mixing dry ferts in solution

Sploke

Sploke

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Oct 20, 2005
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I'm going ot start dosing my non-co2 tank with ferts, and I'd like to make up a stock solution, pmdd-style. I just wanted to make sure there's no harm in making one solution of nitrate (stump remover), phosphate (fleet) and potassium (nu-salt) all mixed together. that way I can just dose X ml of solution and alternate days with flourish. I'm lazy.
 
You cant, they will react and precipitate out of solution. There are certain ones you can mix but Im not sure which exact ones.
 
Without high lights and CO2, you will not need much ferts, adding too much may only encourage algae growth.

But to answer your question, Potassium and Phosphate can be mixed without any problems. Not sure about mixing with Nitrates, but (trying to remember my Chemistry) do not think it will be a problem either.
 
Well my biggest problem ( I had a thread about this a few weeks ago) is that I have a cladophora algae problem, its everywhere. And, my plants aren't growing particularly well. I dumped in a bottle of tetra florapride and for a week everything started to look really good, so I'm thinking that ferts may be the answer, or at least help. I'll obviously be starting at much lower proportional dosages than I would if I was using CO2.
 
What I'm thinking now is instead of mixing solutions, just using one of those daily pillboxes and premeasuring the dosaes every weekend when I do my water changes, so I just have to dump one in every day while I feed.
 
Correct me if I am wrong, but Tom Barr (Plant Brain) recommends weekly does not daily. I does weekly right after a water change.
 
Most of the stuff I've read says dose every other day, and dose trace on the off days.
 
pmdd = poor mans daily dosing

Estimative Index is very similar.

Tom Barr is a daily doser.
 
sploke said:
I'm going ot start dosing my non-co2 tank with ferts, and I'd like to make up a stock solution, pmdd-style. I just wanted to make sure there's no harm in making one solution of nitrate (stump remover), phosphate (fleet) and potassium (nu-salt) all mixed together. that way I can just dose X ml of solution and alternate days with flourish. I'm lazy.
Click to expand...

Yes, you could. But, why? That's a tail chaser IME.
I'm pretty laid back too. I've have all my tanks balanced to where I dose twice a week. One could call it Custom EI or PMDD. Depends on perspective.
I mix dry ferts. in individual 250ml bottles of DI water.
On dosing days (after water change and mid-week) add the desired mg/l ferts. in a cup and dose all at the same time.
 
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