# Garden centre ferts.



## hixy (27 Dec 2011)

Hello would these do for dry ferts.Are they the same chemicals.


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## RudeDogg1 (27 Dec 2011)

I'm pretty sure neither is any if the standard chems I could be wrong tho


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## Gill (27 Dec 2011)

AFAIK the Garden Centre Ferts you can use under the Substrate is called osmocote


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## hixy (27 Dec 2011)

Thanks for replys i was thinking about using these for EI dosing


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## foxfish (27 Dec 2011)

Hi hixy, I was just wondering why you would want to use those product rather than ferts from a known & reparable source?


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## hixy (27 Dec 2011)

foxfish said:
			
		

> Hi hixy, I was just wondering why you would want to use those product rather than ferts from a known & reparable source?




Hello Foxfish,If they are the same chemicals they are very cheap and 5 mins from my house so i have no need to order of the net

cheers mick


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## foxfish (27 Dec 2011)

I see, I did not really consider that as I buy from one of the forum sponsers & it cost so little to feed my tank anyway.


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## RudeDogg1 (27 Dec 2011)

I'm sure what you have showed ain't what we use anyway unless it's just completely dif names than what we use which I doubt


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## hixy (27 Dec 2011)

Im not sure if it is one of the ferts in my pictures.But i remember one being sulphate of potash which i no is potassium sulphate.im just not sure about these to pics though


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## RudeDogg1 (27 Dec 2011)

What u need it potassium sulphate, potassium nitrate, potassium phosphate, magnesium sulphate. Unless u can google the names in your pics to see if it's just different names to what we use I wouldn't risk it


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## ceg4048 (28 Dec 2011)

Hi hixy,
          You need to stay clear of these particular products if you don't know what you're doing. Ammonia is deadly, and both of the products you show in the photos are ammonia based products. If you have fish in your tank then you need to be very careful. 

This is not to say that you cannot use the garden center products. Most are the same but you have to understand what it is that you are buying. Most of the Nitrogen products sold in garden centers derive their Nitrogen from Urea or Ammonia compounds because Ammonia is very high in Nitrogen and is therefore much cheaper on a "per Kilogram of Nitrogen" basis than KNO3 for example. Farmers don't have to worry about killing fish on their farms (although the runoff due to rain and groundwater does a lot of damage) so it's not an issue for them but it's an issue for us.

You'd do well to buy nutrients from our sponsors or, as mentioned, to search for the specific products at the garden center such as Potassium Nitrate, Potassium Phosphate and Chelated Trace Element Mix

Cheers,


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## hixy (28 Dec 2011)

Cheers ceg4048


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## Christor (28 Dec 2011)

Hi just on the osmocote note, do you simply spread it light over your "base" substrate and it acts as a nutrient or what? until now I wasnt quite sure what it was..and is it only available by one company or is it an overall name for an ingredient or product? kind of afraid of adding ferts incase I end up poisoning everything


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## CeeJay (28 Dec 2011)

Hi Christor



			
				Christor said:
			
		

> Hi just on the osmocote note, do you simply spread it light over your "base" substrate and it acts as a nutrient or what?



We normally spread it around the bottom of the tank before the substrate goes in, and it acts as a slow release nutrient.
If you have an established tank you can freeze it with some water in the form of ice cubes and push them into the substrate. I do this about once every 6-9 months on my low tech tank.
You've got to be quick though, as the ice melts almost immediately it hits the water


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## Christor (29 Dec 2011)

Thanks for that Ceejay! keep it in mind for sure


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