Dry fert order

[garth7]

I am sure people here have ordered from Greg Watson.com. How long did it take to get the ferts? I am just trying to plan ahead.

Also, here is my order:

Shipping Method: UPS Ground
--------------------------
Potassium Nitrate 2 lb.
--------------------------
PotassiumSulfate 4 lb
--------------------------
Mono Potassium Phosphate 2 lb.
--------------------------
CSM+B Plantex 2 lb

What type of dosing schedule should I be on? I have a moderately planted tank (not heavily). It is a 55 gal. I have been doing water changes every 2 weeks. I have 2 ottos, 2 dwarf gouramis, 5 white clouds. I plan on adding 3 to 4 cories, two more ottos, and 3 to 4 more platies or swordtails over the next 3 weeks. I hope this helps in suggestions.

You guys and gals are the best!!!
Doug

 

[JDogg]

I am sure people here have ordered from Greg Watson.com. How long did it take to get the ferts? I am just trying to plan ahead.

Also, here is my order:

Shipping Method: UPS Ground
--------------------------
Potassium Nitrate 2 lb.
--------------------------
PotassiumSulfate 4 lb
--------------------------
Mono Potassium Phosphate 2 lb.
--------------------------
CSM+B Plantex 2 lb

What type of dosing schedule should I be on? I have a moderately planted tank (not heavily). It is a 55 gal. I have been doing water changes every 2 weeks. I have 2 ottos, 2 dwarf gouramis, 5 white clouds. I plan on adding 3 to 4 cories, two more ottos, and 3 to 4 more platies or swordtails over the next 3 weeks. I hope this helps in suggestions.

You guys and gals are the best!!!
Doug

first off...how much light do you have? wpg?

how about CO2?

that will determine how much dosing to suggest....

for example:

IF you are at least medium light and IF you have CO2....

then i might suggest starting out with... keep in mind i am doing this off the top of my head

~1/8 tsp CSM+B 2- 3 times a week
~1/16 tsp KH2PO4 2-3 times a week
~1/2 tsp KNO3 2-3 times a week
~ 1/4 tsp KSO4 2-3 times a week

someone correct me if i'm wrong, just trying to give best guess on the fly

 

[garth7]

No C02 yet....
I have 150 watts in my 55 gal. This is MH lighgting. I think that it calculates to 2.7 watts/gal

I hope this helps. If I am going to do these dry ferts should I really look into CO2?

 

[JDogg]

No C02 yet....
I have 150 watts in my 55 gal. This is MH lighgting. I think that it calculates to 2.7 watts/gal

I hope this helps. If I am going to do these dry ferts should I really look into CO2?

i do not think many people us MH on a planted tank, but i think they can be used... if they do equate to 2.7 wpg i would defiantly look into CO2, or you are going to be fighting algae before long...IMO

You may want to invest in Pressurized CO2, but if that us just not an option at this time you might be able to get away with DIY for a while if you have a good method of diffusion (i diffuse my DIY through the intake of a powerhead and get a decent level from the CO2 mist produced)

adding CO2 will mean you will get more growth that without, which means you will go though ferts faster, i would definitely start out dosing everything 3 days a week (micos and macros on different days...) and start doing 50% pwc every week so nothing builds up too much...

my sscheduleon my 75 gallon is as follows
PWC Saturday and Dose Flourish Trace
Sunday=Macros (NO3, PO4 and K)
Monday=Micros (CSM+B)
Tuesday=Macros
Wednesday=Micros
Thursday=Macros
Friday=Micros
Saturday 50% PWC and start all over again...
i am running ~2.5 wpg and DIY CO2 (~55-60 ppm)

i definitely think CO2 in some form is the way to go at your light level, maybe others will disagree.

 

[garth7]

thanks for the advice. Where do people look for the CO2 tanks and controllers?

 

[JDogg]

thanks for the advice. Where do people look for the CO2 tanks and controllers?

i think a lot of people have had good luck with CO2 supplies from HERE

you can get bottles at a local Medical Supple or Welding Supple Store i think

 

[JRagg]

I got my CO2 tank from a homebrew store near my house.

Quite a few people use the Rex grigg built regulators that JDogg linked, but plenty of others use ones made by Milwaukee or JBJ.

Both of those brands can be found on ebay. http://www.co2-canisters.com/ is a good site to see what is available and to check out what you might expect to pay. I would try to find the tank locally though, it's generally cheaper and it won't be empty like the ones purchased online.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I ordered my ferts from Watson and had them in a few days. VERY fast and cheap. I haven't used them yet since I am waiting for Christmas to get the pressurized CO2 unit.

 

[garth7]

Wow, expensive. I may wait till spring to get the co2 I think I am going to do the diy for now. A little shouldnt hurt should it?

 

[JDogg]

Wow, expensive. I may wait till spring to get the co2 I think I am going to do the diy for now. A little shouldnt hurt should it?

just make sure you are getting atleast over 30 ppm CO2 but not too high

 

[garth7]

Is 30ppm even possible by diy with a 55 gal aquarium?

 

[JDogg]

Is 30ppm even possible by diy with a 55 gal aquarium?

i get 55-60 ppm with DIY on a 75, i mist my DIY CO2 by running it into the intake of my powerhead

 

[garth7]

wow, that is inspiring enough to get me to the store to buy yeast tonight. I will have to browse the diy forums to find the best stuff to use.

Thanks!

 

[JDogg]

no promises you will get the same results

 

[An t-iasg]

I use a yeast system on my 5 gallon tanks. I like the Red Star Premier Cuvee wine yeast. It's in a dark blue packet. I got it at the local wine/home brew store. I can get three weeks of good CO2 from it.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

If going DIY on a 55G, I would recommend at least 3 2L bottles, maybe even 4. Also, you will want to use mist, as JDogg has mentioned above. You will get a lot better growth. I do pure CO2 mist on my 75G and 29G, and get awesome growth, but I'm on pressurized. Here's how I would recommend you do it....

Go online and get 3 powerheads and a fine mist airstone, such as a limewood airstone. For the main powerhead, find the powerhead you like. Don't go with a cheapie. Something line an AquaClear 30 or MaxiJet 600 should be sufficient. For the other 2 powerheads, get cheapies like Rio 180's, which you can get for 9.99 each. Also, pick up some check-valves, so tank water doesn't back up into your CO2 bottles from the tank.

For the main powerhead, have the airstone directly under it, and have it low in the tank on either the left or right side, pointed slightly down and at the back wall of the aquarium at about a 30 degree angle or so. This way the current will deflect off the back wall, down under the plants without a lot of disturbance to the plants, and the CO2 will rise through the plants. Then, for the 2 Rio powerheads, have them on the back wall of the tank, at the top of the tank at the waterline, pointed slightly up and straight forward, causing some surface aggitation. This will increase the O2 levels in the tank for the fish. It will also take the rising CO2 bubble and kick them back down the front of the glass and back into the plants. I found this maximizes the time the bubbles stay in the tank.

This is just one idea of how you can set it up, with DIY or Pressurized. I really like the results, and with the Rio's pointed slightly up, they don't disturb the plants either.

 

[JDogg]

If going DIY on a 55G, I would recommend at least 3 2L bottles, maybe even 4. Also, you will want to use mist, as JDogg has mentioned above. You will get a lot better growth. I do pure CO2 mist on my 75G and 29G, and get awesome growth, but I'm on pressurized. Here's how I would recommend you do it....

Go online and get 3 powerheads and a fine mist airstone, such as a limewood airstone. For the main powerhead, find the powerhead you like. Don't go with a cheapie. Something line an AquaClear 30 or MaxiJet 600 should be sufficient. For the other 2 powerheads, get cheapies like Rio 180's, which you can get for 9.99 each. Also, pick up some check-valves, so tank water doesn't back up into your CO2 bottles from the tank.

For the main powerhead, have the airstone directly under it, and have it low in the tank on either the left or right side, pointed slightly down and at the back wall of the aquarium at about a 30 degree angle or so. This way the current will deflect off the back wall, down under the plants without a lot of disturbance to the plants, and the CO2 will rise through the plants. Then, for the 2 Rio powerheads, have them on the back wall of the tank, at the top of the tank at the waterline, pointed slightly up and straight forward, causing some surface aggitation. This will increase the O2 levels in the tank for the fish. It will also take the rising CO2 bubble and kick them back down the front of the glass and back into the plants. I found this maximizes the time the bubbles stay in the tank.

This is just one idea of how you can set it up, with DIY or Pressurized. I really like the results, and with the Rio's pointed slightly up, they don't disturb the plants either.

similar to how i have my powerheads but i only use two... and my diffusing powerhead is not pointed at the back wall... but that is something i may have to try

i definitely agree that in the long run pressurized is the ways to go...but if you are like me, the cash for it is not there yes... and with a little work DIY can get you by for a while

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Yup, and the longer you can keep that mist in the water and not escape the top of the tank, the better results you will get. That's why I like my Rio's at the top of the tank, to kick it back down under the plants again. On a DIY, if you can maximize the time the bubbles are in the water, and in the plants, the results increase considerably. Also, with the growth rate of my sword in my 29G, I cut off over half the leaves last weekend, and today alone has put out 1 leaf and starting a second one, lol. I think I'm going to have a problem with over-growth, lol. I never had these kind of results with a powered reactor with over 50ppm CO2. And my XP2 keeps kicking out O2 because the water is so saturated that it builds up in the filter, then kicks it out.

 

[garth7]

Wow! Thanks for all the help. Has anyone tried this guy's approach?

Does any one see any issues with it or any questions that may arise?

http://www.aquaticscape.com/articles/co2reactor.htm

Thanks,
Doug

 

[Lonewolfblue]

That is an inline reactor. It does great with pressurized, but will have a tough time getting CO2 levels up with DIY in a larger aquarium. And the end results will be a little less than using mist, IMO. With the inline, you completely disssolve the CO2 into the water. With mist, you don't. When the bubbles hit the plant, that's where the CO2 transfer is, from bubble to the plant. But with pressurized, a lot of people use inline reactors, they are probably the best out of all the reactors.