Switching from Flourish Line to Dry Fertilizers

[Shadow]

honestly I don't know. It is just when I dose KH2PO4 and Fe together, white cloud was form. The same happen when I combine KH2PO4 and Fe in one bottle (I was trying to make simple 1 bottle solution).

[AQMS]

Yup, you cant mix Kh2po4 with iron it will precipitate but you can add them separately in a tank.
I dont have any problem dosing them within seconds of each other or even at the same time at different spots in the tank.

[Suzerolt]

Can I just interrupt this to ask why then do you not instead use Ca(NO3)2 with K2SO4 instead? Since the dry powder gives more bang for the buck and 5% KNO3 is no longer like in the past when we could get KNO3 powder form and use that for years?

K2SO4 would give you more K then KNO3 and Ca(NO3)2 would give you more nitrate than the KNO3 solution also.

The reason I can see is that you are also adding Ca and Sulphates but those micronutrients should not affect water column by much?

In fact, I used Calcium Nitrate & Potassium Sulphate when i first switched to dry fertilizers. Yes, it works & overall cheaper.
Sample pics of my recent photo in the buy/sell forum (items sold already). These were the main staple of macro ferts.


As mentioned, KNO3 is the 'purest' form for Potassium & Nitrogen. When that became available (in liquid form), i switched over. It was slightly more expensive but still affordable.
Part of the reason was that i didn't want to put too much calcium in the water. The side effect was a line of calcium deposits on glass where the water line is.
I do still add them occasionally to boost levels.

For components that crash/precipitate, most folks just add them on different days for simplicity.
Else just add them 10 minutes apart should suffice. Somehow they don't precipitate when its mixed in a large volume of water (eg display tank) but will precipitate when in mixed in 'concentrated form'. I don't know the science behind it.

I add macros on specific days, micros/trace/iron/excel on separate days.

[Phillipians]

Anyway i just went down to singapore hydroponics. Dr mallick was there and apparently someone bought off all his KNO3... that was what i wanted to go down there for....man... it sucks... KNO3 is only available end jan according to his daughter.

[Allan Asis]

Ok purchased fertilizers from Dr. Mallick today.
Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to meet him as he is about to travel overseas today so his daughter took care of my requests.
They do not have stock of KNO3 solution so I didn't manage to get one. They said to call back early in january for new stock.
However, I manage to get K2SO4 and KH2PO4 at both 100g bottle for starters.

And I did calculate, if I have solution container with 1500ml DI water and add about 30g KH2PO4, I will have a 1500ml fertilizer at 2% solution.
for a 65L tank, I will have to dose 5ml of that to reach 1ppm of PO4. That's amazing! That bottle will last me 300 days when dosing everyday!
Using seachem phosphorus, I have to dose 16ml to meet that dose!

By the way, will the dissolved fertilizer expire? Or as long as I don't contaminate the water It will be fine for a long period of time?


As for the wood, I got the kapok wood planks from ban heng leong. Very cheap lol! 21$ for 30 feet of 2x1in
As soon as I finish reinforcing the cabinet, I'll post some pics!

[Allan Asis]

Anyway i just went down to singapore hydroponics. Dr mallick was there and apparently someone bought off all his KNO3... that was what i wanted to go down there for....man... it sucks... KNO3 is only available end jan according to his daughter.

Man, we didn't get a chance to meet there I was there between 330pm-4pm.

[Allan Asis]

btw, can we use these fertz on terrestrial plants? I like the idea of dosing the water that I splash on our house plants.

[AQMS]

By the way, will the dissolved fertilizer expire? Or as long as I don't contaminate the water It will be fine for a long period of time?
As for the wood, I got the kapok wood planks from ban heng leong. Very cheap lol! 21$ for 30 feet of 2x1in
As soon as I finish reinforcing the cabinet, I'll post some pics!

I dont think the fertilizer will expire,as long you keep it in an opaque bottle away from light and store in a cool place it will be alright.
If the fert is kept too long,i mean the pre-mixed dissolved fert,it will have cloud of mould in the bottle but it is still useable.For me
i have 1lt squeeze bottles for my daily doses of fert and 1 ltr bottles of ready made fert for quick top up.I usually will put 5ml of
glutaraldehyde in the top up bottle to tackle the mold issue.

btw, can we use these fertz on terrestrial plants? I like the idea of dosing the water that I splash on our house plants.

Yes you can. Actually when doing water change you can you use the water to water the plant rather than throwing it away.

[Suzerolt]

I'm told its best to mix the dry ferts in a bottle with RO/DI / distilled water.
But i went ahead to just use de-chlorinated tap water. No issues.

Dry ferts can last many years. Don't think they have an expiry date.

Terrestrial plants require the same major fertilizers Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium (N-P-K). The ratio in common house plant fertilizers are stated on the packaging eg. 20-20-20 or 20-10-20 depending on requirements)
I also water my plants with aquarium water on water change days.

[Donut the Donkey]

honestly I don't know. It is just when I dose KH2PO4 and Fe together, white cloud was form. The same happen when I combine KH2PO4 and Fe in one bottle (I was trying to make simple 1 bottle solution).

That explains it. I was dosing those together in my tank few weeks ago, within 5-10 seconds of each other and realised a "white cloud" forming. Will avoid this from now on. Thanks Shadow!

Apologies for derailing this thread for a little bit but I have a question: I bought LUSHGro - NPK quite sometime ago from Ecocity but I am not sure if I bought the right thing (not meant for aquariums etc) as I always see people using their other products such as Ca(NO3), (K2SO4), (KH2PO4) etc but never see anyone talking about the item I bought here. http://www.ecocityhydroponics.com/lu...s-ka-1-kg.html

Can I use this? Hope someone here can clarify. It's in blue granule form. Thanks!

[Shadow]

hard to say, you need to try it The source of Nitrate not only KNO3 or CANO3, it can also from ammonia which is toxic to fauna.

[Donut the Donkey]

I see. Where did you get the source from cause their site product description they didn't say specifically what's in it except vaguely just 'N'. Thanks.

[Shadow]

that tough, maybe they mention percentage ratio of NPK.

[rc311]

Hi guys

I am also trying to switch to dry fert regime once my current seachem liquid depleted, prior to switching, I would like to seek advice on how I should start working with the dry fert.

I am having a 3ft tank, water volume should be around 140litres, high lighting. For ferts, I currently have the followings: -

- Seachem Equilibrium
- Seachem Flourish Comprehensive
- Seachem Flourish Trace
- Seachem Iron
- Seachem Excel
- Seachem Nitrogen (depleting)
- Seachem phosphorus (depleting)
- Seachem Potassium (depleting)

- LushGro KNO3 liquid
- LushGro KH2PO4 powder

I am thinking of using a PPS dosing method instead of EI dosing so that I do not need a 50% water change every week. But I am not very familar with PPS, thus would appreciate any advice.

What would be the recommend dosing you guys think it would works for me?

Thanks...
RC