My water parameters - now what do I do?

[kaslkaos]

Okay, here's the results.
Unsoftened tap water:
ph = 7.8/gh = 13/kh = 11/p = 0
Softened (with potassium, no salt):
ph = 8/gh = 1/kh = 11/p = 0
My tank after 50% weekend water change:
Ph = 8.2//Gh = 7/kh =11/p = 0/nitrate = 0
I have a hagen C02 fermentation unit (still in the box)
I cannot find a source of potassium nitrate, unless I order on-line.
I'd love to get my crappy (and I do mean crappy) tank looking nice. All the attention I've been giving it in the past 2 weeks has been improving things, though.

[djlen]

Take that puppy out of the box and get it going. Your kH is fine for CO2.
If you can't find the tree stump remover or salt petre, you can order the KNO3 here: http://www.gregwatson.com/
Click on PMDD Store and scroll down.
Fleets Enema(dirt cheap) at your pharmacy for P.
If it's crappy, scrub it up and add the ferts to the suggested levels and you should see an improvement.

Len

[kaslkaos]

Thanks, the brewery has begun.
Do you know any canadian sources for chemicals? I don't like cross-border shopping, not even sure it's possible post 911, KN03 having some interesting potential.
I found one mailorder, mops.ca that sells Seachem Flourish Nitrogen & Phosphate.
I'll get a petstore to check my Potassium, as there may be plenty in the water already, due to my water softener.

....waiting for bubbles...

[boyohboy]

http://www.hydroponics.com/info/aquatics/pmdd.htm

This hydroponics.com has a few stores in ON, plus can order online... I haven't tried it myself tho

[Canuck]

Unless I'm missing some info, I'd suggest using the unsoftened water. This would avoid the potential necessity to add back magnesium and calcium for your plants.

I got KNO3 from the local pharmacy. It took several weeks to come in (they waited until they had a full order so they wouldn't have to charge me shipping) but they did order it for me. A larger pharmacy would probably have it for you quicker.

[kaslkaos]

Thanks, boyohboy, the link is actually very informative regarding aquatic plant care. Still, I would have to really screw up my courage to walk into a store with a name like Hi-gro, or HomeGrown Hydroponics (I believe I pass the latter on the way to Big Al's).
On the other hand, I can embarrass myself and go to the pharmacy and ask for salt petre. What is salt petre normally used for?
Okay, so now I've admitted I'm a wimp... but I'll get around to it. I think I'll try the pharmacy first, thanks Canuck, and then the HomeGrown place...
As for my water, I've been mixing softened and unsoftened to get a Gh of 7. Hoping that's okay. I didn't think the really hard was good for my plants. The anacharis was getting a white flaky coating (not confused with the algae, which was a another problem).
And... I have bubbles now (CO2), that's a good thing. My mess is improving thanks to everybody here.

[Canuck]

Okay, I misread your post, I took you to mean that you were using the softened water at 1 dGH, 7 would be fine.

As far as the KNO3, I sympathize I had the same misgivings. (At least it's not as bad as buying the fleet enema for PO4 ;) ). They may even have it right on the shelf, but most stores are concerned with kids using it to make firecrackers. Its also used in some old pickle recipes as a preservative. It probably is a lot cheaper at the hydrophonics place. That wasn't an option for me and the cost of shipping would have made it significantly more then the drug store KNO3.

Good luck

[kaslkaos]

Well, I did go to a flagship shoppers drugmart last night. Nope, no potassium nitrate, quizzical look. I asked for salt petre, 'oh' , she says, we definitely don't carry that. So I asked for fleet enema - she smiles, oh yes, we do have that... after picking up the box with the graphic diagrams on on usage, and taking it to the counter, I think I'm more than ready to walk into a hydroponics store.
Mind you, I'll try the local farm co-op first.

[boyohboy]

well, if you can buy fleet enema, you can walk into any store feeling nothing, no? :D

In the summer time I always go to the garden centers and I'm the one and only one 20s y/o guy in there while 99.5% of other ppl are 50-60 y/o women... no big deal ;)

BTW, ur original post didn't mention about trace-mix, if you dont' have trace+iron yet then you'll need to order/get from hydroponic store anyway :p If one of the store is close to you, just go IN the store to get it! ;)

[kaslkaos]

If I still had the bill I could even return the Fleet Enema.;)
I went to a place called Yield of Dreams (I kid you not) and bought the store, well, not quite, but I do now have 500 gram tubs of Nitrate, Phosphate, Potassium and Trace Mix. I didn't need it all (have trace & erm, Fleet Enema) but it was so cheap, I figured I'd get it all. Hydroponics stores have everything you need + funny names.
I haven't used any of it yet, as now I'm hunting for bottles to mix solutions (buy some juice in the right size) and trying to figure out how to use the Fleet Enema (ignoring the diagrams). Actually, that last was a serious question. Do you add a drop, does it measure in drops? My tank is 20 gallon with zero phosphates.

[boyohboy]

wooo, you got yourself lota chemicals... since you now have the potassium, maybe you can save the Fleet Enema for its intended purpose lol :D

For dosing, I think you can either add in drops (dissolved solution) or simply adding powder directly. But for smaller size tank, like your and my 20G, adding dissolved solution is probably easier and more accurate. I used a small syringe for dosing, easy to measure volume.

And altho the PMDD formula says mixing all the trace+K+NO3 etc together, I think it maybe a good idea to keep them separate, as each tank's condition maybe different. So you may not need so much NO3, for example. For my 20G, right now i'm only dosing my DIY trace (with extra Fe, plus Mg and K). Haven't added any NO3 or PO3 at all and the plants are growing quite well. I do have a large fish load which provide enough NO3/PO3 tho. So YMMV :)

[djlen]

On the P, throw in 2 drops of Fleet's Enema, wait 1hr and test for content. You want .5 - 1.0ppm so if you don't get it add 2 more drops and test again etc.
When beginning dosing I suggest testing for content daily for a week(from one water change to the next) to get a handle on what you need to dose to achieve desired content and also to figure out what the tank is using from day to day. After learning these things you will be able to dose without testing nearly as often.

I throw the appropriate quantities of K,N,Mg, and P into a glass full of tank water...stir it up, distract the fish to the other end of the tank, and pure it in. I dose Traces and extra Fe separately.

Len