Questions, questions, questions. Beginner at work...

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N- Nitrogen, N is also the chemical symbol for nitrogen
P- Phosphorous, P is the chemical symbol
K- Potassium, K is the chemical symbol

N can be from KNO3, or organic waste like ammonia/ammonium and various stages of filtration waste etc etc.
P can be taken from leftover waste food, or from organic waste. KH2PO4 also provides this.
K is usually supplemented. KNO3 and KH2PO4 combined provide good amount of K.

[grey_fox]

Terence,

Thanks, another (dumb) question. So KNO3 & KH2PO4 is what is already in the tank/water and waste products?

Or

KNO3 & KH2PO4 can be purchased?

My apologies if it is indeed a dumb question but would love further insight on this.

[grey_fox]

NPK-new plant kooler

no la

nitrogen phosphorus kalium[potassium] if i'm not mistaken...
normally in NO3[nitrate], PO4[phosphate] and KNO3/KH2SO4

:P See my (dumb) question I posted to find out more insight on the NPK

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KNO3 and KH2PO4 need to be purchased. I just was saying that a small amount of nitrogen and phosphate can usually be obtained from the tank's waste products (mainly from fish). In a CO2-enriched tank, that small amount provided is usually not enough, so we provide more through products like KNO3 and KH2PO4, or commercial fertilisers.

[grey_fox]

OK next question. Where can I purchase KNO3 and KH2PO4 from or are these 'controlled' items?

Anyone able to answer this question? Preferably in the east better

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KNO3 can be purchased from good gardening centres. Just ask the counter. Another name for it is stump remover. Make sure it's pure KNO3 and not added with something else.

KH2PO4 can be substituted by the product Fleet Enema. Find it at pharmacies. It's a bowel-movement inducer.

Both chemicals can be bought at Nature Aquarium too.

[StanChung]

a perfectly understandable question and take it step by step...

terence has filled in the...

[grey_fox]

Will go source out for these items ASAP.

[grey_fox]

Ok, another question. I'm using Chuck's calculator right now.

My tank is a 107 Gallon tank.

If i dissolve 300gm of KNO3 in 1000ml of water. My PPM is only at 0.45PPM and the targeted amount is 5PPM?!

300gm is a lot if you ask me or am I doing something wrong here.

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The online calculator is stupid, I downloaded the download-able calculator where Chuck has included calculations for "dissolving in stock solution" and "dose dry direct to tank". I think you confused it here.

Download the calculator here, or try APC's Fertilator.

[grey_fox]

Hi Terence,

You are correct, I was confused.

I happen to have Fleet Enema already (yup to induce bowel movement) so that would actually be KH2PO4 or known as Phosphate. I have not sourced for KNO3 (Potassium Nitrate) yet. As for Potassium, I already have Seachem's Flourish Potassium so I don't need the KCI, correct?

However, doesn't every tank with fishes produce nitrates (through wastes? am i correct or wrong? )or am I wrong about this?

This is the current recommended levels by from Chuck's calculator (downloaded onto my brother's PC as I am using a Mac).

KNO3 - Nitrate from Potassium Nitrate.
5PPM = 3.3gm ~ 0.6 teaspoons (approx. 3 ml)

MgSO4 + 7H2O - Magnesium in Magnesium Sulfate (is this needed?)
5-10PPM = 30gm ~ 5 teaspoons (approx. 25ml)

KH2PO4 (Phosphate in Mono Potassium Phosphate)
1PPM = 0.5gm ~ 1/10 teaspoon (approx. 0.5ml too little?)

KCI or KNO3 or K2SO4 (Potassium in either 3 - or in this case the Seachem Flourish Potassium that I have)
20PPM = 18gm ~ 3 teaspoons (approx. 15ml).

Now, this amounts are meant on a weekly basis, which means I am supposed to split up the dosages? Or add it at one go after I have done the 50% water change?

Also, where does the trace elements come into play (I have Seachem's trace) and should I follow as per instructed? 5 ml for every 80L of water which equates to 25ml of trace elements (as my tank is 405L)

Btw, what about Iron (Fe)& Nitrogen (N) ?

Hope I'm getting it right. (btw, I've manually removed the hair algae, GSA) and upped my CO2 to attain 30PPM at the moment without casualties + pearling of the plants now including the e. tellenus.

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Actually you already have enough K from KNO3 and KH2PO4, but no harm to add potassium individually from Seachem Potassium. Note it's KCl (potassium chloride), not KCI

Yes every tank with fishes produce nitrates, but in a CO2-enriched tank the plants depend on these nitrates if they cannot get nitrogen from somewhere else. And since we're doing the EI we make the plants depend on the NO3 we dose from KNO3. The nitrates fish produce in this case is not enough unless you have a humongous fish load, which is asking for trouble anyway since ammonia will be present first before they're converted to nitrates and ammonia triggers algae.

You don't need magnesium sulfate.

Nitrate:
Imho, 1 teaspoon of KNO3 will be better to get the 5ppm mark, but personally I'd go above 10ppm.

Phosphorous:
If you're dosing by Fleet Enema, you have to calculate it out with APC's Fertilator (Fleet enema is not pure KH2PO4). I did it for you, 1ml of Fleet Enema in your 405L tank will give you 1.65ppm of phosphate.

Potassium:
I suggest you finish your present bottle of Seachem Potassium (very uneconomical, 100ml is needed for your tank to get 17ppm), and invest in Seachem Equilibrium instead. It provides potassium, iron, magnesium, manganese and calcium! The dosage I use is 0.5 teaspoon for 60L. It's agaration here, just to give extra potassium and a little extra of calcium magnesium etc.

If I'm not wrong, you're supposed to dose these same amounts three times a week; frequency depends on your plant type, density and other factors. Imho, you can dose twice a week for a start (that means dose the above twice a week, not split) and see if the plants need more or can do better if you increase to three times per week.

Dosage for trace elements has always been according to the manufacturer's instructions. I dose traces three times a week too.

Here's my schedule for my 2ft tank with EI for reference:

Monday: Dose KNO3, KH2PO4
Tuesday: Dose traces
Wednesday: Dose KNO3, KH2PO4
Thursday: Dose traces
Friday: Dose KNO3, KH2PO4
Saturday: 60% water change, Dose KNO3, KH2PO4, Seachem Equillibrium, Dennerle s7(just for the heck of it)
Sunday: Dose traces

Iron is part of trace elements... and nitrogen is taken from your KNO3 *smack your head*

Pearling is good, pearling is good. The bottom line is, if your plants grow well without algae, who the heck cares what you dose to your tanks

Hope this post isn't confusing for you. I know how it feels to make sense of all these dosing calculations. I strongly suggest you use Fertilator, since it allows you to see the entire overall of what you're adding to your tank at the end of the day.

[grey_fox]

Hey Terence,

Thanks for your guide here. More or less I will now know what is required. I guess what I will need to still get is KNO3, KH2PO4 and Seachem Equilibrium for sure.

This will be my schedule (don't mind if I do a copy of your schedule) .

Monday: Dose KNO3 (2 teaspoons) + KH2PO4 (fleet enema @ 0.1 teaspoon)
Tuesday: Dose traces (5 teaspoons)
Wednesday: Dose KNO3 + KH2PO4
Thursday: Dose traces
Friday: Dose KNO3 + KH2PO4
Saturday: 50% water change, Dose KNO3+KH2PO4+Seachem Potassium (30ml ~ 6 teaspoons which equates to 0.24PPM)
Sunday: Dose traces

Once I purchase KH2PO4, the dosage will be @ 0.2 teaspoons.

I used APC's fertilator to get these optimum rates. Once the tank finishes the Seachem Postassium, I will get the equlilbrium. Priority now is to purchase the KNO3. only problem is that my work keeps me away from going down to NA. ( Yes I am that busy.... )

At the rate I does the traces, I will go broke very very soon (Do they sell traces in amounts like 1L or bigger?). Heh. Since I did the water change yesterday but did not do the proper input of the traces, I will do so and start the cycle.

I hope that this is now (more or less) correct for my kick-start to better plant health and lesser algae and of course, to be a E.I believer.

*thanks ah for the smack on the head* hehe.

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Do note that I may be wrong, I'm actually hoping for PeterGwee to comment since he's the guru on dosing the EI.

Assuming your calculations are all correct, I'd say yea that's a good routine. You might want to dose the traces in less amount if you want to save... dosing excess is fine but why do so if you won't get better plant growth? Have to observe your tank for a while in this case imho.

Sorry uncle, I take back my smack. I'm a 18 year old bugger who has no sense of respect for elders.

[grey_fox]

Just came back from a plant nursery, the sales staff gave me a stumped look when I asked if they have stump remover.... no Potassium Nitrate found at all and its not those small nurseries, its those mega nurseries....

[valice]

Why don't you head to Natural Aquarium since it is close to those mega nurseries? (I assuming you went to the Thomson nurseries)

[grey_fox]

Heh, I was actually around my place in bedok, there are a total of 3 nurseries and none had it. I couldn't believe it actually....

[ranmasatome]

Greyfox,

i see that you're using teaspoons for your measurement.. this is quite "aggaration". Why dont you switch to using syringes.. its still "aggaration" but its definitely more accurate than teaspoons...Also.. when posting your dosing regime.. try not to state 1 teasppon of this or 2 teaspoon of that.. no use to anyone in helping you..that kind of information is all realtive so its pretty much useless... instead.. state how much ppm you're adding to the tank per day..or per week....

I think the KNo3 you can get from NA and i reccomend dosing that for your macros..Reason being if you switch to using KNo3, you will get both.. K and No3. Also dont use Seachem Trace for your trace...its quite rubbish actually... just go straight to Flourish and use that as trace instead...also Flourish has some N in it..so tahts good too..albeit quite little

Dont worry about overdosing.. you can dose as much as 100ppm of No3 weekly b4 you get toxicity issues.

My personal dosing regime for my 50gal tank...T5HO 156watts

monday : 20ml of KNo3 - which gives me 10ppm of No3 and 6.5ppm of K , 5ml of Po4 - which gives me 1.5ppm of Po4
Tuesday : Seachem Flourish - 20ml and Seachem Iron -20ml
Wednesday : 20ml of KNo3, 1.5ppm of Po4
Thursday : Seachem Flourish - 20ml and Seachem Iron -20ml
Friday : 20ml of KNo3, 1.5ppm of Po4
Sat : Seachem Flourish - 20ml and Seachem Iron -20ml
Sunday : 50% water change, followed by 20ml of KNo3, 1.5ppm of Po4, 2hrs later - Seachem Flourish - 20ml and Seachem Iron -20ml

As you can see...on a weekly basis.. my tank goes through 40ppm of No3, 26-30ppm of K, 5-6ppm of Po4 and a crap load of traces..

You may not have to go thru so much...as you go along you'll see waht your tank needs and doesnt need and can adjust from there as most tanks are different.. however i know you're using T5Ho as well..so.. you're in for some fun..hahaha..Trying to keep your No3 brinking around 10ppm weekly is asking for trouble in a high light tank..although not impossible..

Also.. if yóur water KH is more than 3...then dont need to get equilibrium... what are you going to use it for?? everything is already covered..besides..it gives you a crapload of K which i dont like.. messes up the regime.

[grey_fox]

Yo Ranmastone.

Where can I get syringes from? Pharmacy again? I bought fleet enema from there and now if I buy a syringe, I wonder what they'll be thinking of...

100PPM of NO3 is definitely really high... Seachem's traces is really crap? So which is better now, Seachem's Flourish or Equilibrium?

Also, can someone advise what time NA closes? They carry Seachem's Flourish or Equilibrium there? And roughly how big a bottle is the KNO3 and the price range? Also how much is either Flourish or Equilibrium?

Ranmasatome, in otherwords, what you are saying is that it is O.K to do an extra dosage? But like what Terence mentioned,

You might want to dose the traces in less amount if you want to save... dosing excess is fine but why do so if you won't get better plant growth?

Which is true... which equates to cost-savings too

P/S: Once again, correct me if I am wrong.

[ranmasatome]

syringes you can get from any doctor or GP clinic..or hospital..or pharmacy..

I'm not saying seachems traces are crap.. i'm saying that the product "trace" is quite crap.. go straight to seachem flourish to use as trace.. Equilibrium IS NOT trace... its totally different usage. i'm lazy..so go read up..about them and what they have in each product and what it is actually used for..

Kno3 comes in a packet..not bottle..
They carry everything you need...ask Chan while you're there for prices.. but be assured that those prices are really hard to beat... i'm going down soon to get 10 bottles of seachem flourish/iron from him... too bad they dont sell the 2l or 5l bottles here..

Extra dosing is what E.I. is...DUH!.. it is a plant buffet concept and the best way for you to go with this high light tank.. like i said..if you want to keep to the fringes of what is needed to save moeny you can.. its not impossible.. but with such a high light tank.. if anything goes wrong.. you will find out very very fast...plants grow fast.. algae also grows fast..