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fertilizers

3K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  Zephyr 
#1 ·
I was wondering what fertilizers I will need to help plants out. I know this is going to be vague but I don't know what plants yet as I have not gotten them yet...I only have java moss and java fern right now.
I have a 90 gallon tank.
I just purchased a pressurized co2 setup that I am about to install and am about to purchase a compact fluorescent let setup with 260 watts.
So I kind of need to know what fertilizers I will need and I also need to know what lightbulbs to get for the light setup.
I do have flourite mixed in the gravel...it used to be separate but got mixed when I moved a couple years ago.

Sorry for the vagueness.
Thanks
Gary
 
#2 ·
If you are going to go heaviy planted with some fast growers like Hygros, elodea, hornwort, Wisteria or others then I would suggest getting all of them. KNO3, KH2PO4, K2SO4, MgSO4, CaCL2 and CSM+B (CSM+B is your micro or trace fertilizer). These can all be obtained from HERE . I would suggest the following ratio:
1 KNO3
1 KH2PO4
1 MgSO4
1 CaCL2
3 K2SO4 (you will go through it much faster)
1 CSM+B

I would suggest getting 2 pounds of each and 6 of the K2SO4 due to the levels of dosing you could be doing. But this depends on your planting density of course.

Yu might even want to get the Barr's GH booster which will eliminate the need to get both Mg and Ca because it has both. Getting them seperate will allow you to control the dosing a little more. I would get them seperately, personally.

Remember to make sure you always have a KH of at least 3 which can easily be controlled by adding Crushed coral in small amounts and checking your KH a couple days later. Keep an eye in it and if it starts dropping add a little more to keep it steady. Calcium Carbonate can be used for the same thing but you need to adjust your water when you do a water change. Also keep your GH steady at about 5-6dKH because this can be even more stressful than small ph Swings with a normal KH.
 
#3 ·
fish_4_all said:
If you are going to go heaviy planted with some fast growers like Hygros, elodea, hornwort, Wisteria or others then I would suggest getting all of them. KNO3, KH2PO4, K2SO4, MgSO4, CaCL2 and CSM+B (CSM+B is your micro or trace fertilizer). These can all be obtained from HERE . I would suggest the following ratio:
1 KNO3
1 KH2PO4
1 MgSO4
1 CaCL2
3 K2SO4 (you will go through it much faster)
1 CSM+B

I would suggest getting 2 pounds of each and 6 of the K2SO4 due to the levels of dosing you could be doing. But this depends on your planting density of course.

Yu might even want to get the Barr's GH booster which will eliminate the need to get both Mg and Ca because it has both. Getting them seperate will allow you to control the dosing a little more. I would get them seperately, personally.

Remember to make sure you always have a KH of at least 3 which can easily be controlled by adding Crushed coral in small amounts and checking your KH a couple days later. Keep an eye in it and if it starts dropping add a little more to keep it steady. Calcium Carbonate can be used for the same thing but you need to adjust your water when you do a water change. Also keep your GH steady at about 5-6dKH because this can be even more stressful than small ph Swings with a normal KH.
:shock: sounds like real chemistry
 
#4 ·
Is extremely simple and dosing is all set up by THIS calculator located at the bottom of the page for most of the ferts. THIS one tells you how much CSM+B to dose and mixtures to make.

I am not sure about the Calcium dosing though so hopefully someone else will help with that. I am using a different one because I didn't order it from Gregs and found a different one locally.
 
#6 ·
There is no mixing, you dose them seperately in a small cup to dissolve them and then put them in the tank. It takes me about 2 minutes to measure them all out each day to dose. It is really simple and 2 pounds of them are enough to last a good year if not 2 years with the heaviest dosing and should cost around $40 or so. Might last longer. It doesn't take anything more than a teaspoon to measure and a couple containers to store them and keep them dry. The only ones you mix are the CSM+B and the KH2PO4, not together but in seperate containers. You could mix it all into one solution but that takes away the ability to dose seperately and manage your dosing individually. Just don't mix the KH2PO4 in with the CSM+B or the iron will precipitate out.

By all means if you want to patronize your LFS for ferts go ahead but it would have cost me well over $300 in the last year to dose what I have used. If money isn't an issue then go local.
 
#7 ·
I ordered some stuff from greg watsons and now am confused on how much to add.
I got mono potassium phosphate
I got calcium chloride
And I got the PMDD pre-mix that has Plantex CSM 1tbl, MgSO4+7H2O 1tbl, K2SO4 1tbl, and KNO3 1tbl.
Now if I am going to mix them with water first how much of each would I mix and with how much water?
Or is it better to just dose them dry and if so how much of each?
This is for a 90 gallon tank.
Thanks
Gary
 
#8 ·
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_aquacalc.htm

Download the calculator to figure out how much to mix and how much you need to dose. Since you are getting your feet wet for the first time, go with the recommended amounts from the calculator.

I can not help you with the PMDD, I don't use it. I dose everything seperately. I have more control that way where as the PMDD is close when you dose but levels are not as exact as I like them.

And remember, do NOT dose your mono pottasium phosphate when you dose your PMDD, the CSM+B has your iron and the phosphates can cause the iron to precipitate out in an unuseable form. Dose the phosphates on opposite days.

I will try to find someone who knows how to dose the PMDD but I don't know anyone right off the top of my head that uses it.
 
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