So I have been researching and looking into different types of organic fertilizers and thought the following was very interesting regarding fish fertilizers. I guess they are not all made equal. I picked up a bottle of the Neptunes Harvest Fish/Seaweed fertilizer and I am really stoked to see how my plants react to it.
Anyways.. this is directly from their website.
Neptune's Harvest...
Uses several species of fish
Neptune's Harvest is made from several species of edible North Atlantic Fish remains (the part that is left after the fillet is removed for human consumption). Several species are better, because each species has a different nutrients analysis profile, so you get a full range of nutrients, vitamins, amino acids, enzymes and growth hormones. We mix all the Hydrolyzed Fish in a 10,000-gallon mixing tank before it is pumped into holding tanks. This process ensures a very consistent product from day to day and year to year. The fish we use are caught a minimum of three miles from shore and usually much further, in the icy, clean waters of the North Atlantic.
Emulsions...
One type of fish (trash fish)
Emulsions are made from so-called "Trash Fish" (fish that Americans won't eat), usually Menhaden is used. Menhaden is caught in harbors and rivers on the coast and are exposed to coastal pollutants. Also, lake fish used could contain Mercury and PCB's.
Neptune's Harvest...
No offensive odor
Neptune's Harvest unloads fishing boats, cuts the fish, grinds the fish remains and stabilizes them all the same day, so there is no offensive odor. Fresh fish does not smell
Emulsions... Stink!
Neptune's Harvest...
Cold processed
Neptune's Harvest is cold processed all the way from start to finish. The fish is converted through the grinding process and by the naturally occurring enzymes that continually break down the fish into a liquid. These enzymes are still alive in our final product as well, so they are there to keep your soil alive. We then screen it to take out any remaining bone particles. Nothing else is removed from the product, and the only thing added is phosphoric acid to stabilize. It is more expensive than sulfuric or formic acid, but it is safer to use for our employees and yours and is something the plant needs anyway. This is why our phosphorus is higher than fish emulsions, on the analysis.
Emulsions...
Cooked
Emulsions first remove the fish meal (protein) part of the fish and sell that for pet food. Then they remove oils from the fish for Codfish Liver Oil or related procedures. Whatever is left after these processes is then boiled down to a 50% solution and sold as a fertilizer. This process has two major problems. First, the steam they use to remove the meal from the fish frame comes from municipal water, which contains chlorine. When the product is boiled down to a 50% solution, the chlorine is doubled and can be as high as 14% in the final product. Second, no matter what anyone tells you, you cannot evaporate a liquid down to a 50% solution without the use of heat. Once heat is used, all the heat sensitive vitamins, amino acids, growth hormones and the enzymes are destroyed. Some companies add enzymes back into the product so they can call it a hydrolyzed process, but technically it is far from it, and is actually just a hydrolyzed emulsion. Note: Fish naturally contain approximately 2.3% Nitrogen, it must be boiled down (or evaporated). Therefore it has been heated, no matter what the salesperson try's to tell you, the heat sensitive components from the fish are gone. The only other possibility is that it has added Nitrogen from other sources.
Neptune's Harvest...
No oils removed
Neptune's Harvest is screened through an 80 mesh screen going into the holding tank and then a 200 micron screen going into the drums or 4500 gallon tanker truck. It is the consistency of chocolate milk and is very easy to apply.
Emulsions...
Oils removed
Emulsions are thick, having the consistency of molasses. They are hard to handle and notorious for clogging sprayers and getting stuck in holding tanks. Because they are so thick, farmers often can't pump it all from their tanks, especially toward the bottom.
Anyways.. this is directly from their website.
Neptune's Harvest...
Uses several species of fish
Neptune's Harvest is made from several species of edible North Atlantic Fish remains (the part that is left after the fillet is removed for human consumption). Several species are better, because each species has a different nutrients analysis profile, so you get a full range of nutrients, vitamins, amino acids, enzymes and growth hormones. We mix all the Hydrolyzed Fish in a 10,000-gallon mixing tank before it is pumped into holding tanks. This process ensures a very consistent product from day to day and year to year. The fish we use are caught a minimum of three miles from shore and usually much further, in the icy, clean waters of the North Atlantic.
Emulsions...
One type of fish (trash fish)
Emulsions are made from so-called "Trash Fish" (fish that Americans won't eat), usually Menhaden is used. Menhaden is caught in harbors and rivers on the coast and are exposed to coastal pollutants. Also, lake fish used could contain Mercury and PCB's.
Neptune's Harvest...
No offensive odor
Neptune's Harvest unloads fishing boats, cuts the fish, grinds the fish remains and stabilizes them all the same day, so there is no offensive odor. Fresh fish does not smell
Emulsions... Stink!
Neptune's Harvest...
Cold processed
Neptune's Harvest is cold processed all the way from start to finish. The fish is converted through the grinding process and by the naturally occurring enzymes that continually break down the fish into a liquid. These enzymes are still alive in our final product as well, so they are there to keep your soil alive. We then screen it to take out any remaining bone particles. Nothing else is removed from the product, and the only thing added is phosphoric acid to stabilize. It is more expensive than sulfuric or formic acid, but it is safer to use for our employees and yours and is something the plant needs anyway. This is why our phosphorus is higher than fish emulsions, on the analysis.
Emulsions...
Cooked
Emulsions first remove the fish meal (protein) part of the fish and sell that for pet food. Then they remove oils from the fish for Codfish Liver Oil or related procedures. Whatever is left after these processes is then boiled down to a 50% solution and sold as a fertilizer. This process has two major problems. First, the steam they use to remove the meal from the fish frame comes from municipal water, which contains chlorine. When the product is boiled down to a 50% solution, the chlorine is doubled and can be as high as 14% in the final product. Second, no matter what anyone tells you, you cannot evaporate a liquid down to a 50% solution without the use of heat. Once heat is used, all the heat sensitive vitamins, amino acids, growth hormones and the enzymes are destroyed. Some companies add enzymes back into the product so they can call it a hydrolyzed process, but technically it is far from it, and is actually just a hydrolyzed emulsion. Note: Fish naturally contain approximately 2.3% Nitrogen, it must be boiled down (or evaporated). Therefore it has been heated, no matter what the salesperson try's to tell you, the heat sensitive components from the fish are gone. The only other possibility is that it has added Nitrogen from other sources.
Neptune's Harvest...
No oils removed
Neptune's Harvest is screened through an 80 mesh screen going into the holding tank and then a 200 micron screen going into the drums or 4500 gallon tanker truck. It is the consistency of chocolate milk and is very easy to apply.
Emulsions...
Oils removed
Emulsions are thick, having the consistency of molasses. They are hard to handle and notorious for clogging sprayers and getting stuck in holding tanks. Because they are so thick, farmers often can't pump it all from their tanks, especially toward the bottom.
