making the jump to ferts

[revelino73]

I am planning to order ferts sometime this weekend, plants are doing find but I looking for a lot more than just find I am looking for lush healthy green plants. So I am going to go the next step and buy some ferts. What I read so far is plants need these macro nutrients – Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), Potassium (K), and micro/trace elements Plantex CSM+B, Seachem Flourish. I will be using EI method. I already have the Seachem Flourish which is miro/trace so all I have to order is (NPK).
Am I correct so far?
Where is the best place to buy ferts?
Will this dosing planning work for a 20g high
•(Trace) Flourish - 10mls 2x week
•(N) Potassium Nitrate KN03 3x week
•(P) Monopotassium Phosphate KH2P04 3x week
•(K) Potassium Sulphate K2S04 (optional) 3x week
• 50% water change a week
if there is any think else i should get or not get please let me know.

 

[Plecosterone]

Go over to Rex's site and you will learn everything you need to know and also buy the ferts from him. I have never used him but many people in here have. http://www.rexgrigg.com/ferts.htm

 

[revelino73]

ferts came yesterday, my nitrate level of yesterday was 0ppm do i add enough KN03 to get my nitrate 5ppm in one shot or by adding small amounts KN03 3x a week will do. According to chucks calculator 2tsp kno3 added to 300ml of water for my 20gl will give 0.3 ppm Nitrate this is a very small amount, so should i dose to get it say around 5ppm and adjust to keep it that way by testing nitrate levels. .Also order KH2P04, K2S04

 

[jmhart]

Are you adding co2 and what's your lighting like? Dosing ferts is really only needed if your adding co2 and have 2 wpg or more. Without co2 and light, adding ferts via EI dosing will only cause an algae bloom.

 

[revelino73]

have co2 hagen ladder with yest mix, 2.2wpg (cfl).

 

[leocom2000]

Congrats! I started dosing ferts recently too. My plants took off and there is much less algae now. I tried all methods to beat the algae and this is working so far. However, I started using Flourish Exell as well and that could be the cause of the algae die off. I dose GSM+B, Iron chelate, KNO3, KSO4, Flourish Exell, and a very small amount of Flourish for now. There is also monopotassium phosphate on order and should be delivered soon. During the first couple of weeks the algae seemed to exel, but then it slowed down significally. Also, the amount of phosphate in the tank dropped from 0.25ppm (tap water) to almost zero.
Now, in the first week or two of dosig, I raised the NO3 content to 5ppm in the morning and it would drop back to 0 at night. So, I added more every day. Then, every other day. And finally, it became more stable and I add it twice a week. It is almost 10ppm stable now. I also add a capfull of exell every other day. It seems to stabilize the PH. Yeah, the pressurized CO2 did not keep up.
All the plants are OK and even Anaharis with all that Exell. Fish is OK too. Now i am ready to try monopotassium phosphate. I hope to kill that algae for good with plant growth.