# help with osmocote please



## alan_uk (19 Oct 2010)

hi i was wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction of what osmocote to use is it all pbasically the same stuff and all work the same ???

also if i use sphagnum moss peat then a thin layer of akadama then would i be better using osmocote fertiliser or tablets and if i use the tablets can i break them up or are they best left as they are then akadama on top of that will this be sufficient substrate for low tech plants ?   


thank you


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## ceg4048 (19 Oct 2010)

Osmocote and other slow release fertilizer products are basically the same. These are fertilizers encapsulated in a gel-like substance which softens when wet and allows the nutrients to diffuse slowly through the gel. It should be used sparingly by spreading a small amount around the base of the tank, not at the top of the substrate. Breaking up the nodules would defeat the purpose of slow release.

Cheers,


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## alan_uk (19 Oct 2010)

ah cool so if i buy a pack of the capsuals and spread them over the peat then the whole substrate over the top this will be good how many should i spread also ?


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## alan_uk (19 Oct 2010)

are these ok ?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/OSMOCOTE-CONTROLL ... _925wt_905


and would i use the full pack of 33 in my tank also do they work and are they safe ??


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## ceg4048 (19 Oct 2010)

Click on this link==> What to put under inert substrate?

Cheers,


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## alan_uk (19 Oct 2010)

thanks mate just 1 qestion do i put the osmocote below the peat or above and the link in your thread u showed me is that osmocote a powder ??


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## ceg4048 (19 Oct 2010)

They are really just very small granules, perhaps a few millimeters in diameter. At the end of the day it doesn't really matter all that much as long as you get even coverage across the base. It sounds like you plan to use a massive amount of peat which is not really what you want. The peat is there to feed the bacteria, not the plants, so you don't really need a lot, just a handful here and there, again, spread out thinly and evenly. The peat should not compete with the fertilizer for space, that's for sure.  

Cheers,


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## alan_uk (19 Oct 2010)

cheers buddy 

i was only going to use a very thin layer of the peat so the glass was still visible 

i will spread the osmocote then a thin layer of peat then the akadama 

do you think this with 2 t5ho lights 6500k and no liquid ferts or co2 will be ok to grow low tech plants and not cause an algae bloom ??


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## alan_uk (19 Oct 2010)

do i need to almost cover the full aquarium base with osmocote 

im going to get 1kg thats all should i use the lot ?

footprint is 72"x18"


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## ceg4048 (19 Oct 2010)

Well, as discussed in the link to the other thread I provided, you only need 1-2 teaspoons per square foot. This is not a lot. It was also discussed this is an ammonia containing fertilizer, so you want to avoid going over the top, otherwise you could have serious trouble.

For a 6 foot by 2 foot tank you would only need somewhere between 12 to 24 teaspoons.

Cheers,


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## alan_uk (20 Oct 2010)

thanks mate 

appreciate the help


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## NeilW (20 Oct 2010)

To give you a rough idea this is what the recommended amount looks like spread out in my nano thats 12" wide, although I did remove some from the front of the tank after the photograph as the soil was shallower nearer the glass so didn't want direct ammonia leaching into the water column


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## alan_uk (20 Oct 2010)

cool thank you mate


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