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Ferts question! (and TDS)

C

curefan

Member
Joined
11 Feb 2009
Messages
167
Location
Ireland
Hi,
Im planting my new set up and trying to decide what ferts to use. I inject co2. I have a lot of Cuba which grew fine for me before using Tropica liquid frets but its expensive.. Then I switched to EI (MGSO4/Trace/KNO3/KH2PO4) but this caused my TDS (total dissolved solids) to go too high and killed my CR shrimp, which id love to keep again.
So do I bit the bullet and fork out loads of cash for Tropica For a tank over 500L ?

Any suggestions welcome...Thanks, Dave.
 
Have a look here>>> http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/allinone.htm
There is a Tropica recipe you could make up!
hoggie

DIY TPN+ (3)
48g Potassium Nitrate
2.2g Potassium Phosphate (monobasic)
17g Magnesium Sulphate Heptahydrate (Epsom Salts)
0.5g E300 Ascorbic Acid
0.2g E202 Potassium Sorbate
5g EDTA Chelated Trace Elements Mix (TNC Trace, CSM+B)
500ml distilled water
 
Last edited:
7b6cf1c10fb5d677fc780a129b360365.jpg


That's my DIY Tropica... (Not exactly as I think Tropica ferts include some ammonium)

Jordi
 
Thanks....where would you get distilled water and is it necessary rather than regular water?
 
curefan said:
Thanks....where would you get distilled water and is it necessary rather than regular water?
Click to expand...
I use regular tap water (I did use RO but was convinced here that it makes really no sense). It looks like a standard tap water chemistry won't affect salt's solubility... And if you find yourself with some additional nitrates or micros, well it's for free! Remember that it's very difficult to know what your plants need in terms of nutrients and you do not have accurate measurement instruments at home for making the DIY fert... We just try to add enough ferts. So it is not really a problem to find yourself with a few additional ppm of something.

Jordi

Jordi
 
hogan53 said:
Have a look here>>> http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/allinone.htm
There is a Tropica recipe you could make up!
hoggie

DIY TPN+ (3)
48g Potassium Nitrate
2.2g Potassium Phosphate (monobasic)
17g Magnesium Sulphate Heptahydrate (Epsom Salts)
0.5g E300 Ascorbic Acid
0.2g E202 Potassium Sorbate
5g EDTA Chelated Trace Elements Mix (TNC Trace, CSM+B)
500ml distilled water
Click to expand...

I assume this has been tried and tested with good results?
 
curefan said:
I assume this has been tried and tested with good results?
Click to expand...

Well, not with the most brilliant results (this is not ferts fault but mine), but at least with healthy plant growing as you can see in different setups in which this mix has been used:

14026457353_f6e532ed02_h.jpg

13623334553_c3bdc45898_h.jpg

14311875328_b3b9d553e0_h.jpg

13623406335_1ada1aa99b_h.jpg

Anyway good results rarely depend on your fert mix when dosed in a reasonable enough amount... I guess with Cuba (or whatever plant, but especially carpet and Co2 hungry plants) light control, co2 (injection, are and distribution) and tank husbandry will be your challenge

Jordi
 
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hogan53 said:
Have a look here>>> http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/allinone.htm
There is a Tropica recipe you could make up!
hoggie

DIY TPN+ (3)
48g Potassium Nitrate
2.2g Potassium Phosphate (monobasic)
17g Magnesium Sulphate Heptahydrate (Epsom Salts)
0.5g E300 Ascorbic Acid
0.2g E202 Potassium Sorbate
5g EDTA Chelated Trace Elements Mix (TNC Trace, CSM+B)
500ml distilled water
Click to expand...


Not sure what the different recipes are on this page.....Can you use the first one listed?? :
10g Potassium Nitrate
2.3g Potassium Phosphate (monobasic)
4.0g Potassium Sulphate
8.0g Magnesium Sulphate Heptahydrate (Epsom Salts)
0.5g E300 Ascorbic Acid
0.2g E202 Potassium Sorbate
6g EDTA Chelated Trace Elements Mix (TNC Trace, CSM+B)
500ml distilled water
 
curefan said:
Hi,
Im planting my new set up and trying to decide what ferts to use. I inject co2. I have a lot of Cuba which grew fine for me before using Tropica liquid frets but its expensive.. Then I switched to EI (MGSO4/Trace/KNO3/KH2PO4) but this caused my TDS (total dissolved solids) to go too high and killed my CR shrimp, which id love to keep again.
So do I bit the bullet and fork out loads of cash for Tropica For a tank over 500L ?

Any suggestions welcome...Thanks, Dave.
Click to expand...

I cannot kill any shrimp using EI dosing.
I have perhaps a few thousand?
 
hogan53 said:
Have a look here>>> http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/allinone.htm
There is a Tropica recipe you could make up!
hoggie

DIY TPN+ (3)
48g Potassium Nitrate
2.2g Potassium Phosphate (monobasic)
17g Magnesium Sulphate Heptahydrate (Epsom Salts)
0.5g E300 Ascorbic Acid
0.2g E202 Potassium Sorbate
5g EDTA Chelated Trace Elements Mix (TNC Trace, CSM+B)
500ml distilled water
Click to expand...

So any suggestions on where you can buy a scales to measure out these very small weights??
Thanks.
 
curefan said:
So any suggestions on where you can buy a scales to measure out these very small weights??
Thanks.
Click to expand...

Well you can buy precision scales from ebay via china for about a fiver. A much cheaper option would be to to go to
Yet Another Nutrient Calculator and use that to get the equivalent teaspoons required for the same ppm in grams.
 
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