# Auto Dry salts Dosing



## Katfish (10 Dec 2012)

I am not very good at remembering to dose my EI salts every day and was looking for a auto dose for dry salts.

I came across this 

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/fish/tech ... HEA7A#more

or this 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fish-Mate-207-F ... 640&sr=8-5

I am thinking this could work


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## ian_m (10 Dec 2012)

The EI salts we use are hydroscopic and will readily absorb water from the atmosphere. In these feeders, especially being open to the water, the salts will most likely turn to a solid lump (or even runny mess) rather quickly.

Liquid automatic dosing is the way to go.


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## Katfish (10 Dec 2012)

The problem I have is I use to much dry salts to go liquid 
Mon-Wed-Fri              2 tsb---Potassium Nitrate (KNO3)		 
  		                 3/4 tsb---Monopotassium Phosphate (KH2PO4) 	 
  		                 6 tsp---Magnesium Sulphate (MgSO4)		 

Tue-Thur                    3/4 tsp---TNC Trace		 

As I would need 450ml Macro and 450ml Trace for each day.

On the second link (feeder) it dose have a air pump inlet to stop moist air


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (10 Dec 2012)

Sounds like a good idea to me! Give it a go!


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## ian_m (10 Dec 2012)

For 450ml/day assuming EI dosing that's a tank size of 450/10*50=2250 litre tank!! (assuming standard IE mix of 10ml per 50 litres of water per alternate day !!!).

That's a bit of a monster are you sure ?

Also are you sure these feeders are big enough !!

Why not mix in 25litre cans and use a peristaltic pump to pump into the tank every day.


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## Antipofish (10 Dec 2012)

Katfish said:
			
		

> The problem I have is I use to much dry salts to go liquid
> Mon-Wed-Fri              2 tsb---Potassium Nitrate (KNO3)
> 3/4 tsb---Monopotassium Phosphate (KH2PO4)
> 6 tsp---Magnesium Sulphate (MgSO4)
> ...



Why would you need that much water Craig ? The only water you need is enough to get the salt into solution surely ?  Just because we say mix X amount of salt with Y amount of water so you can dose Z amount of solute each day, does not mean it can be more concentrated.  I increased the salt amounts by 4 (based on the standard EI method) but kept the same amount of water and dosed 1/4 of the norm with the same frequency and it worked fine but now my dosing bottle lasts 4 times as long


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## Alastair (10 Dec 2012)

Agreed with Chris, just mix your 4 weekly doses of dry salts into a 1000ml dose bottle and divide by the days you dose for both trace and macro. 
Your tank is 850 litre but you can still mix all your salts into seperate 1000ml containers and dose daily. 
No need for 450ml doses 


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## Katfish (10 Dec 2012)

I was told that the amount of salts I use would not mix in 1ltr of water.

What I am trying to do is auto dosing as I forget some days and i dont have that much room to start putting big containers in my cupboard


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## Alastair (10 Dec 2012)

Katfish said:
			
		

> I was told that the amount of salts I use would not mix in 1ltr of water.
> 
> What I am trying to do is auto dosing as I forget some days and i dont have that much room to start putting big containers in my cupboard



Who told you that??
You don't need big containers really. 
 My high tech was 450 litres and I was triple dosing the recommended ei levels so more than is even required for your set up, and I was mixing the macro in a 1000ml dosing bottle and the traces in a 500ml bottle 


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## ian_m (10 Dec 2012)

Katfish said:
			
		

> The problem I have is I use to much dry salts to go liquid
> Mon-Wed-Fri              2 tsb---Potassium Nitrate (KNO3)
> 3/4 tsb---Monopotassium Phosphate (KH2PO4)
> 6 tsp---Magnesium Sulphate (MgSO4)
> ...


Is this not way over the top for your 850l tank ? Factor if 3-4 times too much ?

I make it 170ml/day liquid.

Make 4 times as concentrated and only 40ml day.


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## Katfish (10 Dec 2012)

I am only going by the EI calculator


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## ian_m (10 Dec 2012)

Katfish said:
			
		

> I am only going by the EI calculator


For IE dosing and 850l tank, standard IE dose (for instance here http://www.aquariumplantfood.co.uk/fertilisers/dry-chemicals/starter-kits/ei-starter-kit.html) gives 10ml per 50litres tank 3 x a week.

For your 850litre tank, that's 850/50*10 = 170ml per dose, significantly less than your 450ml estimate.


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## Katfish (10 Dec 2012)

I go by this site as I buy there products and they are highly recommended  
http://blog.fluidsensoronline.com/calcu ... ive-index/

and the figures they give me are are the ones I have been using.


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## Antipofish (10 Dec 2012)

Katfish said:
			
		

> I go by this site as I buy there products and they are highly recommended
> http://blog.fluidsensoronline.com/calcu ... ive-index/
> 
> and the figures they give me are are the ones I have been using.



As long as there is an abundance of ferts it makes no difference whose figures you use, but it makes sense to stick with one of course.  And why not use the one provided by a supplier !?  Well, one reason is that they are likely to want you to use more than you need to so you buy more.  Actually, FSO are probably one of the suppliers I would tend to trust happily, so I am not saying thats what the case is here, but the notion is relevant I believe

Either way, whichever figures you believe, you CAN put more salt into that amount of fluid.  WAY MORE. Give it a try


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