Making Solutions...

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KentCurtis

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Oct 20, 2008
Messages
81
Location
Ohio
Hey everyone. Just got my dry ferts in the mail today and I am trying to make solutions following the EI method found here EI light: for those less techy folks - Aquarium Plants - Barr Report . Tell me if my mixtures and thinking are correct.

Given This:
20-40 Gallon Aquariums
+/- ¼ tsp KN03 3x a week
+/- 1/16 tsp KH2P04 3x a week
+/- 1/16 tsp (5ml) Trace Elements 3x a week

I planned to add:
3/4 tsp KNO3 to a 300ml bottle and add 1/3 of it 3x a week.
3/16 tsp KH2PO4 to a 300ml bottle and add 1/3 of it 3x a week.
3/16 tsp CSM+B to a 300ml bottle and add 1/3 of it 3x a week.

Is my thinking correct on making these solutions? Also, where in the world does K2SO4 come into play, and why isnt it listed in the post?
 
If you can measure the doses necessary for dosing you can just add it dry to your aquarium. There's no need to make a solution of it first. It's only on the smaller aquariums where mixing a solution becomes helpful. The K2SO4 is for extra potassium. I'd dose enough to get at least 20ppm per week. This can be a single dose or split into several smaller doses.
 
From the plants' perspective that's true, but pretty much anything granular I throw in my tank a fish is going to put in its mouth before it hits the bottom. I'd say there is still some benefit to premixed solutions. It's easier to measure large amounts accurately too if you have to use volume measurements.
 
I would like to dose dry, but I don't have anything really small enough. I'd like to convert those measures to grams or something
 
I am absolutely horrible with numbers. Anyone have an idea on what kind of container I should mix a solution into, as well as possibly turning these tiny amounts into something measurable? Im guessing by making a 2 weeks supply or something I could accomplish this, but once again, not strong with numbers haha. These numbers are more suited to my tank after looking at the ppm yields:

+/- 1/8 tsp KNO3 (N) 3x a week
+/- 1/32 tsp KH2PO4 (P) 3x a week
+/- 1/32 tsp Trace Elements 3x a week
 
SEAFOAM

That website sells all kinds of plastic bottles. You do not have to order in bulk either.

Otherwise, Walmart sells ketchup and mustard dispensers for cheap. I have heard of a lot of folks using those.
 
Yea I saw some containers that would work, but I just need to figure out how much of each fertilizer in with how much water and how much of it to use each day i dose haha. Im looking at making a 2+ weeks supply, just to make the 1/32 tsp measurement plausible with my 1/2 tsp measuring spoon
 
That's exactly why I think dosing a solution is a better idea. I say just mix up 16 doses at once, and your measure will be exactly what you need.

It makes no difference how strong the solution is as long as you can control the dose. It looks like you want each dose to contain 1/8 tsp KNO3, 1/32 tsp KH2PO4, 1/32 tsp Trace Elements, so if you were to mix up 16 doses at once you would want a total of
2 tsp KNO3
1/2 tsp KHPO4
1/2 tsp Trace
It doesn't matter how much water you add as long as it's enough to dissolve that amount of chemical. What I would do is take some convenient measuring container, like a syringe or cup or whatever, and fill and dump it into a gallon jug or bucket 16 times. Then when you dose fertilizers you just fill that same measuring cup from the big bucket and you'll have the right amount.
 
Im thinking I will just use 16 cups of water ( 1 gallon ) and pour it into an empty milk jug. Would mixing the KH2PO4 and KNO3 together in this solution be ok? and I would mix the Traces in a different jug to dose on different days.
 
The only thing you want to avoid mixing together is the iron (in CSM+B) and the Phosphate (KH2PO4). Anything else can be mixed together in the same solution without problems.

For dry dosing where you don't want the fish to each the ferts before they dissolve you can add the ferts to your filter or scoop out some of your aquarium water disolve it in that and then add back to the aquarium.

To get an approximate for the grams in a measurement, just use a measuring spoon that you do have and weigh it out. You may want to do this several times and average the results to get the most accurate results. Then divide out to the size that you are supposed to dose to get the grams necessary. (ie. if you measure the 1tsp and you are supposed to dose 1/8tsp, then you would divide the grams by 8. for 1/16tsp you would divide by 16, and so on.)

Also Chuck's Calculator is very handy when determining dosing, solutions, etc.
 
i dump it into a empty flourish bottle shake a few times pour in tank.Done.
 
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