Fertilizer - check my calculations please

[Hannys_Papa]

OK so my GregWatson ferts should get here tomorrow and i am trying to figure out how to mix up a solution for dosing. I used this .

So if the water volume in the tank is 9 Gallons and the mix bottle contains 500ml water i need to mix in

27.5g KNO3
15g of K2SO4

to have 1ml = 1ppm of N and K when i dose. So if i want 10ppm of N & K i add 10ml.

Is this correct ?

Now i also ordered some CaCL2 and MgSO4. Should i make a seperate solution for these 2 and how often would you dose them ? I mainly want to add them for the snails (Ca) and to have some if plants need it.

Thanks in advance

 

[reiverix]

Yep, each ml dosed will raise the tank water about 1ppm nitrate and 0.62ppm potassium.

For calcium and magnesium I only dose once per week after a water change. It's hard to gauge how much you will need to dose, depending on how deficient you are in these.

If your snails are really showing symptoms then I would probably start out with a half tsp CaCl2 weekly and watch how the snails react. New shell growth should be dark and healthy looking. Magnesium may not need to be dosed at all but trying out an eighth tsp MgSO4 to balance things out would do no harm.

 

[Hannys_Papa]

Thanks reiverix.

Another thing i just started to wonder about - can i just use plain tap water (with/ without dechlor) or do i need to use destilled/ bottled water to make the mix ?

 

[reiverix]

I make my CSM+B trace mix with distilled water but just use plain old tapwater for everything else.

 

[Captain Hook]

Your original calculations are right.

1 mL of that solution will add 1 ppm of both N and K.

reiverix forgot to include the Potassium from KNO3 in his calculations I think.

 

[reiverix]

oops I didn't notice the K2SO4 in the first post. I was going purely by KNO3

 

[Hannys_Papa]

Ok i just wanted to say thanks again - the ferts got here today (presidents day delayed shipping) and i mixed them up really carefully.

Tested the solution in a bucket - test kit reads the exact concentration it was supposed to - so i dosed my tank and there its the same.