I Still Don't Get Ferts

[Plantbrain]

Just a note, I'll try to get the new micro nutrients to Alan sometime late this month, or early next month.

Like Tropica and SeaChem combined + several other more bioavailable goodies. I based the formula off of 54 aquatic plant species for the ratio.
Then I took the best two trace mixes available, added those to a matrix cluster to derive the forumlation.

This will be sold in the dry powdered form, so you do not pay for water or 1 more shipping for anything with water in it.

I'm not keen on CMS personally, never liked it.
TMG has proven very good, Flourish, a bit less so.

Alan will also carry some dry powdered Iron with a gluconate chelator as well as a nitro blaster Iron which is even mre bioavailable and provides small amnio acids as a nitrogen source. This is extremely concentrated and to be used in small amounts daily.

The cost will be about 10-2 cheaper than TMG or the SeaChem products from mail order places.

Note, I'm not selling this, just developing.
Alan will be the one to bug

BTW, GH booster ads some Mg and Ca as well as plenty of K2SO4.
Basically a good additive after a weekly water change, adds K+, and soem Ca/Mg so you likely do not need to test those either.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[7Enigma]

I knew I'd have more questions. I started taking a look at the dosing calculator.

So if I have a 55-gallon tank, I wrote it as 50 gallons. I said I was going to mix with 100ml of water to make calculations easy.

If I add 1/4 teaspoon of potassium nitrate, that is going to be 5ppm total? So I want to be dosing every other day so my total for the week is about 1/4 teaspoon to hit that 5ppm mark?

Then that same 1/4 teaspoon on the week would give me 3ppm of phosphate?

Am I using the calculator correctly? That would mean I need to add potassium sulfate or mono potassium phosphate to reach the rest of the suggested potassium amount for the week? Which one does one choose?

Then how do I dose the micros? I see magnesium sulfate and it looks like 1/4 teaspoon over the week would be about right for the suggested total, but what about the others?

What I do is enter 1ml in the volume, then you are dosing the dry weight and you don't have to worry about calculations. I just dump the dry ferts right next to my HOB filter and everything dissolves on its way down (except calcium sulfate).

 

[theotheragentm]

Okay, that makes sense to work with just dry weights.

I add potassium nitrate to hit my 5ppm mark, but how do I make up the rest of the potassium necessary? Based on the suggestions of ferts you gave to me, I could do potassium sulfate or mono potassium phosphate. Maybe I just split the two?

Then what about micros? Is there a calculator for that?

Thanks for all your replies. I greatly appreciate them.

 

[Purrbox]

It's the Potassium Sulfate that you would be using for extra Potassium dosing. The Mono Potassium Phosphate really isn't used for Potassium dosing at all, though I'm not sure of the exact reason why.

 

[theotheragentm]

It's the Potassium Sulfate that you would be using for extra Potassium dosing. The Mono Potassium Phosphate really isn't used for Potassium dosing at all, though I'm not sure of the exact reason why.

Then what am I use Mono Potassium Phosphate for then?

I'm still not sure how micro dosing is supposed to be measured. I'm trying to get things a bit more understood before buying stuff I don't need.

 

[rich311k]

The mono potassium phosphate is for phosphate dosing. Micros are usually mixed in water and dosed a little, say 5ml on alternate days from the macros.

 

[7Enigma]

I had issues with the CSM+B crystallizing on the bottom of the container and just switched to dosing dry. I use about what I use for phosphate for the CSM+B (1/32tsp or so). Not as accurate as from a liquid stock, but I'm within a range of dosing that should still be slightly in excess.

You basically calculate your traces based on the iron needs. The rest are used less than iron so you know they are not deficient (in theory).

 

[theotheragentm]

Hmm, what am I adding that takes care of iron? Is that in the CSM+B? I think what I'm going to do is not add any micros at first to see what kind of results I get, and as I see deficiency I will know it's the micros, assuming I am doing the macros properly.

 

[7Enigma]

Hmm, what am I adding that takes care of iron? Is that in the CSM+B? I think what I'm going to do is not add any micros at first to see what kind of results I get, and as I see deficiency I will know it's the micros, assuming I am doing the macros properly.

Yes CSM+B is your iron additive. It's ~7% by weight of the fert. The one thing I've learned in my planted tank is that there is no cut and dry answer as to what is deficient. Many of the ferts are inter-related and a deficiency symptom might be caused NOT by the fert our "guides" tell us, but rather by a deficiency or excess of another fert.

I'd dose the CSM+B.

 

[theotheragentm]

One last question (I hope) before I buy my ferts. I know when nitrates are too much, but do I just assume everything is doing well if fish and plants are both thriving? Weekly water changes to reset thing, of course.

 

[Purrbox]

Basically if both your fish and plants are healthy and growing the way that you want them to, then you probably don't need to tweak anything.

 

[Jchillin]

Basically if both your fish and plants are healthy and growing the way that you want them to, then you probably don't need to tweak anything.

If you start from scratch, meaning after you've done a 50% water change, this statement above will be absolutely correct. No chance of really overdosing nitrate unless you do that on your own accord. In some cases, the targets are nearly ideal. That will depend on your fish load and plant mass. Just keep an eye on everything and then tweak according to your observations.