Questions about custom ferts.

[PlantMan216]

So since joining this forum, I’ve learned and cleared up a lot of info relating to planted tanks. A big one that I like being remineralizing RO water with salts instead of commercial remineralizers .

I’ve seen some posts about custom ferts and the whole calculator thing. I’m wondering if someone that is experienced in this can explain to me what that process is exactly in somewhat simpler terms, what pros and cons it has (compared to any commercial ferts), and how differently it effects plants/algae. Also is it something you measure based on plants/ how much your tank would consume?

For my new scape I’m going the custom salts route for RO so if this method is better then commercial products (I planned on using SeaChem ferts) then I might try to learn it before I officially start that tank up. Yesterday I opened the IFC calculator and it’s safe to say I have a lot of learning to do… hahaha

Also to add, it’s safe to say I know hardly anything about these custom salts, IFC calculator, ferts, what to do/how much, when you add more or less, what to use etc. So if someone can point me to a source or video that shows how to do this stuff that would be great. If anyone is willing to email me a whole “simple” guide too that would great but of course not necessary! At this point in my aquascape journey I’d like to really learn in depth about water parameters, ferts, and how everything connects to make everything perfect. All the info online is just all over the place with different opinions and it feels like it’s my first day researching aquascapes.

 

[ElleDee]

...and how differently it effects plants/algae.

I'm going to give you a heads up, this question gets people riled up and there is no group consensus.

The undeniable pros to mixing your own are that you have total control and it is way cheaper in the long run (especially compared to Seachem, my goodness).

The cons are that you have to make a lot more decisions and do a bit of labor and math.

There are a lot of people who will help you, but there are some very specific ideas about what your targets should be for each nutrient. Personally I'm pretty ambivalent and I think premixed fertilizer is a reasonable choice for a lot of people, especially beginners and those with small tanks. Spend the money, learn from experience, and when the bottle runs out you may have some opinions of your own to guide you.

Bit I'll let the fert specialists take over on the specifics...

 

[MichaelJ]

So since joining this forum, I’ve learned and cleared up a lot of info relating to planted tanks. A big one that I like being remineralizing RO water with salts instead of commercial remineralizers .

I’ve seen some posts about custom ferts and the whole calculator thing. I’m wondering if someone that is experienced in this can explain to me what that process is exactly in somewhat simpler terms, what pros and cons it has (compared to any commercial ferts), and how differently it effects plants/algae. Also is it something you measure based on plants/ how much your tank would consume?

For my new scape I’m going the custom salts route for RO so if this method is better then commercial products (I planned on using SeaChem ferts) then I might try to learn it before I officially start that tank up. Yesterday I opened the IFC calculator and it’s safe to say I have a lot of learning to do… hahaha

Also to add, it’s safe to say I know hardly anything about these custom salts, IFC calculator, ferts, what to do/how much, when you add more or less, what to use etc. So if someone can point me to a source or video that shows how to do this stuff that would be great. If anyone is willing to email me a whole “simple” guide too that would great but of course not necessary! At this point in my aquascape journey I’d like to really learn in depth about water parameters, ferts, and how everything connects to make everything perfect. All the info online is just all over the place with different opinions and it feels like it’s my first day researching aquascapes.

Hi @PlantMan216 Fertilization is such a massive topic where you have to ask very specific questions to get good specific answers - My recommendation is just to dive in on the numerous threads we have here on UKAPS and start reading - just don't get caught up in the realm of abstruse topics and debates a lot of us (including myself) easily gets caught up in... . My default advice on fertilizers - if you are a beginner or just want it to be dead easy and simple - is to start out with a good all-in-one fertilizer and just stick to the dosing recommendations. Eventually, as you learn more, you can venture into DIY salts for your own Macros and Micros. If you want to jump-start into salts with relative ease, a good product range (available in the US) that gives to You a good start is the ones from NilocG - they have comprehensive Macro (NPK) and Micro blends.

Cheers,
Michael

 

[John q]

All the info online is just all over the place with different opinions

Yep and this forum is no different. Lol.

As mentioned above, cost saving is the big plus.
Also mixing your own allows you to try and experiment and find out for yourself what level of each specific nutrient is or isn't important, regardless of which dosing regime you decide to follow 😉

The calculators at first seem a little daunting but in time you'll get your head round them.

I won't advise which fertilizer regime to follow, it causes far to much controversy. I will however give you some useful links, read, enjoy the discussion, but most importantly try to take in some of the info and then make your own mind up. Lol, enjoy the confusion.

EI DOSING USING DRY SALTS

EI DOSING USING DRY SALTS The Economics of Dry Powders It never ceases to amaze me how many people react with trepidation to the thought of dosing their tanks with dry salts. For some reason they seem more comfortable spending megabucks on commercial products, which are composed of...

www.ukaps.org

Lean dosing pros and cons

Hi all, I’ve recently set up my new scape AS1200 and densely planted. Running CO2 with an in-line diffuser on both Oase 600 filters and dosing APT Complete daily as per instructions on the bottle. I’m still doing daily water changes for the first month and then will dial it back slowly until I...

www.ukaps.org

IFC Calculator Short Guide

I was approached by @swyftfeet for some help with the IFC calculator. The calculator is not really intended for the newest newbies, but if you know what you have in mind for a fertilizer, or have been told by someone what you need, you may be able to get by :thumbup: This little tutorial aims to...

www.ukaps.org

Solufeed 2:1:4 and Solufeed Sodium Free TEC or Solufeed Coir TEC Combination

Dear UKAPS Members, Looks like most of you are looking for an alternative to several premixed fertilizer, which are either no longer available or has become hard to find in the UK. it appear as Solufeed brand has been quite the new trend for some of the members and it certainly looks promising...

www.ukaps.org

Mixing dry aquarium fertilisers

What are dry fertilisers? Dry aquarium fertilizers refers to fertilizers that come as pure chemical salts. These salts dissolve in water to provide the necessary nutrients to plants. They are extremely concentrated as they come in pure chemical salt format. Most commercial fertilizers are made...

www.2hraquarist.com

Rotala Butterfly | Planted Aquarium Nutrient Dosing Calculator

Planted Aquarium Nutrient Dosing Calculator

rotalabutterfly.com

 

[PlantMan216]

Hi @PlantMan216 Fertilization is such a massive topic where you have to ask very specific questions to get good specific answers - My recommendation is just to dive in on the numerous threads we have here on UKAPS and start reading - just don't get caught up in the realm of abstruse topics and debates a lot of us (including myself) easily gets caught up in... . My default advice on fertilizers - if you are a beginner or just want it to be dead easy and simple - is to start out with a good all-in-one fertilizer and just stick to the dosing recommendations. Eventually, as you learn more, you can venture into DIY salts for your own Macros and Micros. If you want to jump-start into salts with relative ease, a good product range (available in the US) that gives to you good start is the ones from NilocG - they have comprehensive Macro (NPK) and Micro blends.

Cheers,
Michael

Thanks for the info! Seems like I'll just keep it simple for now and not cook up my own until I understand more of the basics with the store ones. I did have a specific fert schedule I did want to follow that I will leave below. If you could take a look and let me know what you think about it that would be great. The schedule uses all Seachem ferts and I got it from the aquascaper Filipe Oliveira (rip). Below I'll leave a link to his video on it as well. In the video he described what he does for his 80L I believe and just recommends to those that use that schedule to just start with the bottle rec. dose for your sized tank and to adjust as needed. I don't have too much understanding about ferts and all that it does but just want to hear your opinion and please let me know if there are simpler methods that tend to be more effective so I could keep those in mind for the other tanks I plan on starting up. Also, I plan to use this schedule as more of a learning experience for myself and see what effect it has compared to my previous experiences and with all-in-one bottles.

Using SeaChem brand bottles:
Week 1:
Mon: K
Wed: Fe+K
Fri: K
Sat: Part water change 20-50%

Week 2:
Mon: K
Wed: NO3+PO4
Fri: K|
Sat: Part water change 20-50%

If I'm out of town(someone looking over):
Mon: Flourish
Wed: Flourish Adv.
Fri: K
Sat: Part water change 20-50%

 

[PlantMan216]

I do have a question about the ferts vs algae. I have seen a few times on here that ferts don't cause algae and lack ferts of will. I understand to a certain degree however would over ferts cause more algae with such an abundance of nutrients? Also how do you know how much fert and co2 to add with the light that is on the tank.

Since I'm planning to do a dark start to get rid of the cycling process with freshly planted plants, I'm thinking of just running my light on max from day 1 of planting since going from 50% - 100% would add change that will cause algae. Does this seem like a reasonable idea? If I do this will nutrient demand grow over time as the plants grow in and how do I know when to add and when not to add?

 

[Disaronno]

Various dosing methods work but Seachem's is needlessly complicated. There are people who will load an entire week's worth of macros after a weekly water change and there are people who will dose macros daily or every other day. However it appears that dosing micros daily is rather common which could be important if the micro ingredients are not chelated.

I understand to a certain degree however would over ferts cause more algae with such an abundance of nutrients?

Another topic which is often discussed and debated . IMO the main cause of algae is unhealthy plants. If there is an over abundance of a particular nutrient, that can prevent the uptake of other nutrients. Also a lack of a nutrient can lead to accumulation of other nutrients. Have a look at Mulder's Chart if you're curious. Note how it doesn't give any numbers as this will always depend on the plant species. As long as your nutrient ratios are not asinine, you'll probably be alright.

Also how do you know how much fert and co2 to add with the light that is on the tank.

It really depends on your own tank. Watch for deficiency symptoms, treat, observe. For some slow growers it can take up to two weeks to notice a change. Some people can run their tanks very lean. Other people will run their tank rich.

 

[bazz]

Since I'm planning to do a dark start to get rid of the cycling process with freshly planted plants, I'm thinking of just running my light on max from day 1 of planting since going from 50% - 100% would add change that will cause algae. Does this seem like a reasonable idea? If I do this will nutrient demand grow over time as the plants grow in and how do I know when to add and when not to add

Hi,
I've never done a dark start so I'm definitely no expert on the process but from my understanding it will likely only deal with the nitrogen cycle (and possibly one two other things). There are a thousand and one other processes with the development of microbes that we need in our tanks before it becomes stable. With the addition of plants comes the inoculation of the substrate and natural filtering of water. These processes probably take approximately six months to become fully accomplished.
What I'm trying to explain is I think it's a bad idea to run your light at 100% from day one of planting especially if it's fairly powerful even if you have done the dark start. Not knowing what light you have or the size of your tank makes giving you a ballpark figure rather difficult, but I would start at around 50% and start to increase it after a couple of weeks by 1%/week. All this is presuming you're after a long term stable tank and not a 6 month IALPC entry.
You really should take some time and learn how to use the IFC Aquarium Fertilizer Calculator as for me it's the best tool we have for managing our aquariums and if I can learn how to use it anyone can, it's straightforward once the penny drops.
As always there's more than one to skin a cat.
Cheers!

 

[Zeus.]

A Lot of good advice has already been posted. Tank size is the main factor that gives the cost advantage of DIY ferts, for a nano tank use the commercial ferts is a sensible plan IMO and 100l plus DIY ferts come into play. Some commercial ferts are not to expensive compared to others, however seachem is one of the most expensive.

 

[PlantMan216]

Hi,
I've never done a dark start so I'm definitely no expert on the process but from my understanding it will likely only deal with the nitrogen cycle (and possibly one two other things). There are a thousand and one other processes with the development of microbes that we need in our tanks before it becomes stable. With the addition of plants comes the inoculation of the substrate and natural filtering of water. These processes probably take approximately six months to become fully accomplished.
What I'm trying to explain is I think it's a bad idea to run your light at 100% from day one of planting especially if it's fairly powerful even if you have done the dark start. Not knowing what light you have or the size of your tank makes giving you a ballpark figure rather difficult, but I would start at around 50% and start to increase it after a couple of weeks by 1%/week. All this is presuming you're after a long term stable tank and not a 6 month IALPC entry.
You really should take some time and learn how to use the IFC Aquarium Fertilizer Calculator as for me it's the best tool we have for managing our aquariums and if I can learn how to use it anyone can, it's straightforward once the penny drops.
As always there's more than one to skin a cat.
Cheers!

Thank you, will do!

 

[MichaelJ]

As always there's more than one to skin a cat.

Cheers,
Michael

 

[nijat11]

Most guys here, like to make it make huge discussions about ferts. (no offense ). I think EI is very basic, you have dosing container, you have dosing amount, using calculator you calculate amount of salts and make your ferts. This method works for me

 

[MichaelJ]

Most guys here, like to make it make huge discussions about ferts.

That sounds made up! Never heard of it.

Cheers,
Michael