Kilgore
Aquarium Advice Activist
Hello Everyone,
I have done some reading in this forum on Greg Watson's dry ferts and Tom Barr's EI method, as well as Chuck's calculator, which I have downloaded. I would really like to replace my Seachem products with the dry ferts to save money. I still plan to use Excel and Equilibrium, however. I can also do Seachem's iron if that is easier. But the macros especially are just too expensive at the doses I need. Can someone remind me what the proper ratios should be of nitrate, phosphates, CO2, etc?
Anyhow, I would like to create my own stock solutions, but since I am dealing with 4 planted tanks, it may be better to dose separately. My shopping list is below... anything I need to add, or don't need to bother with?
FYI, I have one 25-gallon with 2.6 wpg compact fluorescent, all others are under 2 wpg normal fluor. Hopefully the 46-gallon will have more light soon (90 watts cf), if I can stop blowing all my money on fertilizers and save for that fixture!
Greg Watson shopping list:
CSM+B Plantex
Potassium Sulfate 1 lb.
Mono Potassium Phosphate 1 lb.
Potassium Nitrate 1 lb.
Magnesium Sulfate 1lb.
Perhaps I don't need the magnesium since I am using Equilibrium? My only concern with the EI method is that I cannot absolutely guarantee that I can do weekly 50% water changes from now until eternity. I would prefer to do less frequent water changes as my tanks age, since I am dealing with four tanks. It takes almost an entire Saturday right now to clean all the tanks, dose ferts, maintain filters, etc. Perhaps I have gotten in over my head.... the lower light tanks shouldn't need as much fertilizing, right?
FWIW, I think it would be an excellent idea to create a sticky that lists a basic fertilizing schedule for one week based on dry ferts, for a well-planted, medium to high light tank. Perhaps this is not practical, since every tank is different, but as a complete newbie, I feel overwhelmed by the complexity of not only figuring out what to dose, but how to mix it, how much to use, and how frequently to use it.
And how not to go broke doing it!
I have done some reading in this forum on Greg Watson's dry ferts and Tom Barr's EI method, as well as Chuck's calculator, which I have downloaded. I would really like to replace my Seachem products with the dry ferts to save money. I still plan to use Excel and Equilibrium, however. I can also do Seachem's iron if that is easier. But the macros especially are just too expensive at the doses I need. Can someone remind me what the proper ratios should be of nitrate, phosphates, CO2, etc?
Anyhow, I would like to create my own stock solutions, but since I am dealing with 4 planted tanks, it may be better to dose separately. My shopping list is below... anything I need to add, or don't need to bother with?
FYI, I have one 25-gallon with 2.6 wpg compact fluorescent, all others are under 2 wpg normal fluor. Hopefully the 46-gallon will have more light soon (90 watts cf), if I can stop blowing all my money on fertilizers and save for that fixture!
Greg Watson shopping list:
CSM+B Plantex
Potassium Sulfate 1 lb.
Mono Potassium Phosphate 1 lb.
Potassium Nitrate 1 lb.
Magnesium Sulfate 1lb.
Perhaps I don't need the magnesium since I am using Equilibrium? My only concern with the EI method is that I cannot absolutely guarantee that I can do weekly 50% water changes from now until eternity. I would prefer to do less frequent water changes as my tanks age, since I am dealing with four tanks. It takes almost an entire Saturday right now to clean all the tanks, dose ferts, maintain filters, etc. Perhaps I have gotten in over my head.... the lower light tanks shouldn't need as much fertilizing, right?
FWIW, I think it would be an excellent idea to create a sticky that lists a basic fertilizing schedule for one week based on dry ferts, for a well-planted, medium to high light tank. Perhaps this is not practical, since every tank is different, but as a complete newbie, I feel overwhelmed by the complexity of not only figuring out what to dose, but how to mix it, how much to use, and how frequently to use it.
And how not to go broke doing it!