What brand of Fertilizers are you using?

[aaronnorth]

Originally Posted by George Farmer

Me too. That's Tropica Plant Nutrition+, BTW, for those unaware.

You were the one wh started me off on it George

[revernance]

Originally Posted by Orlando

Im using a new liquid macro and Micro fert. Two bottles are all I need. Makes it easy all around. They will soon be available to everybody soon...

Do you have an estimated time of arrival?

[Jur4ik]

for my first scape, i discussed it here at ASW, i ordered Tropica Plant Nutrition and an premixed NPK Estimate Index luquid fert.

TPN+ is hardly available in germany

[aaronnorth]

Aqua essentials deliver worldwide

[Jur4ik]

delivering from uk to germany is not cheap and i probably would have had to pay taxes,. maybe next time and thanks anyway aaronnorth

[Shadow]

I was using KNO3, KH2PO4 and micro, before KNO3 baned from Singapore and force to switching to seachem to provide N.

[dabertot]

A member of our association (SAdelPlata) have designed a special fertilizing formula wich was tested by several members over 3 years with very successfull results
You can find it in the following link:
SAdelPlata - Instrucciones para preparar un fertilizante casero sin necesidad de contar con micronutrientes pre-quelados
(Sorry it's in Spanish)
The last time we prepared the "blend" we made 90 liters for few dollars given the costs of the salts needed
Best regards Diego Bertot

[altruist.balaji]

I use my fertilizer and It is a blend of bio avilable iro source and it works good and I supply it to all

[plantbrain]

I've used most things over the years.
Manures, house plant ferts, every form of salt KNO3, Ca(NO3)2 etc....organic composted aquatic plant trimmings............

I feed my fish several things, rather than an all in one liquid etc.
So the plants should get the same respect.

KNO3
KH2PO4
GH booster(K2SO4, CaSO4, MgSO4, FeSO4)


Trace mix, in the past TMG.
Now I use a modified version I had made up myself. Cost 10x less than Tropica.

Been using it for 9 months and it works about as good as a trace can.

You can chose to mix things into liquids if it's more convenient.
Main thing is to be consistent and do what it takes to ensure your habits are consistent.

All my tanks are 40 gal or larger, so it's really not an issue to maintain close error. Dry ferts and liquids for the traces.

I think there's little difference nbetween DIY dry ferts and any name brand for macro nutrients and in a few cases, traces.

You folks want to pay more, pay for the water to shipped to you, really up to you. As far as it being easier, I think you still need to read directions and follow the routine, which dry ferts are the same.

You do not measure ppm's etc of the name brands, why is there an issue with DIY's? Makes no sense and it's easy to figure out what you need with a dosing calculator or simply ask if it's too tough. I measured the contents of ADA's line. No magic there.

Nutrients are pretty easy.
CO2 and lighting are far more complicated and elusive.

Still, you can go without adding Any Ferts to the water column by using less light, maybe non CO2 or Excel(or the chemical equivalent), and a good rich sediment. Perhaps even a lower light CO2 enriched systems.

Less light obviously will demand less CO2 and thus less nutrients.
So depending on who you ask, and few have any idea just how precise the CO2 and real light PAR readings are...........you will get folks that think leaner is better, or richer is better and every grade in between........especially if they only look at ferts/nutrient ppm's, and not the whole picture.


Regards,
Tom Barr

[Dan Pellegrini]

Tom - do you have a link on the ADA fert break downs?

[Leonard]

I used PMDD (KNO3, KH2PO4 and Micro+) in the beginning. It worked ok, but I allways had some kind of lack of my plants and I had troubles with algeas. Ofcourse it probobly wasn't the ferts' reason I got algea, but also bad dissovled CO2, etc. After a couple of years with PMDD only I started to complement with EasyLife ProFito, and then also EasyCarbo. This helped me forward and the algeas disappeared with the EasyCarbo. I think I had overdosed the PMDD a bit before, but with the diluted ProFito it was easier to dose the right amount. When I discovered that the ProFito helped I now have started a (almost) full ADA tank just to try if the ADA ferts is that good as everyone says. I now have had the tank for about 2 months but as far I can say the ADA ferts don't seem to be better than any other. So I've also bought Tropica's ferts and now I mostly dose Tropica rather than ADA, because ADA is soo expensive!
As a source to N I've bought a bottle of Eudrakon N, which contains a bit of ammonium, NO3 and Urea. I think this is good as well!
I anyway now like a combination of Tropica/EasyLife ferts, PMDD and Eudrakon N

[StanChung]

I'm with Norbert. Cheap macros-DIY.

Traces are harder to get right. Bought those cheap farm stuff but grew a lot of algae instead.

Sticking to those expensive steps[oops] and avoiding hungry stem plants for awhile.
I think it depends what's available in your area. I'm actually quite surprised as a farming country[industrial wannabe] we don't have a single line of fertilisers for the hobby.

[plantbrain]

Originally Posted by Dan Pellegrini

Tom - do you have a link on the ADA fert break downs?

I spent about 600$ for the independent analysis and two days doing the test dilutions on a DR 2800 spectrophotometer, so it's a BR newsletter, not an open source. No surprises for the liquids though, other than folks wasting their $$ on things they could DIY for pennies. But now I know precisely what is in the brighty series. Cannot not say I'm all talk and no test


I have done the ADA AS and ADA PS for N, P, Fe, OM and CEC just this week.Be a few weeks before I run through the analysis.
FYI, any liquid mix can be tested, but you might not have the $ or the motivation to test it.

Then you can DIY your own mix and sell it

Traces are really where the most $ is spent and where the differences are going to be. Yea, yea, I know, I made up a batch for myself and will some day when Hades freezes over, get around to it for the traces.

I've much happier with the product I made than any other brands, and it's 10X cheaper.



Regards,
Tom Barr

[Dan Pellegrini]

So are you saying that it is in one of your past Newsletters or a future one? I think I am still a current subscriber on your site - and if not I will gladly pay up for that info, if you can tell me where to find it!

Originally Posted by plantbrain

I spent about 600$ for the independent analysis and two days doing the test dilutions on a DR 2800 spectrophotometer, so it's a BR newsletter, not an open source. No surprises for the liquids though, other than folks wasting their $$ on things they could DIY for pennies. But now I know precisely what is in the brighty series. Cannot not say I'm all talk and no test

[Anti-Pjerrot]

Aquarium Plants - Barr Report

[Dan Pellegrini]

[drooling]

Thanks! I have been wondering about this for WAY too long...

[plantbrain]

Originally Posted by Dan Pellegrini

So are you saying that it is in one of your past Newsletters or a future one? I think I am still a current subscriber on your site - and if not I will gladly pay up for that info, if you can tell me where to find it!

Yes, it's the latest Newsletter, knock your self out.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[Dan Pellegrini]

Found it - thanks!

[plantbrain]

Originally Posted by Dan Pellegrini

[drooling]

Thanks! I have been wondering about this for WAY too long...

You know, you can pay me the difference for the ADA series liquids at 14.10$ per bottle to off set the 90 cent cost for each 250mls you make BTW
I will not say "no" to the payment.
Please, I do not want you to feel guilty for paying too little.

The cost for the analysis to the hobby is hardly anything compared to the cost of the product. Anyway, I got tried of wind bags carrying on about speculation, magic and faith, not once testing anything or helping newbie folks out.

So every so often I'll test something and then post about it to stuff a sweaty dirty sock down their mouths and hopefully inspire others to try and test a few things themselves.

Overall, the nutrient levels are pretty light for ADA, but the advice is sort of funny for it's use: Amano said this to me once "add just enough for the plants"

What does "that" mean?
Covers every base without telling you a darn thing

Keep adding the ferts until your plants no longer have a positive response from the fertilizer.

Thats' what I did 15 years ago once I had good CO2, light, other nutrients for Tropica Master Grow.

He did not tell me a thing, but then again, how could he?
How can he know what my tank is like? Species? Light intensity? Plant biomass? You cannot predict the uptake rates, algae cause etc without looking at the entire tank.

These need addressed prior. There's no one size fits all method, Many folks tell that there is......... promoters of Dupla, ADA, PMDD/modified, EI, non CO2, sediment nutrients vs none etc seem to try and suggest and imply it indirectly.

If a particular method meets your goal, then go with that and try to see what factors might imply you need more/less NO3, PO4, Fe/trace mix.

You might not need any.
You might get plenty from the Tap water like ADA's tap for PO4.
You may have high light, you may have low light.

You can customize a method/brand/dose to suit your goal and the other factors you have involved.

Even if you cannot, someone else ought to be able to come in and help you out to get most of the way there.

That is why folks help others.

Regards,
Tom Barr







Regards,
Tom Barr

[Dan Pellegrini]

You won a lifetime membership fee from me, which I think comes out to a little more than a full set of ADA Brighty ferts. That doesn't count all of the $$$ I have saved doing EI for the past couple of years ...

I have always been curious to know what was in these magic little bottles... at least with Seachem they tell you what it is and you can make your own decisions from there. Brighty Special "Lights" and "Step 1-3" just didn't translate well for me. Seeing it spelled out seems much more obvious.

I found the different mix ratios interesting and look forward to the breakdown on Aqua Soil next...