longhornxtreme;46135 said:
What I have is: Wiggle Worm Soil Builder, Non-toxic earthworm castings, all natural organic fertilizer, 1-0-0. The guaranteed analysis is: Total Nitrogen 1% as .1% water soluble N and .9% Water INsoluble N, 1% Calcium and 0.2% Iron.
It's distributed by Unco Industries in Wisconsin.
Lol... I just clicked on your link Tom, I have a 15lb bag of exactly what you linked to!
I didn't expect there to be much phosphorous... I just expected that there'd be 'some.' Many people who do wormstrate tanks don't dose hardly at all. Maybe some trace elements and some potassium here and there.
I was just making sure there wasn't earthworm castings for sale that significantly differed in their NPK ratios.
I think they want to avoid dosing for some reason, but if you dose K+ and Traces..then it really does not save anyone dosign labor or hassles, might as well add the KNO3/KH2PO4 along with.
So dose as well.
You can get away with little or no dosing of ferts if you use a rich sediment type like soil or WC etc.
But that is NOT the point, the point is good easier managment.
If you have trouble adding some KNO3/KH2PO4, it's likely you are not adding enough.
People get all weird about adding KNO3/KH2PO4, but not CO2/Excel to the same degree.
No one has even shown that KNO3/KH2Po4 causes algae, or harms fish if you over dose say 2-3x the normal ranges suggested in EI.
No one.
Plenty kill their fish and fry plants using CO2 and Excel.
Nearly one a week on the few boards I read.
I reason the fert issue: water column additions are good, sediment additions are also good, together they are even better.
Long term sources and short term shources, labor is the same, and the sediment last logner and will have fewer defieicent nutrients over time.
So not adding but a little K+/traces offers you no good trade offs it seems.
No one has given me any idea/rational why not doing this is better/preferred other than "because they can" do it.
Some seem to start with a conclusion about ferts, then go about trying to fit the facts. When someone questions their method and suggest to add more, they take it personally.
I guess some folks do this when the merits of their argument and reasoning cannot stand on their own?
Would not be the first time, will not be the last either.
I think being more careful about the asusmptions and what is best, merely copying what others are doign rather than understanding it is a source of many myths and issues.
That frees you from following into such traps.
Then you can have a much better management plan for the aquarium.
Simply because you can get away without issues does not imply it's best or preferred even.
The same is true for dosing NO3 at 100ppm.
Low risk, but no need either.
Does not really help.
Etc, this works both ways.
Regards,
Tom Barr
