when should i start fertz and which should i use

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kaz

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Sep 19, 2005
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I have the following fertz
1 CSM+B Plantex
1 Mono Potassium Phosphate
1 Potassium Nitrate
1 Potassium Sulfate
i added some plants which some the store couldnt id them, they where added yesterday and today i did a phosphate and nitrate reading
phosphate .50 and nitrate 10. i recognize some of the plants as java fern which i planted did not attach it to anythinhg, baby tears, asian ambulia. dwarf hair grass or microsword,

I read this but i have some questions


I also will add about 1/8" and 1/32" teaspoon of KNO3 and KH2PO4 respectively once a week or two

if I test the water and it contains the same as i mention would i need to add phosphate and nitrates?

how much and should I add of the trace mix?

how would you tell if i need to add sulfate? and how much of it if I do?

I'm trying to figure out chucks calculator but not sure what or how its workds, i put in 3/16 under table spoon but it says nn something like not reading. i place 1/4 and also it doesnt but if i use a dot . instead of a / backslash it gives me a reading but then under grans it says that is equivilent to like five grams is this right u need to dose that much to get something going? im trying to figure out how much do I need to start dosing in my tank and im getting confuse like, maybe im an idiot to this lol

tom barr under EI shows
60 – 80 Gallon Aquariums
+/- 3/4 tsp KN03 3x a week
+/- 3/16 tsp KH2P04 3x a week
+/- 1/4 tsp K2S04 3x a week
+/- ¼ tsp (15ml) Trace 3x a week

i dont get it how does 1/4 tsp = 15ml when 15ml is actually 1tbs?

em i suppose to dose when I figure this out directly into tank or I need to make a solution out of this? and if so why does putting dry fertz in 500ml of water make it less potent than 1ml when your actually putting it in a 75g.

I'm a mess with all this confusion. wow lol
 
15mls is referring to adding 1 Tablespoons worth of CSM+B to 250mls of water and then dosing 15 mls of that solution.

As far as Sulfate, you don't dose Sulfate with K2SO4, you dose K+ (potassium) with it. (Plants do need S and you are adding it, but we dose it based on K+)

I reading of 10 PPM NO3's on some kits means nothing at all. I use the AP test kit and I let it get down to 10 PPM for testing and a lot of my plants stunted!
 
The calculator requires you to use decimals and will not handle fractions. Try entering .25 instead of 1/4 and you will get results that are reasonable.
 
on the 15ml trace mix , says though 1/4 tsp thats what is throwing me off, as regards to the sulfate I actually ment potassium sulfate, what is K+?
regarding the calculator it says to put in a solution water measurements but why would i do that if you dose dry fertz straight into the tank?
the other thing is how much of it exactly i need to dose?
i read tom barrs information but he uses other dosing fertz that are not greg thus not sure if dry measurements would be the same of his liquid measurements?
 
If you download the windows version of the calculator, it will allow you to calculate how much to add for dry dosing.
 
how much fertz should I dose?

i have greg watsons
1 CSM+B Plantex
1 Mono Potassium Phosphate
1 Potassium Nitrate
1 Potassium Sulfate

my current water reading is

nitrate 15
phosphate 0.5

how much should I dose? and do I dose directly into the tank?
 
I merged your two threads (no need for two since they are the same).

In answer to your question, look at the responses that have already been posted and your original post. That is a good place to start with. You can modify the dosages if needed.
 
sorry I run mac
Chuck's Windows app runs on WINE in Linux, so surely would work with some emulator on a Mac. But the onsite calc is plenty sweet. APC also has the Fertilator, and Zezmo has his .xls calc which will work with MS Word or Oo_O or likely other spreadsheet apps. I have the only online CSM+B solution calc but the 1TSP in 250mL mix is used by lots of people. This really doesn't need to be more complicated than you want it to be -- ballpark figures are fine unless you want to play scientist or be anal about the process. EI is your friend.

You can dose directly into the tank. Or dilute it in water first if your fish are dumb :)
 
ok so all my questions started to try to avoid algae, thinking that over dosing etc may cause a bloom.

so far from all the research i have looked at this is what i think i understood from it.

trace mix, nitrate, phosphate, potassium
none of these overdosing will cause algae
what does cause algae is to have to much of nh4, high light or long periods of lighting, ups and downs of co2 and having little nutients in the tank as far as fe. nitrate, phosphate, potassium.

is this correct.?
 
Fluctuating CO2 levels, lack of NO3, high light w/o CO2, extended photoperiods (beyond 10-12 hours), lack of water changes, etc will all lead to algae. In some cases, excessive phosphate can do the same. It is paramount to keep all nutrients in balance, hence the testing of them. EI keeps this from occurring since you basically wipe out the excess at the end of the week with the PWC.
 
Jchillin said:
In some cases, excessive phosphate can do the same.
Actually from what I've been reading this is actually a myth that was accidently perpetuated by a misunderstanding of how PMDD was developed/works. Basically, testing showed that low levels of Phosphate did not induce or even reduced algae and help plant grow better when compared to a tank where Phosphate was being eliminated. There was never a comparison to a tank with high levels of Phosphate. They determined that the low levels of phosphate needed for good growth where already available through the tap water and feeding, which is why there was no Phosphate in the PMDD. Further, at that time people weren't using anywhere near the levels of lighting that many of us use now, so plants wouldn't tear through the nutrients as fast decreasing the likelihood that it would be necessary to dose Phosphates.

More recent testing has shown that excess Phosphates don't cause algae anymore than any other nutrient. Unfortunately the myth that high Phosphates cause algae is so deeply ingrained in the hobby that it keeps getting perpetuated despite evidence to the contrary.
 
Purrbox said:
Actually from what I've been reading this is actually a myth that was accidently perpetuated by a misunderstanding of how PMDD was developed/works.

Yeah, I read that information. It was dated from 1996 so I guessed that it was no longer sustainable, hence the term "in some cases". I know Mr. Barr keeps the fires burning regarding this myth. :)
 
Jchillin said:
Fluctuating CO2 levels, lack of NO3, high light w/o CO2, extended photoperiods (beyond 10-12 hours), lack of water changes, etc will all lead to algae. In some cases, excessive phosphate can do the same. It is paramount to keep all nutrients in balance, hence the testing of them. EI keeps this from occurring since you basically wipe out the excess at the end of the week with the PWC.

how much axcessive phosphate causes algae?
I understand about EI and some of the points you make but keep in mind I do have 130w in my 75g running ten hours and I am thinking of turning down the hrs to 8 only, I do not have co2 and from what I research it says not to do every week water changes but do it once or twice a month.
 
I have 130w in my 75g as well. I happen to use a modified EI approach with my tank and I do not inject CO2 either. I change 50% of my water weekly. I do not believe you should have any issues.

The excessive phosphate causing algae issue has been negated since the advent of the PMDD formula's were created. You need not worry about overdosing phosphate if you use the measurements mentioned.
 
now in the past about a month or so I was fighting with BBA and members suggest that it maybe from the water changes every week do to co2 levels, I only have up to 15g of buckets to hold water 24h before and poor it in, the only way I can have water sit for a while to let off the co2 is having 10 buckets of 5g each which is to many to much to hold around the house. what other system do you use to do this without using the direct tap into my tank system i was doing?
 
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