Need help with plant ferts

Excel would be good. Pressurized would be great if you ever decide to get into CO2. Those fertilizers don't do anything in the way of carbon.

I've read the spot algae on the glass is caused by low phosphates or low CO2 levels. I get it fairly regularly in my non-CO2 tank.
 
I got my dry ferts in the mail today.

Would it be a good idea to wait to add them till I get Excel?

Is the low CO2 levels going to cause an algae outbreak with the added ferts?
 
I looked at the caculator on APC and came up with for a 75 gallon tank:

KNO3-- 1 tsp will add 11.23 ppm, my tank has about 5-7 after a water change which will end up giving me 16- 18 ppm

KH2PO4-- I didn't order because I don't have a test probably buy Fleet for this tho I believe my water has some according to the CO2 chart.

K2SO4-- 1 tsp will add 17.2 ppm

CaCl2-- 3.25 tsps will give me 16.85 ppm should I aim higher as I'm closer to the bottom end

MgSO4.7H2O--2.5 tsps will give me 4.21 ppm

Iron I have flourish and assume it will meet the needs

I haven't bough Excel yet, I'll find some tomorrow as the store I was at didn't carry it.

Any suggestions? Would you increase any of the amounts?
 
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:hang:

With all these plant growing aquarists you'd think I could get more opinions than just Capt. Hook, who has been a big help.
 
Well i guess i qualify as a "plant growing aquarist" - but i also grow algae and have only been growing plants for about 5 months. Things are finally getting better though (since i started dosing GW ferts etc - basically what you are doing now).

I thought it might be important to mention that when you use the fertilator that you claculate with the actual water volume - not tank size. As you know a 75G might only hold 60G of water or even less depending on decor. That can throw off your calculations quite easily.
Not that dosing ferts is that exact of a science....

I dont think you need to worry about the Ca and Mg that much. I've asked this before and people tell me aslong as theres some there it'll be ok. Actually i've been dosing a lot more Ca than the calculator suggests in ppm - but its not for the plants i do it for the snails.

EDIT: Wait i don't think i actually qualify as "aquarist" - i came across a definition of the various "levels" of our hobby and i think the aquarist was the top one - i guess it would be arrogant to say i reached that level already. :)
 
Thanks..

I don't really have much in the way of decor, at most if I took it all out I might drop the water 2 or 3 gallons. I recaculated using 5 gallons less of actual water and the caulations are still within safe ranges.

Ca and MG I need to dose as my GH is like 3 and I have MTS in the tank as well as the plants.

I've gotten some more plants in and the tank is about 50% planted now, if I were to move all the plants to one side, I'll get some pics up soon.

Guess I'll mix my ferts today and see what happens. Going hiking with my 4 yr old so I'll pick up the Fleet and Excel on the way home.
 
I'm having a hard time getting the CaCl2 to dissolve, is it going to be bad to drop into the tank not fully dissolved? Will the fish eat it and die?

Greg messed up my order and sent Calcium carbonate instead of KNO3. My NA reading is 10 ppm is this going to be okay if I don't dose any phosphate, I'm not sure what numbers it appears in my water but there has to be some according to the CO2 chart which shows I have 14 ppm of CO2, which we all know is hogwash.
 
I am surprised you have a hard time dissolving the Cacl2. I usually drop it in my HOB and within 30 seconds its all "gone".
I also use some "Barr gH booster" - and that stuff is different - takes several minutes to dissolve and usually makes my tank look like i dropped flour in it untill it does.
 
Maybe I'll try it that way next time. I was just trying to mix it up in a bottle with the other ferts.

The water flowing through it might break it up better.
 
Been reading some posts that deal with EI, does it also work with Non CO2 tanks?

Why is it a 21 day thing? Do you take a week off for things to catch up and stabilize?

Any tips from post 1 to now would be appreciated. I did mix a batch and added to the tank Sunday

K2SO4-- 1 tsp (17.2 ppm)

CaCl2-- 4 tsps (22.47 ppm)

MgSO4.7H2O--2.5 tsps (4.21 ppm)

My Nitrates were already 10 ppm

and will add some flourish tonight. Still need Excel..

Can already see new growth on the plants..
 
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