# Where to buy diy ferts



## shift (Dec 21, 2012)

For large tanks alot of people keep recommending diy dry fertilizers. Where do you guys purchase the raw powders?

I have a few of the flourish line but am thinking of making some diy.

Also some of my amazon swords leaves are yellow/browning which I think is iron deficiency?


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

Contact Canadian Aquatics (Mykiss = Patrick), they'll ship it to you.

You'll at least want KNO3, KH2PO4, and probably K2SO4 for macros. Micros I think they sell CSM+B (iron and such). You'll want to look into EI Dosing.


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

The yellowing *could* be caused by nitrogren deficiency. What are your nitrates at currently? That's an easy way to at least rule out one possibility.


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## shift (Dec 21, 2012)

I just tested my nitrates at 5

Is there any other dry frets to add in on top of those if I do an order?

Here is what I currently have. Although I have been doing very light doses to avoid the 50% ei water changes of over dosing.


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

Hm. Swords = root plants? Might need some time to acclimatize. Or how about jamming a couple root tabs under them?


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## shift (Dec 21, 2012)

I'll pop in a Lfs tomorrow and pick some up. Is there any specific type of root tabs to get or are they all more or less the same?


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## Nicole (Nov 21, 2011)

You can also make your own diy tablets by mixing the dry ferts with clay. Saves a bunch of money when you have lots of plants. I made a batch months ago and I have lots left so I could ship you some if you want to pay for shipping. Or you can just visit a Michaels store and pick up a block of clay for $15-20 and get some dry ferts and make your own, it's really easy.


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## currietom (Oct 10, 2011)

Kno3 is the harder one to find. I managed to get it at a local pharmacy as saltpetre. Might want to try some mom and pop pharmacies in your location. For the rest, Canadian Aquatics has great customer service. Another place you can buy the remaining dry ferts is Johns Plant factory on Hastings.


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

Yeah unfortunately kno3 is an ingredient for gun powder so it is becoming harder to find for aquatic use. I'd verify the pureness of it too if you purchase it when it's sold for alternative uses.


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## crimper (Oct 20, 2010)

Pat Mykiss has lots of Ferts. I used Jobe Sticks for Ferns on those Swords, they grow like crazy on tjose sticks.


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## shift (Dec 21, 2012)

So for dry ferts the main ones i have found (mainly from this thread/cdn aquatics) are

KNO3 Potassium nitrate
KH2PO4 - Monopotassium phosphate-
K2S04 - Potassium Sulfate
CSM+B - micro nutrient trace mix with boron
KHCO3 - Potassium bicarbonate
CaCl2 - Calcium chloride 
MgSO4·7H2O - Magnesium sulphate

Is it best to get some of everything or would it be a bit excessive? *(i'm not 100% which you actually need and what is nice to have).....

They all seem to be sold by the pound.. How long would a pound of each needed one last in 85-125g of tanks?


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## kacairns (Apr 10, 2012)

Following using the Estimative Index for a 125g tank will give you if dosing 3x weekly per pound

KNO3 = 26 weeks
KH2P04 = 188 weeks
K2S04 = 19 weeks
CSM+B = 42 weeks

The following I only dose on water change and only ad to new water, 1 pound would last a very long time of these if doing it that way.

CaCl2
MgS04-7H20

I don't dose 

KHC03


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## shift (Dec 21, 2012)

Thank you for the weekly break down..it gives me a good idea how to even it out... I still havent fully decided if i will go the EI route as it seems a bit excessive.. I will probably do more like 1/2 does of EI recommendations, which should last quite a while. Thanks Kacairsns!


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## kacairns (Apr 10, 2012)

shift said:


> Thank you for the weekly break down..it gives me a good idea how to even it out... I still havent fully decided if i will go the EI route as it seems a bit excessive.. I will probably do more like 1/2 does of EI recommendations, which should last quite a while. Thanks Kacairsns!


Unless you're willing to do weekly water changes nutrients will build up using EI method and cause your algae problems and so on as they are just a guideline you start somewhere and find out what works for you and your tank. I use the EI amounts but dose every 3-4 days depending on nutrient levels in the tank, every 3 days I will check nitrates/phosphates and iron to see how things are, depending on the results I adjust my dosing. This allows me to stretch my 180g tank to 3-4 weeks between water changes


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## shift (Dec 21, 2012)

Yours sounds like a great system.. I dont mind doing smaller weekly or ideally slightly larger every 3-4 weeks.. but i'm avoiding the 50% weekly Water changes that most EI schedules recommend.

With the dry ferts do you mix them up in together with water and does from there or is each one in its individual bottle?

Dosing every 3 days with W/C every 3 ish weeks sounds perfect  how heavily stocked is your tank?


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## kacairns (Apr 10, 2012)

I premix with water in a bottle then dose that way although I've been just throwing in dry mix lately as well and might just change to doing that instead of pre-mixed.

If I wasn't having so much fun with co2 my tank would have a nice lush dwarf hair grass carpet, it only has about 1/4 right now since I sorted out partially my off gassing problem. Check out the link in my sig for the 180g tank, as soon as I clean out 75-100 baby silvertip bnp out of that tank I will update that thread!


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## shift (Dec 21, 2012)

I never though about just throwing the powder in.. but sounds too convenient! so dosing every 3 days with a dash of each (probably pre-measured) sounds far to easy.. allthough the fish might think the powder ferts are food!

I havent ventured down the co2 path yet.. maybe one day

Your tank is looking good.. i was browsing your pics about an hour ago


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

Sorry didn't see this post.

I bought a bit of everything only to realize that I don't use CaCl2 or much MgS04-7H20. Both of these are for boosing gH; helpful for Vancouver since our water is very soft. However, I use Equilibirum which has both Ca and Mg and also other beneficial traces though more expensive if you look at prices pound for pound.

I agree with kacairnes, you really only need KNO3, KH2PO4, K2SO4, and CSM+B. I also add a little extra iron but that's cause I'm a sucker and just incase to ensure I keep my red plants red. You won't have that problem with your reineckii since it will always be red and doesn't need too much Fe. 

The amount of ferts you will need will depend on CO2 and bioload, if both are low you will likely only need to dose a little though I'm not sure what the parameters are to keep low tech tanks happy. For reference I keep my parameters in my high tech tanks 20ppm NO3 and 2ppm PO4. I dose 1/2 of EI for SO4 though I'm not sure what actually is in my tank since that's hard to measure.


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

I just measure the ferts and dose them dry. Doesn't get any easier than that. If you do make a liquid solution, don't add the micro nutrients (CSM+B \ iron or whatever micros you purchase) in the with macros as apparently it won't be as effective long term.

As mentioned above the KHCO3 & CaCl2 are to increase KH, and MgSO4·7H2O would be for GH, for buffering after water changes.


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