I haven't had any issues with it.


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## Momotaro (Feb 21, 2003)

> The shell on the outside will not dissolve so you'd have funny bits floating about.


You are talking about just dropping Osmocote in the aquarium and not burying it in the substrate aren't you?


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

over_stocked said:


> Urea does not cause green algae. Both Rootmedic Macro and Pfertz Nitrogen contain Urea in smaller quantities. I dose the living daylights out of it and no green water...
> 
> There is literally no science to suggest that it would cause green water. Green water is almost always caused by too much light, too much nutrients, and not enough plant mass.


I'm not sure you are wrong, and I don't recall seeing any good test reports about dosing with urea. My experience with green water suggested but didn't prove that Osmocote can cause green water. I had Osmocoke in riparium planters, which were in a 10 gallon tank. I accidentally submersed the whole planters a few times, and from then on had green water that never did go away until I tore down the tank.

I hope anyone who recalls seeing test results specifically based on urea will post a link or at least describe what the report conclusions were. If the urea-causes-green water thing is a myth I hope we can kill it.


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