# How to make DIY root fertilizer tablets with clay



## sewingalot

I found some great articles along the search for diy fertilizers such as this one and that one. But didn't find one entirely to suit my needs. One main thing I kept hearing is you can't add phosphates with iron. They will precipitate, etc. Some of the well known brands such as Flourish Tabs don't have Nitrates and Phosphates added. So I was spending roughly $49 - $1.00 a tablet and they are incomplete as far as nutrients. 

Looking around, I found Osmocote and Jobe sticks are great alternatives. They both work great, but aren't customizable. What they give you in the fertilizer is what you get. So if I wanted less phosphates and more potassium, I'm out of luck. So I decided to try the clay route which is a bonus of extra minerals such as a boat load of iron.

Now this gets messy, like incredibly messy if you are doing it right. But it is fun as well if you pretend you are a kid making mud pies. 

I sat down and started thinking about what I wanted to include and came up with a list of ingredients based on the two linked articles, guessing, preference and adjusted as I went along on observing the growth. Now mind you, you'll want to experiment around, find out your own blend. Don't be afraid to add or subtract.

This is my personal recipe:
 
1 cup micros
I start out with a hunk of clay about the size of a 3" square block and add as needed. (Amaco brand is the one I use. Whatever brand, it must be natural clay, not polymeyer)
4 tablespoons KN03
3 tablespoons MgsO4
3 teaspoons K2SO4 
2 tablespoons of KH2PO4
1 tablespoon CASO4
Water to help mix

Optional:
Rolling pin or pasta making machine (or patience if you do this by hand)
Wax paper or other surface to roll out and store the tablets as they dry
Butter knife

Supplies gathered:









Cutting up to manageable chunks:









Rolling out sheets of clay:









Adding in fertilizers (I do this for each fertilizer, I don't combine them in the end just because it's much easier for me to work with):


















You start to fold it up to blend it in a piece of clay:









Some will fall out:


This is where it gets a little messy. You dip your fingers or pour a little bit of water on some clay and start working it into the piece, adding more clay as necessary until it is all blended and the clay isn't so wet it is sticking to your fingers. You want it pliable again. It will be crunchy textured if you do it in this manner:


















If you did it right, you'll end up with this:









Roll out into long tubes, to what ever diameter you want them. I think if you make them much larger than 1/2 you'll not like them as they aren't very handy or easy to push into the substrate. I like to make them around the same size as an ordinary commercial root tab, maybe twice that size if I'm lazy.

Cut at intervals that you desire, I was about 1/4" but I wasn't scientific, just eyeballed it.









You can roll them into balls and I used to do so. Then I found out this is a lot of work and leaving them flat makes them easier to put into the substrate (especially with tweezers). They don't have to be pretty, but functional. 

Sit them aside and let dry (away from kids, pets and adults that may want to eat them.) They will turn a lighter color as they dry. I like to flip them over the next day. Takes anywhere from 1 day to a week to fully dry. If you live in a dry climate, they will dry faster. Here, it takes around 3 days. You want to have them throughly dry before putting them in baggies as clay will mold if moist. In fact you can see this in stored clay often times, it's harmless unless you are allergic, though. Stores indefinitely in a cool dry place.

Depending on the size of the cuts, I'll get around 300 - 400 pieces with one batch. You will have more or less depending on how much you make, how big you make them. And the amount of fertilizers in each will vary slightly depending on the same factors and how well you mixed them. They'll last you for a super long time, you can give away some to friends or fellow hobbyist, sell some, etc. And it cost next to nothing for each tablet.

Tips I found along the way:

1. If you have hangnails, a paper cut on your hand or any other open aware, be forewarned. The nitrates (and some of the other chemicals) will burn like crazy. I panicked the first time thought I was getting a chemical burn. Turns out I had a paper cut, lol. Best to wait, tough it out or wear gloves. I don't like the use gloves as it doesn't let you feel the clay texture.

2. You can emulsify the clay in a bit of water and then add in the fertilizers. You'll have to add in clay as well until it is no longer liquid and you can once again mold it. This is a little more tricky as you start out with cake batter consistency and have to get back to a clay that is able to be molded into tablets. 

3. Another method I've done is roll out the clay, let it harden, smash it up, add the ferts and slowly add in water until it is back to pliable clay texture.

4. It makes a mess. Have a towel handy, and you will want to be near a faucet (or a bowl of water) to rinse you hands off as you go. Also, clay can stain, so don't wear your Sunday best or use a good towel.


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## mistergreen

Nice.
You can use a wine bottle if you don't want to mess up for rolling pin. Or put wax paper between the clay & rolling pin.

I wonder what happens if you really fire in a kiln. It definitely won't break apart in water but it might seal the ferts too much or will it be like osmocote.


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## somewhatshocked

This is a great post and should be saved by folks for future reference.

I've found that firing them just causes them to hold together far too long when submerged. A year later, I've found them when cleaning out tanks where they're still nearly hard as a rock.

I tend to do this when I don't have any gelcaps for use and I think it works waaaay better. It's always way more fun making little balls, as well.

I've found that it's a good idea to keep a few wet paper towels handy when making things. Usually use them to temporarily store chunks of clay while working with other chunks. That way it's moist when you go to shape things. 

Always best to spread out some newspaper or an old sheet in the floor, plop down all your stuff and start a DVR marathon or watch a movie. It's surprising how many little fert balls you can make in a couple hours.


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## WallaceGrover

Oooh, this looks like fun. 

I have a big 5 pound brick of amaco clay left over from using it to fortify my dirt substrate. I was told you specifically need the clay to be the red variety, because it has a lot of beneficial traces like iron. 

I'm adding this to my bookmarks, and definitely making some soon! Do you have any idea as to how it compares to to other popular root tablets?


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## sewingalot

Good tips, Mistergreen. I thought the husband was going to scream when he saw me using the marble rolling pin. I bought a cheap pasta maker after that. When I tried similar with firing them, they became more brittle as well. I suspect it's an unnecessary step. Somewhat - I never got into the gel caps. Too much fine motor skills required. 

Wallace, it's fun in a going back to childhood sort of way. After the first hour, you start wondering why you started. By the end, you swear you'll never do this again. And luckily, you made so many that by the time you need them again you forgot all about the labor involved. 

Oh, and there are reasons you may want to choose the gray over the red. For instance, if you use white sand or other substrate, when you go to uproot if the plant has grown into the clay (which it will) you it will be noticeable. If you use the gray, it's not so much.

I think it works much better. Some of the most popular ones don't even have all the macros needed for growth and they are customizable whereas the commercial ones are not. However, the work involved makes the pre-made ones more appealing. It's a trade off.


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## WallaceGrover

I started on my (small) batch today, and so far it's looking good. I did the liquid emulsion strategy with amaco Mexican clay. My clay had been sitting for a while so it was REALLY dry, I pretty much had to do it this way, presoaking until I could make a smooth mixture with a bamboo skewer.










Here with 3 tablespoons of equal parts KNO3, MGSO4, K2SO4, and CSM+B. (Phosphate soon to come) Even with all the ferts it turned out really smooth, like buttercream frosting, the trick is going to be getting it to where it's workable.










So glad you posted this!


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## somewhatshocked

A bonus to clay ball ferts: they sink quickly and you don't have to worry about them floating up like you do with gelcaps.


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## sewingalot

You can add more clay to the mixture , ferts or even dirt to thicken it. Or you can pour it into a cake dish as is and let the moisture dry out. You risk it being more brittle or a little mold this way. The mold is harmless though. Before it fully dries, you should score it to make pieces. Best to add more clay if possible. This method is a little more trial and error. Adding clay will make the amount of fertilizer less potent though so keep that in mind.


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## mistergreen

You can get fish molds and stamp on the clay to make them look like goldfish crackers 

or better yet swedish fish!


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## ua hua

Very informative thread. I have been wanting to make some clay root tabs but don't think I need a huge amount of the clay that they sell. I might have to just buy some to try out though.


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## WallaceGrover

sewingalot said:


> You can add more clay to the mixture , ferts or even dirt to thicken it. Or you can pour it into a cake dish as is and let the moisture dry out. You risk it being more brittle or a little mold this way. The mold is harmless though. Before it fully dries, you should score it to make pieces. Best to add more clay if possible. This method is a little more trial and error. Adding clay will make the amount of fertilizer less potent though so keep that in mind.


I think I'll use a jelly roll pan with wax paper, and with any luck maybe I can catch it when it's in a pliable state :bounce:...


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## DogFish

So being someone that has stuffed a few Gel Caps himself, my 1st thought looking at this is how do you have any control on dosage?


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## sewingalot

LOL, MG. I could totally see myself thinking they were goldfish crackers and eating some before thinking it through.

Uahua, I am going to buy some clay this weekend, if you want to try it out, let me know and I will gladly send you a smaller portion. They do sell it in smaller sizes, but it's more expensive per pound.

Wallace, keep us updated!

DF - this is quite simple. It's a recipe, ultimately. Think of a cake: you put in flour, eggs, sugar, milk, flavoring, etc. Each part of the recipe has a set amount of calories and if you total up your calories and divide it by the number of slices, you'll know how much a piece will be within a small percentage of error. Same thing applies to this method. If you know the starting out numbers, you can do the same thing. In fact, you could make it really technical and weigh each piece as you make them so that you have the same amount in each tablet. However, you can be a less stringent, weigh the entire end product and one tablet. Then just do a little math to find the range. Completely unnecessary in my opinion unless you want to market these with a set amount of chemicals. They work and quite well for the hobbyist. You get the benefit of the added clay and you don't have to spend a lot of money on them. It's all a matter of preference.

Make the gel caps, make the clay, make frozen dirt balls or buy the commercial fertilizers. Makes no difference to me. I'm just putting this up here as I've had many pms over the past year or so asking me how I make them. I figured others including those that aren't currently registered (just lurkers) will also be able to see the process if I created a thread.

Bottom line is I've had more success with this than any other method of fertilization, but this is solely based on my personal experience/needs. Most of my tanks are only fertilized through the substrate, with the exception of the one filled with java ferns. They are getting supplemental water ferts on an occasional basis.


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## DogFish

No offense but unless you put the whole "Cake" into 1 tank, you have no idea what the chemical content dose of each "pc of Cake " is, when you are just sprinkling dry frets on clay.

Even something as controlled as a aspirin tablet can not be broken in 1/2 and insure each pc. is 50% dosage.

I'm not posting to be difficult, just trying to understand how how this method can work with 'Burning' some plants along the way?


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## somewhatshocked

They're root tabs. You're not gunning for a specific dosage, really. You're just trying to get enough ferts to the roots of heavy root feeders. 

So I don't think you have to worry so much about dosage.

If you want to get into the nitty gritty, it's easy to monitor your plants over the course of a month or two to see what they need more of. Then add more of that to your next clay batch.


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## OverStocked

DogFish said:


> No offense but unless you put the whole "Cake" into 1 tank, you have no idea what the chemical content dose of each "pc of Cake " is, when you are just sprinkling dry frets on clay.
> 
> Even something as controlled as a aspirin tablet can not be broken in 1/2 and insure each pc. is 50% dosage.
> 
> I'm not posting to be difficult, just trying to understand how how this method can work with 'Burning' some plants along the way?


I don't think the nutrient levels in these ferts are so high/low that you could "burn" any plants. No need to be any more precise than a little of this, little of that, honestly. 

Some of any of these is certainly better than none at all. 

People buying things need to see that it exactly this or exactly that. But when you're making it yourself, i really don't think that is necessary. 

If you want them to be "better" distributed, using powder clay and mixing it really well will give you that. But I don't think it is necessary at all. The clay works to make a pretty slow releasing product. 

This is essentially how we make the clay that goes in RM Complete+. Just on a smaller diy scale. 

IF you happen to have a pasta extruder you can use it to help you mix, too. Several passes through while adding the ferts and then keep passing it through. That is, if you're willing to scrub the clay and ferts out of your extruder.


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## DogFish

somewhatshocked said:


> They're root tabs. You're not gunning for a specific dosage, really. You're just trying to get enough ferts to the roots of heavy root feeders.
> 
> So I don't think you have to worry so much about dosage.
> ...


 Yes, I do understand the concept of a Root Tab. :red_mouth

I'd offer, for conversation, that I would be less concerned it this was a water column mix as the water itself would balance out the fert mix. With this method you may be blasting one plants roots with only Fe and another with Ca or Mg.


Now maybe that is a non-issue but, it seems to defeat the purpose.



OverStocked said:


> ....
> If you want them to be "better" distributed, using powder clay and mixing it really well will give you that. But I don't think it is necessary at all. The clay works to make a pretty slow releasing product.
> ....


That really was my point a more even, control distribution.

Very good point on the clay as a time release enhancer. I could see the benefit in that aspect. roud:


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## OverStocked

DogFish said:


> Yes, I do understand the concept of a Root Tab. :red_mouth
> 
> I'd offer, for conversation, that I would be less concerned it this was a water column mix as the water itself would balance out the fert mix. With this method you may be blasting one plants roots with only Fe and another with Ca or Mg.
> 
> 
> Now maybe that is a non-issue but, it seems to defeat the purpose.


I don't think it ends up that way though. You mix the ferts before kneading it into the clay. Then knead the clay thoroughly and you'll be a-ok. I've made these exact things in the past and never had a problem.


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## sewingalot

This is meant to be a How To thread only, not a debate. So in order to steer the thread back to it's intended purpose, here is a tank that is fertilized only by these homemade root tablets:










The water is a little cloudy as I had just finished rescaping, but as you can tell, the growth is outstanding. The progress of this tank has been documented here for those interested in actually trying this method of fertilization.


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## Wasserpest

Great post! Yes, I agree you want to mix the dry ferts thoroughly before starting to work them into the clay.

One question I have - won't adding phosphates and Micros in one recipe STILL bind up the iron (and perhaps phosphates)?


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## sewingalot

DogFish said:


> No offense but unless you put the whole "Cake" into 1 tank, you have no idea what the chemical content dose of each "pc of Cake " is, when you are just sprinkling dry frets on clay.
> 
> Even something as controlled as a aspirin tablet can not be broken in 1/2 and insure each pc. is 50% dosage.
> 
> I'm not posting to be difficult, just trying to understand how how this method can work with 'Burning' some plants along the way?





Wasserpest said:


> Great post! Yes, I agree you want to mix the dry ferts thoroughly before starting to work them into the clay.



On the fertilizer - yes this can be an issue. You have to blend, blend, blend, blend, blend....until it your hands are exhausted (or get a pasta machine for a little easier process). If you just put one fertilizer in a hunk of clay, set that aside, and repeat and just kind of halfheartedly push them together, you are going to have this issue. There will be more of this chemical in one piece, more of another in a separate and none at all in other hunks. Even with all the blending, it'll be impossible to know exactly what is in each tablet without analysis. The goal is to get it blended well enough that it's a nominal discrepancy. 

You aren't going to burn any plants if you mean by excessive fertilizer. There isn't enough fertilizer to worry about it in each piece. I've dumped a hole batch in my tank before 300+ tablets and never had an issue other than a clay rich substrate (which is messy when uprooting). 

What I do now is this (also because it is much easier and the clay doesn't mold over time as it likes to do in a wet form):
 _1. Take out wet clay and run it through the pasta machine or a rolling pin until it is thin and let dry. Place these in the cuisinart and pulverize the clay (or in a baggie and roll over them to crush).

2. Put all the fertilizer in a container. Add in a cup of water, just a bit at a time to blend it into a paste and eventually a liquid. I've down the phosphates separate from the other chemicals before worrying about 
whole precipitate thing. Now, I don't bother.

3. Add in clay a bit at a time until you get it into a pliable form. Basically, similar to Wallace's method.

_


Wasserpest said:


> One question I have - won't adding phosphates and Micros in one recipe STILL bind up the iron (and perhaps phosphates)?


Wasser - on mixing the phosphates and other chemicals- This is what I've found over the years. My water is really high in iron, yet when I add phosphates in the water column, it's effective and doesn't become unusable. Also, I've been mixing phosphates and micros for years in a liquid solution and have never had an issue with it. Plants grow just as well as using separate containers. There is a bit of residue on the bottom of the bottle, but it was never much.

Then, I looked at mineralized soil. People have been adding red clay and phosphates for years this method. Red clay has a lot of iron in it and should do similar as a root tablet. Add that to the rivers and creeks that are full of clay and phosphates in the dirt and it just made since to me that it won't be an issue.

So, I decided to test my theory. In the first set, I didn't add phosphates and saw growth, but it wasn't as quick as I hoped for. I went ahead and added phosphates to the second batch and the growth was stronger, healthier and faster. I think precipitate is not as big of an issue as we perceive. Of course, this is all conjecture.


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## OverStocked

Wasserpest said:


> Great post! Yes, I agree you want to mix the dry ferts thoroughly before starting to work them into the clay.
> 
> One question I have - won't adding phosphates and Micros in one recipe STILL bind up the iron (and perhaps phosphates)?


It depends on pH. If you have an acidic soil, or make your soil acidic, it will prevent precipitation of iron/phosphate. This is essentially how products like TPN+ and RM Onestep work. High acidity keeps both soluble and stable. 

You could add something like humic acid powder to your clay mix as an insurance. However if your pH isn't abnormally high, you probably won't have much issue at all with at least some iron and phosphate being usable. However, most plant roots enjoy having a little more acidic substrate, so the humic acid would benefit them too. A little goes a long ways, and you'll find the powder tends to stain things when mixed with water, so use caution when mixing. It washes off eventually but is stubborn.

http://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyNET.exe/...ckDesc=Results page&MaximumPages=1&ZyEntry=41

Holy cow, that is a long link.... 

try this:
www.bit.ly/OYSpKL
Not all "irons" are the same and do not interact with phosphate in the same way.


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## Karackle

YAY! I'm so glad you wrote this because I LOVE your root tabs! 

Ok....now I should actually read everything :hihi:

*edit*
Ok now that I've actually READ the post, I'm still REALLY glad you made it! roud: I might have to try this out some time! Or I'll just keep pestering you to trade with me for your root tabs as long as you'll let me  

Also, I figured that I would just throw in my personal experience since Sara was generous enough to send me some of these root tabs as a trade for something or other a while back. *MY personal* experience with these exact root tabs is that they work REALLY well, better, IMVHO, in fact than the commercial ones I had tried previously. And my tanks are quite different than Sara's, I run low light, low tech tanks, but these root tabs have made a dramatic difference in the health of my plants. Being super low light, nothing grows extremely fast in my tanks, but everything grows a little faster and a lot healthier with the tabs than it did without them. :thumbsup: I'll have dig up some before and after pictures. :biggrin:

Anyway, just thought I'd add that for anyone that might have had doubts roud: :biggrin:


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## WallaceGrover

Karackle said:


> YAY! I'm so glad you wrote this because I LOVE your root tabs!
> 
> Ok....now I should actually read everything :hihi:
> 
> *edit*
> Ok now that I've actually READ the post, I'm still REALLY glad you made it! roud: I might have to try this out some time! Or I'll just keep pestering you to trade with me for your root tabs as long as you'll let me
> 
> Also, I figured that I would just throw in my personal experience since Sara was generous enough to send me some of these root tabs as a trade for something or other a while back. *MY personal* experience with these exact root tabs is that they work REALLY well, better, IMVHO, in fact than the commercial ones I had tried previously. And my tanks are quite different than Sara's, I run low light, low tech tanks, but these root tabs have made a dramatic difference in the health of my plants. Being super low light, nothing grows extremely fast in my tanks, but everything grows a little faster and a lot healthier with the tabs than it did without them. :thumbsup: I'll have dig up some before and after pictures. :biggrin:
> 
> Anyway, just thought I'd add that for anyone that might have had doubts roud: :biggrin:


Oh wow, that's some powerful testimony! I'm more and more excited to try them out.

I spread my wet mixture out on a cookie sheet with wax paper, all ferts added, to let it dry a little.










It seemed to work pretty well, I got it to this stage then rolled it into a log in some saran wrap so it would be easier to work with. I made around 15 little balls before I realized I need to let the log dry a little, because it was a little sticky and started accumulating on my fingers and it became really hard to manipulate the little pieces of clay dough into shape.


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## Karackle

WG - can't wait to see/hear how your plants like their new ferts! Looks like you're having fun making them so far too  roud:


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## OverStocked

To those of you nervous about working with the hard brick of clay and getting things mixed, I used a kitchen aid mixer with a bread hook to mix some up today. 

Start with small chunks and mix away. I mixed in some MGOPS to the mix and it looks interesting so far. Will show details if I like what I see! 

I also added in HUmic Acid powder to help with acidity and the yummies that it provides.


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## WallaceGrover

Here's my small batch complete! The clay mixture is actually very smooth, the rough outside texture was from it being sticky when I rolled it out...


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## happi

nice brownies


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## Bryanmc1988

that looks good never tryed root tabs as i'm using co2 but nice thread... share? lol


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## R.sok

looks like dog food


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## lamiskool

.....sooo would anyone want to sell there extra. it would be most appreciated!


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## newbieplanter

sewingalot said:


> This is meant to be a How To thread only, not a debate. So in order to steer the thread back to it's intended purpose, here is a tank that is fertilized only by these homemade root tablets:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The water is a little cloudy as I had just finished rescaping, but as you can tell, the growth is outstanding. The progress of this tank has been documented here for those interested in actually trying this method of fertilization.


Please tell me this is the right clay for this DIY root tabs???
http://i855.photobucket.com/albums/...-ABEC-5E676D84EB4A-13717-0000148F2A70933C.jpg


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## newbieplanter

Is there a way u can tell me if I got the right clay?


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## laqu

okay what is the benefit of the clay? do different clays do different things?


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## thelub

Looks like something right up my alley. I went to a big box pet store last night and spend 40 bucks on 30 root tabs. Much too rich for my blood.

Where is the best place to buy the dry ferts in bulk like that?


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## All your base

Has anyone tried DIY clay root tabs with osmocote instead of powdered ferts?

I can find threads like this, where people do clay balls with powdered ferts. And I can find threads where people have done gelcaps with osmocote. But I don't see much on using osmocote in clay balls. I can't think of a reason why it wouldn't work but I'd love to hear from someone who has actually done it.


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## hedge_fund

This is a great post!


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## ua hua

I made some of these last weekend and ended up with a ton of them. I'm also doing a little experimenting and in about half of them I put Kelp meal in instead of the dry ferts to see how that works. I asked about using kelp meal quite awhile back and never got a definitive answer and upon searching the web I didn't find much about anyone trying this except for a thread from 2007 on APC and never really found out any results. So I guess my tank will be the guinea pig. I put them in last week and haven't seen any negative effects yet.


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## colaudrey

thelub said:


> Looks like something right up my alley. I went to a big box pet store last night and spend 40 bucks on 30 root tabs. Much too rich for my blood.
> 
> Where is the best place to buy the dry ferts in bulk like that?


Doubling this question, where's the best place to buy "cheap" bulk ferts?


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## ua hua

colaudrey said:


> Doubling this question, where's the best place to buy "cheap" bulk ferts?


http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=466705&highlight=dry+ferts


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## benjaminleebates

All your base said:


> Has anyone tried DIY clay root tabs with osmocote instead of powdered ferts?
> 
> I can find threads like this, where people do clay balls with powdered ferts. And I can find threads where people have done gelcaps with osmocote. But I don't see much on using osmocote in clay balls. I can't think of a reason why it wouldn't work but I'd love to hear from someone who has actually done it.


I'm curious too. I use gelcaps and osmocote, the gelcaps were cheap from G nutrition center. But the balls can work their way up during rescaping and such. I was wondering if anyone has ground up the osmocote and worked them into the clay?


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## benjaminleebates

I haven't any CASO4 nor MgsO4. What would be the issue if I don't include these? Is there something locally that I can add in their place?
How about plaster of paris and epsom salt? OR is wiki wrong once again...


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## ua hua

benjaminleebates said:


> I haven't any CASO4 nor MgsO4. What would be the issue if I don't include these? Is there something locally that I can add in their place?
> How about plaster of paris and epsom salt? OR is wiki wrong once again...


CaSO4 is Plaster of Paris and MgSO4 is Epsom salt. In this case wikipedia is right.


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## Raymond S.

http://aquariumfertilizer.com/index.asp?Option1=cats&Edit=2&EditU=1&Regit=2
Smaller quantities are available on the Flea Bay. I started out that way but decided that I would spend more after
the shipping was added to each individual item, and for much smaller portions, than buying from that link.
But if you look on this link you can get 1lb quantities of pre-mixed in the proportions mentioned above it for
$10 per lb. Personally I think the pre-mix is heavy on KH2PO4 as I use a much smaller percent than what is listed on there.
http://greenleafaquariums.com/aquarium-fertilizer.html


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## angelsword

How badly does the clay stain hands and nails? My other obsession is my nails. Honestly, I'd rather spend the money on root tabs than end up with stained nails. (I mean OPI has two new collections out!) I tried rolling out the clay, but that was not working at all. I ended up adding some water and mixing everything up while wearing gloves. It'd be so much easier if I could just get in there with my hands.


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## ua hua

angelsword said:


> How badly does the clay stain hands and nails? My other obsession is my nails. Honestly, I'd rather spend the money on root tabs than end up with stained nails. (I mean OPI has two new collections out!) I tried rolling out the clay, but that was not working at all. I ended up adding some water and mixing everything up while wearing gloves. It'd be so much easier if I could just get in there with my hands.


Oh my now that's a predicament you have. I know how much money my wife spends getting her nails done so I guess I can understand. It's pretty messy making these and does take some scrubbing to get it all off but I'm not as picky about my nails as I'm sure you are. I have a whole jar of these I made awhile ago but don't need them for now since I switched to Aquasoil. 

By the way is it bad that I know what OPI is?


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## Monster Fish

angelsword said:


> How badly does the clay stain hands and nails? My other obsession is my nails. Honestly, I'd rather spend the money on root tabs than end up with stained nails. (I mean OPI has two new collections out!) I tried rolling out the clay, but that was not working at all. I ended up adding some water and mixing everything up while wearing gloves. It'd be so much easier if I could just get in there with my hands.


It gets pretty messy. I had to move my clay rolling outside to avoid messing up my dining room table. But soap and water will clean your hands just fine.


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## angelsword

ua hua said:


> Oh my now that's a predicament you have. I know how much money my wife spends getting her nails done so I guess I can understand. It's pretty messy making these and does take some scrubbing to get it all off but I'm not as picky about my nails as I'm sure you are. I have a whole jar of these I made awhile ago but don't need them for now since I switched to Aquasoil.
> 
> By the way is it bad that I know what OPI is?


No, no, that's a good thing!



Monster Fish said:


> It gets pretty messy. I had to move my clay rolling outside to avoid messing up my dining room table. But soap and water will clean your hands just fine.


When you have to move the project outside that's a good sign it's going to be messy. I am planning on trying to roll them into balls or cut them into strips tonight. I let it sit in a bowl over night to let some of the water evaporate. I had to add water to be able to mix it. I'm thinking I'll stick with the gloves even though they make it very difficult.


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## angelsword

Well, I rolled the clay mixture into little balls and they're drying on waxed paper. In case anyone is wondering, nails are fine. It does, in fact, wash right off.


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## Jalopy

ua hua said:


> I made some of these last weekend and ended up with a ton of them. I'm also doing a little experimenting and in about half of them I put Kelp meal in instead of the dry ferts to see how that works. I asked about using kelp meal quite awhile back and never got a definitive answer and upon searching the web I didn't find much about anyone trying this except for a thread from 2007 on APC and never really found out any results. So I guess my tank will be the guinea pig. I put them in last week and haven't seen any negative effects yet.


How did the kelp meal work out? Pictures?


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## ua hua

Jalopy said:


> How did the kelp meal work out? Pictures?


I never noticed any adverse affects nor did I notice any great improvement with using the kelp meal. I still have quite a few root tabs that I never used. 

This is the kelp meal I used. 

http://drearth.net/products/single-ingredient-fertilizers/kelp-meal-6-5-2-5/

I use it in all my flower pots in my garden and it works very well.


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## Jalopy

ua hua said:


> I never noticed any adverse affects nor did I notice any great improvement with using the kelp meal. I still have quite a few root tabs that I never used.
> 
> This is the kelp meal I used.
> 
> http://drearth.net/products/single-ingredient-fertilizers/kelp-meal-6-5-2-5/
> 
> I use it in all my flower pots in my garden and it works very well.


Did it at least reduce the amount of micros you had to dose on a regular basis?


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## ua hua

Jalopy said:


> Did it at least reduce the amount of micros you had to dose on a regular basis?


I didn't change my dosing routine while I used them. I didn't put a lot of kelp meal in the tabs because I wasn't sure what to expect. I was wanting to see if the vitamins and minerals had any benefits. But without setting up a real test using it I can't say for sure if there's any benefits or negative effects.


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## Mzzchief

*Love this idea...*

But where do you get all the separate ingredients?

I mixed some ball clay (hit it with a hammer until it was dust) I had left over from my sculpture days into my dirt substrate along with the Miracle Grow Organic Compost and some expanded shale, then capped the whole thing with Floramax. Planst have been growing amazingly, no Co2 needed.

But I'll need ferts sooner or later... would like to make this!

So where to get the raw materials?

Also how do ferts in general impact your water quality, does it release nitrates, nitrates, etc into the water column? 

Thx


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## Sharyqta

Very informative, but may i know the guaranteed analysis of this fertilizer tabs as I like to know what is going in my tank. Especially how much NPK is putting in this recipe.


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## Sharyqta

Hello, I am very new in the planted tanks, Just like to know if these root tabs are fish safe? as compare to Osmocote etc? Is there any way to find Clay as a powder to make the tabs ? i think powdered clay would be less messy. 

Thanks


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## MCFC

The last post before yours was in 2015 and went unanswered. Not sure you'll get too many responses haha


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## Sharyqta

MCFC said:


> The last post before yours was in 2015 and went unanswered. Not sure you'll get too many responses haha


yes true. but i really want to make these root tabs as my tank is not doing well. Can I use this clay in the tabs? 

https://www.amazon.com/Clay-Powder-...92&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=red+clay+powder&th=1


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## MCFC

Using root tabs is hit and miss. All the best tanks use water column dosing for ferts. It's more controlled and reliable. With root tabs, you have no idea how much is being released, and when. You're just hoping it somehow works out. Not the route I would recommend. Especially when water column dosing is so easy, cheap, and super well documented. 

If you want something easy, try the root tabs. If you want something that will make your plants look good, forget about the root tabs and go with the tried and true method.


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## ahmadh

sewingalot said:


> I found some great articles along the search for diy fertilizers such as this one and that one. But didn't find one entirely to suit my needs. One main thing I kept hearing is you can't add phosphates with iron. They will precipitate, etc. Some of the well known brands such as Flourish Tabs don't have Nitrates and Phosphates added.
> 
> This is my personal recipe:
> 
> 1 cup micros
> I start out with a hunk of clay about the size of a 3" square block and add as needed. (Amaco brand is the one I use. Whatever brand, it must be natural clay, not polymeyer)
> 4 tablespoons KN03
> 3 tablespoons MgsO4
> 3 teaspoons K2SO4
> 2 tablespoons of KH2PO4
> 1 tablespoon CASO4
> Water to help mix
> 
> Optional:
> Rolling pin or pasta making machine (or patience if you do this by hand)
> Wax paper or other surface to roll out and store the tablets as they dry
> Butter knife
> 
> Supplies gathered:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> towel.





what kind of fert did you use?
garden fert?


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