# Solufeed 2:1:4 and Solufeed Sodium Free TEC Combination



## Happi (31 Dec 2022)

Dear UKAPS Members,

Looks like most of you are looking for an alternative to several premixed fertilizer, which are either no longer available or has become hard to find in the UK. it appear as Solufeed brand has been quite the new trend for some of the members and it certainly looks promising, even better than what Miracle Grow has to offer. I hope to see Solufeed brand here in the USA, but apparently its not available. am looking for a candidates who could test these two products in combination. the goal here is to test it, validate it, modify it, make changes as needed (even though the current recipe/plan should be sufficient and effective).  #89

you will need these two products:
*Solufeed 2:1:4*
*Solufeed Sodium Free TEC*

these two seems like a good candidate when combined together. Most of you are probably worried about the Urea-N, but this is a much safer candidate compared to NH4-N. most of you might not know this, but most high-end brand use Urea as their main source of Nitrogen, those brands include ADA, Seachem etc.


this approach is much different from traditional EI dosing, such as including Urea and K being bit on the low side. From my perspective 5.3 K is plenty for a weekly dose, we can adjust this if someone really want to add more. This dosing can be used in low or high tech setups just like EI style dosing. It is my advice to maintain lower PH less than 7.0 just to be safe while using a fertilizer that usually contain Urea or NH4. I use to dose Urea in PH above 7.0 water without any issue, but with extra precaution.

The recipe below is based on 50-gallon (189.27 liter) aquarium and you can adjust the dosing to your own tank if needed.

*500 ml solution, 20 ml per 50 gallon
Add 31.545 Gram Solufeed 2:1:4
Add 5.721 gram **Solufeed Sodium Free TEC*

N 1 (Urea-N 0.466 ppm, NO3-N 0.54 ppm) this adds about 2.4 ppm NO3, Rest of the N is from Urea
P 0.2
K 1.766
Fe 0.11166
Mn 0.02818
Cu 0.003446
B 0.0125
Zn 0.019
Mo 0.002146
Mg 0.1266

*EI style 3x a week dose:*

N 3 (1.4 Urea-N, 1.62 NO3-N) this will add 7.18 ppm NO3, Rest of the N from Urea
P 0.6
K 5.3
Fe 0.335
Mn 0.08454
Cu 0.01
B 0.0375
Zn 0.057
Mo 0.006438
Mg 0.38

It would be nice for some of the UKAPS members to give this a trial and report back. I am fully confident that this is a perfect recipe for those who like EI style dosing with their 50% water changes. If anything needs to be changed, we can do that so we could further improve/adjust or modify the recipe without going too much into DIY, as the main goal is to try to keep it simple as possible. *Dont let the Urea scare you*


----------



## Tim Harrison (31 Dec 2022)

Thanks for this @Happi. It's what this forum is really all about. A community where folks share ideas and best practise, and then bounce ideas of one another.


----------



## AlecF (1 Jan 2023)

It's more the price that would scare me. £160 for 20kg on eBay. Do we split bags?


----------



## John q (1 Jan 2023)

AlecF said:


> It's more the price that would scare me


Lol you can buy it direct from Solufeed for £13.99 per kg. 








						Solufeed 2:1:4 High K 1 kg
					

A high potassium 15 7 32 3 NPK magnesium trace elements feed to promote flowering and subsequent fruit production. Improves flavour and increases




					shopfront.solufeed.co.uk


----------



## AlecF (1 Jan 2023)

That's quite a mark up someone's gouging...


----------



## Karacticus (1 Jan 2023)

Thanks, @Happi.  I think this is what I have been looking for!  I am in the process of setting up a large-ish high-tech tank and have been worrying most about the fertiliser route having seen how much liquid ferts would cost me long-term and blowing my mind with EI calculator.  Was planning to get some TNC as a starting point, but if I mixed up the above as per your instruction would that serve me just as well?  Would there be any risk for a noob?

Not sure I'm positioned to comment too much on how good it will be being new to the hobby and having no reference point - plus I'm still purchasing bits and bobs - but I hope to be up and running within the next month or so.  

My set up is a 300l, with Chihiros WRGB2 Pro and will have CO2.  Oase 850 filter.

Either way, this is a really useful post for me, so thanks!  Loving this site so far.


----------



## plantnoobdude (1 Jan 2023)

Karacticus said:


> Thanks, @Happi.  I think this is what I have been looking for!  I am in the process of setting up a large-ish high-tech tank and have been worrying most about the fertiliser route having seen how much liquid ferts would cost me long-term and blowing my mind with EI calculator.  Was planning to get some TNC as a starting point, but if I mixed up the above as per your instruction would that serve me just as well?  Would there be any risk for a noob?
> 
> Not sure I'm positioned to comment too much on how good it will be being new to the hobby and having no reference point - plus I'm still purchasing bits and bobs - but I hope to be up and running within the next month or so.
> 
> ...


I am not aware of the water in Bristol,but if you could provide a water report, happi or I could comment on urea safety and how much you should be dosing. I have been using methods similar to this for a fair amount of time now .


----------



## hypnogogia (1 Jan 2023)

Happi said:


> Dear UKAPS Members,
> 
> Looks like most of you are looking for an alternative to several premixed fertilizer, which are either no longer available or has become hard to find in the UK. it appear as Solufeed brand has been quite the new trend for some of the members and it certainly looks promising, even better than what Miracle Grow has to offer. I hope to see Solufeed brand here in the USA, but apparently its not available. am looking for a candidates who could test these two products in combination. the goal here is to test it, validate it, modify it, make changes as needed (even though the current recipe/plan should be sufficient and effective).  #89
> 
> ...


Is there a way to include  this  on the fabulous IFC calculator? @Zeus. @Hanuman


----------



## Karacticus (1 Jan 2023)

plantnoobdude said:


> I am not aware of the water in Bristol,but if you could provide a water report, happi or I could comment on urea safety and how much you should be dosing. I have been using methods similar to this for a fair amount of time now .


Thanks, that is kind of you.  I have attached the water report for my area.  I will try to learn this stuff, but my head is spinning just trying to get what I need to get fully set up at the moment.  The aquarium is 297 litres, but this is the total capacity before hardscape etc.

Thanks again!

Mark


----------



## plantnoobdude (1 Jan 2023)

Karacticus said:


> Thanks, that is kind of you.  I have attached the water report for my area.  I will try to learn this stuff, but my head is spinning just trying to get what I need to get fully set up at the moment.  The aquarium is 297 litres, but this is the total capacity before hardscape etc.
> 
> Thanks again!
> 
> Mark


Bristol has quite hard water and high NO3, so I would reduce nitrogen dosing. Other than that what happi outlined should work. @KirstyF will have experience with this.  

If you do  have issues with pale new growth I would experiment with alternative chelates for Fe 
Try in this order:
Dtpa
Gluconate
Eddha
I believe Kirsty is experimenting on a combination of some of these.


----------



## John q (1 Jan 2023)

hypnogogia said:


> Is there a way to include this on the fabulous IFC calculator? @Zeus. @Hanuman


Think it's being worked on 😏
Post in thread 'Aquarium Plant Food UK Closing Down' Aquarium Plant Food UK Closing Down


----------



## John q (1 Jan 2023)

Karacticus said:


> Would there be any risk for a noob?


Non whatsoever, if the tanks hi tech ph should be  below 7, so urea to nh3 shouldn't be a problem. @Happi  suggestion will add about 10ppm of No3, add that to your 20ppm of nitrate in the tap water....  again harmless. Only thing you might have to do is add a bit more trace element, if that's the case this is also harmless.


----------



## Happi (1 Jan 2023)

Karacticus said:


> Thanks, @Happi.  I think this is what I have been looking for!  I am in the process of setting up a large-ish high-tech tank and have been worrying most about the fertiliser route having seen how much liquid ferts would cost me long-term and blowing my mind with EI calculator.  Was planning to get some TNC as a starting point, but if I mixed up the above as per your instruction would that serve me just as well?  Would there be any risk for a noob?
> 
> Not sure I'm positioned to comment too much on how good it will be being new to the hobby and having no reference point - plus I'm still purchasing bits and bobs - but I hope to be up and running within the next month or so.
> 
> ...


if you ever used ADA or Seachem Nitrogen before without any issue then you are less likely to see any issue with the above recipe. as you can see if you were to target 1 ppm N, that will add about 0.466 N from Urea. that isn't a significant amount and it shouldn't pose any risk especially if the tank is fully planted. if the plant mass is quite low then i would advice to cut the doses in smaller amount. that 3 ppm N weekly dose is for those who have tank full of plants and are looking for max yield. some of us consider Urea to be safe even while using it in harder water because its not same as adding NH4, but the more Urea you add, the risk of NH4 conversion is increased, even though this conversion happens at slower rate, by that time plant should quickly absorb most of that NH4*. you are less likely to ever see any sign of NH4/NH3 on your test kits unless you really start adding lot of urea*




Karacticus said:


> Thanks, that is kind of you.  I have attached the water report for my area.  I will try to learn this stuff, but my head is spinning just trying to get what I need to get fully set up at the moment.  The aquarium is 297 litres, but this is the total capacity before hardscape etc.
> 
> Thanks again!
> 
> Mark


looks like your PH is above the 7.0 mark within around 20 ppm NO3 mark. in case of @KirstyF she doesn't add any N or any NO3 at all, she only add P, K for her Macros. you can make your recipe by adding K and P to the Micro recipe below if you like and you can totally skip on the *Solufeed 2:1:4 *

for your 300 liter setup:

*9.07 gram Solufeed Sodium Free TEC Mixed in 500 ml, 20 ml per 300 Liter (Micros/Fe)*

Fe 0.1
Mn 0.02418
B 0.0111
Cu 0.00278
Zn 0.014
Mo 0.001813


----------



## Karacticus (1 Jan 2023)

plantnoobdude said:


> Bristol has quite hard water and high NO3, so I would reduce nitrogen dosing. Other than that what happi outlined should work. @KirstyF will have experience with this.
> 
> If you do  have issues with pale new growth I would experiment with alternative chelates for Fe
> Try in this order:
> ...


Thanks, @plantnoobdude.  I might be being thick, but if I am using the above mix how would I reduce nitrogen?  Do you mean just reduce that half of the mix and therefore reduce the potassium and other compounds?  I'm not sure how I would reduce nitrogen on its own?  And, sorry, but I have no idea what you mean ref. Dtpa, gluconate etc.  Are these different compounds containing iron?  I assume you can buy those separately and add to your mix?  

Apologies, but best to assume I'm clueless when it comes to using salts.  I only found it was a thing this weekend!


----------



## Karacticus (1 Jan 2023)

Happi said:


> if you ever used ADA or Seachem Nitrogen before without any issue then you are less likely to see any issue with the above recipe. as you can see if you were to target 1 ppm N, that will add about 0.466 N from Urea. that isn't a significant amount and it shouldn't pose any risk especially if the tank is fully planted. if the plant mass is quite low then i would advice to cut the doses in smaller amount. that 3 ppm N weekly dose is for those who have tank full of plants and are looking for max yield. some of us consider Urea to be safe even while using it in harder water because its not same as adding NH4, but the more Urea you add, the risk of NH4 conversion is increased, even though this conversion happens at slower rate, by that time plant should quickly absorb most of that NH4*. you are less likely to ever see any sign of NH4/NH3 on your test kits unless you really start adding lot of urea*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks, @Happi.  I think I am getting you - so I have high nitrates, so don't need to add any nitrogen.  I get that.  But how would I add P and K?  What do I need to buy?  And how much would I need to add to that solution, or would I need to make up separate solutions?

Just to clarify, this will be a brand new tank so I haven't used any fertilisers before.  I kept an aquarium many years ago, but this is a new venture and I'm on a steep learning curve!


----------



## Happi (1 Jan 2023)

Karacticus said:


> Thanks, @Happi.  I think I am getting you - so I have high nitrates, so don't need to add any nitrogen.  I get that.  But how would I add P and K?  What do I need to buy?  And how much would I need to add to that solution, or would I need to make up separate solutions?
> 
> Just to clarify, this will be a brand new tank so I haven't used any fertilisers before.  I kept an aquarium many years ago, but this is a new venture and I'm on a steep learning curve!


You will need potassium sulfate and potassium phosphate to cover both P and K. Since you are farily new to fertilizer, we will try to keep it simple as possible. Just get both of the listed Solufeed products for now, get KH2PO4 (potassium phosphate), K2SO4 (potassium sulfate) and KNO3 (potassium Nitrate). Potassium Nitrate just in case we decided to use it, so you would have it available. 

If you were to combine the two listed Solufeed products together and dose 1 ppm N weekly split into smaller doses 3x week, which will add 0.33 N per dose, this would be a good starting point. Or you can dose daily, which will add about 0.142 N. 

No need to worry about getting individual fertilizer such as Fe gluconate, DTPA Fe during this time, Unless we really have to. the goal of this thread is to keep it simple and basic as possible.


----------



## Zeus. (1 Jan 2023)

hypnogogia said:


> Is there a way to include  this  on the fabulous IFC calculator? @Zeus. @Hanuman


Well I looked at it, it could be done, however with it being the first AIO salt both me an @Hanuman feel it would make the IFC calculator even more complex/misleading, plus it would require two complete sheets being redone. So ATM it's not worth the effort. 
I have added Solufeeds 2:1:4 to my copy and give a sheetshot of all the ppms for a given dry dose to any size tank. Just ask or pm. 
I am still trying to think how else I can add it easily to use and intergrate into the IFC Calculator.


----------



## Karacticus (2 Jan 2023)

Happi said:


> You will need potassium sulfate and potassium phosphate to cover both P and K. Since you are farily new to fertilizer, we will try to keep it simple as possible. Just get both of the listed Solufeed products for now, get KH2PO4 (potassium phosphate), K2SO4 (potassium sulfate) and KNO3 (potassium Nitrate). Potassium Nitrate just in case we decided to use it, so you would have it available.
> 
> If you were to combine the two listed Solufeed products together and dose 1 ppm N weekly split into smaller doses 3x week, which will add 0.33 N per dose, this would be a good starting point. Or you can dose daily, which will add about 0.142 N.
> 
> No need to worry about getting individual fertilizer such as Fe gluconate, DTPA Fe during this time, Unless we really have to. the goal of this thread is to keep it simple and basic as possible.


Thanks, @Happi.  I'll do that.  I might PM you if I have any questions, if that's okay - as I have probably taken up too much of this thread already!  Really helpful, though!  Once I'm set up and settled, I'll spend some more time trying to understand the chemistry better!  Thanks again!


----------



## Zeus. (2 Jan 2023)

Edit- Do not front load Solufeed 2:1:4 as it contains urea, unless you are happy with risks or it has a low NO3 ppm dose 
Original post follows-
What might be worth considering when using a Solufeed 2:1:4 and Solufeed Sodium Free TEC Combination. Is to front load the tank with Solufeeds 2:1:4 straight after the WC the Solufeeds 2:1:4 would give a easy mass which can be dry dosed to tank. The use Solufeed Sodium Free TEC made up in a solution and dose it a few times during the week, the mass of Solufeed Sodium Free TEC needed to dry dose would be small so it is easier(and more accurate) to dose from a solution.

This also may be an easier way for the Solufeed 2:1:4 AIO salt (and other AIO products) to be integrated into the IFC calculator as well. then the main sheets would need little changes and the nutrients added from font loading can feed into what we have already done from the existing WC nutrients added. So say front load 5g Solufeeds 2:1:4 after WC






Then any 'shortfalls' in nutrients can be easily account for and adjusted to your fert regime


----------



## Happi (2 Jan 2023)

Zeus. said:


> front load the tank with Solufeeds 2:1:4 straight after the WC the Solufeeds 2:1:4 would give a easy mass which can be dry dosed to tank.


the problem with this is that the user might end up adding way too much Urea while front loading this product. while NH3/NH4 wont suddenly show up on the test kits, but it will start to show up within few hours and for the next few days, usually in the low range 0.2 - 0.5 ppm NH3/NH4. But this too will depend on the tank, filtration and the plant mass. the  0.2 - 0.5 ppm NH3/NH4 conversion is just a good estimated number based on 3 ppm N from Urea if it were to be dosed, it will vary depending on individual tank. if someone really want to attempt the front loading with this product, start with 1 ppm N, this will only add about 0.466 ppm Urea-N which should be good start for the front loaders.  

but, front loading is not a good option for those who would want to dose higher doses such as 2-4 ppm N in single doses with Urea/NH4 based fertilizer. KNO3, K2SO4, KH2PO4 etc. are better options for front loading and Trace/Fe dosed by Solufeed Sodium Free TEC from a solution. 

IME it is good to feed the plants with smaller doses more often than trying to feed them at once with huge doses.


----------



## Happi (2 Jan 2023)

Karacticus said:


> Thanks, @Happi.  I'll do that.  I might PM you if I have any questions, if that's okay - as I have probably taken up too much of this thread already!  Really helpful, though!  Once I'm set up and settled, I'll spend some more time trying to understand the chemistry better!  Thanks again!


feel free to PM me if you ever need to. try to ask your main questions here on the thread so other can benefit from it as well.


----------



## Zeus. (2 Jan 2023)

Happi said:


> the problem with this is that the user might end up adding way too much Urea while front loading this product.


👍


----------



## KirstyF (2 Jan 2023)

Ive been mentioned a couple of times so I’ll add my 5 pennies worth, mostly from a hard water tank perspective. 😊

I DIY both macro and micro but certainly can’t see why SSF TEC couldn’t be used as a micro mix and split dosed through the week.

As mentioned, this could still require some supplemental addition of an appropriate Fe in hard water/ high Ph tanks, which are more prone to Fe ‘issues’. (Particularly in high tech where the plants are being driven harder) but this would apply equally to any pre-mix micro using EDTA so not exclusive to this product by any means. To my knowledge, most liquid pre-mix products will not use anything stronger than EDTA as a chelater and therefore running into iron deficiencies can occur. 

I have been testing various Fe ‘types’ and should have some further results to share in a couple of weeks, so bear with me on that. 

As mentioned by @Happi, front loading the Solufeed 2:1:4 in higher Ph (or at EI levels) might be trickier due to Urea content so a cautious approach is wise and split dosing may therefore be preferable for that reason. Also, my instinct would tell me that, as some micros are more prone to becoming unavailable over time, particularly in higher Ph, and the 2:1:4 includes both macro and micro elements (which will go towards your total micro ppm target) this may also indicate that split dosing would be preferable to give the optimum availability of your targeted micro doses across a week. More so, the higher your Ph is. 

As mentioned, I don’t dose N at all, due to already having high Nitrate in my tap and I therefore front-load just P/K and Mg (which works well for me and keeps parameters fairly stable) Micros are split dosed. If this is ur preferred option, a P/K mix is pretty easy to put together and I think most folks dose Mg separately anyway.  The SSF TEC can then still be used as a micro (so it’s a half way house to going full DIY) albeit with additional Fe dosing if required. 

You lucky folks with lower Ph need be less concerned about some of this and even tank to tank, plant to plant, there are differences. I have never yet seen an Fe deficiency in my low tech despite the Ph being consistently higher than the high tech so…..horses for courses. 

It certainly would be great to get these products into the calculator somehow, though I understand the challenges!! They have got to be one of the cheapest ways of delivering ferts without going down the DIY route!! 😊

Due to the various testing I’m doing with individual ferts, this one is not for me right now, but would be great to get more feedback from anyone trialling them! 👍


----------



## keef321 (2 Jan 2023)

KirstyF said:


> Ive been mentioned a couple of times so I’ll add my 5 pennies worth, mostly from a hard water tank perspective. 😊
> 
> I DIY both macro and micro but certainly can’t see why SSF TEC couldn’t be used as a micro mix and split dosed through the week.
> 
> ...


Looking forward to the results. 

I too have problem with Hard water & high PH. I’m currently Dosing TNC heavily together with DTPA iron. Recently I have started to ensure I only dose when the PH has dropped due to Co2 injection, and dose iron on alternative days to my TNC. This has given me the best results so far. I think when my PH rises with gas off over night any iron is gone. I am looking at trialling some of this EDDHA Iron Plus B  to see if this improves things. I have to dose a lot of DTPA to see improvement, therefore think EDDHA may help.
If I don’t dose Iron every day I see deficiencies within the week, and it’s very extreme (totally white leaves).


----------



## KirstyF (3 Jan 2023)

keef321 said:


> Looking forward to the results.
> 
> I too have problem with Hard water & high PH. I’m currently Dosing TNC heavily together with DTPA iron. Recently I have started to ensure I only dose when the PH has dropped due to Co2 injection, and dose iron on alternative days to my TNC. This has given me the best results so far. I think when my PH rises with gas off over night any iron is gone. I am looking at trialling some of this EDDHA Iron Plus B  to see if this improves things. I have to dose a lot of DTPA to see improvement, therefore think EDDHA may help.
> If I don’t dose Iron every day I see deficiencies within the week, and it’s very extreme (totally white leaves).



So far my best result was a mix of DTPA in my micros mix, plus an Fe gluconate dose on opposite days and I’m currently testing Fe gluconate only, with no DTPA or other chelated iron at all. (Only just started this one) 

I did try a DTPA and EDDHA mix but it didn’t really help for me. 

We also have someone just starting to play with a mix of all 3. 

In fairness the response to addition of gluconate was rapid and obvious, and this was not the case with stronger chelates, so this is the one that really interests me, particularly as it is not chelated at all, which is counterintuitive. 

Ultimately I would like to be able to deduce what type of Fe or Fe mix, at what dosing level and frequency is most successful (in my tank at least) and am hoping that info might be useful to others. With quite a few possible variations however, and the need to re-induce chlorosis between test doses, it takes a bit of time. 

My tests are not fully complete but right now, I would advise supplementing gluconate (Seachem Flourish Iron) during the early part of the photoperiod at maybe 0.15ppm on opposite days to your TNC, to see if you get good results. If you do decide to try this, please do let us know how you get on, and I will update as my tests progress.


----------



## Hanuman (3 Jan 2023)

Happi said:


> the problem with this is that the user might end up adding way too much Urea while front loading this product. while NH3/NH4 wont suddenly show up on the test kits, but it will start to show up within few hours and for the next few days, usually in the low range 0.2 - 0.5 ppm NH3/NH4. But this too will depend on the tank, filtration and the plant mass. the  0.2 - 0.5 ppm NH3/NH4 conversion is just a good estimated number based on 3 ppm N from Urea if it were to be dosed, it will vary depending on individual tank. if someone really want to attempt the front loading with this product, start with 1 ppm N, this will only add about 0.466 ppm Urea-N which should be good start for the front loaders.
> 
> but, front loading is not a good option for those who would want to dose higher doses such as 2-4 ppm N in single doses with Urea/NH4 based fertilizer. KNO3, K2SO4, KH2PO4 etc. are better options for front loading and Trace/Fe dosed by Solufeed Sodium Free TEC from a solution.
> 
> IME it is good to feed the plants with smaller doses more often than trying to feed them at once with huge doses.


That's exactly what I thought yesterday when talking to @Zeus.  although I didn't mention it to him. Even if I'm not using Solufeed myself, in my current tank I have split my fert dose to x3 times a week with each dose pushing 0.67ppm of Urea. Double dosing that the first few weeks had the consequence of GDA/hair algae exploding. I'm now just doing a single dose after WC and adding the rest in small amounts everyday so I am now technically dosing 7x week.


----------



## keef321 (3 Jan 2023)

KirstyF said:


> So far my best result was a mix of DTPA in my micros mix, plus an Fe gluconate dose on opposite days and I’m currently testing Fe gluconate only, with no DTPA or other chelated iron at all. (Only just started this one)
> 
> I did try a DTPA and EDDHA mix but it didn’t really help for me.
> 
> ...


Do you have a dedicated thread for for this I can post to? So. im not hijacking this thread, lol.
I will give the seachem iron a go as per your suggestion and dose it together with the DTPA and report back.
For your info my GH is 13, KH 10, PH before gas 7.6 (degassed 8.0-8.1), after gas 6.8-6.9. Currently dosing  N:18,P:2.4,K:60,Mg:9.6,Fe EDTA 0.96 & 1ppm DTPA per week.  The Fe EDTA looks a high figure, but I know this is not available to the plants, as can be seen in the photo when I stop dosing DTPA. I know the K Potassium levels look high, but this is simply how the TNC mix is (and I am aiming for EI levels), and as I have found, the more I dose, the less algae I get 😀

Photo of Pogostemon Helferi after stoping dosing DTPA for a week, then starting again


----------



## KirstyF (3 Jan 2023)

The issue has generated some interest on a few threads so, although I was going to wait a bit, I think I’ll start a post to show results so far and that can open the discussion.

I’ll look at getting something on this evening after work. 

Your photo does beautifully illustrate that it was certainly an Fe issue, so that’s great. 👍

We can get into some more detail once the new thread is up.

Chat later. 😊


----------



## dw1305 (3 Jan 2023)

Hi all, 


keef321 said:


> Do you have a dedicated thread for for this I can post to?


We have a <"few posts"> that look at iron (Fe) deficiency, water hardness and different chelators. 


keef321 said:


> Photo of Pogostemon Helferi after stoping dosing DTPA for a week, then starting again


_Pogostemon helferi _is a <"frequent contributor">, along with <"_Rotala rotundifolia_">. 

cheers Darrel


----------



## keef321 (4 Jan 2023)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> We have a <"few posts"> that look at iron (Fe) deficiency, water hardness and different chelators.
> 
> ...


Thanks Darrel, funnily enough Rotala  Rotundifolia is other plant I had problems with


----------



## dw1305 (4 Jan 2023)

Hi all,


keef321 said:


> Rotala Rotundifolia is other plant I had problems with


It looks a pretty good canary and is definitely a soft water (low dKH) plant. @Kezzab  has very successfully grown some plants emersed, <"in a pot with a _Sarracenia_">. 






cheers Darrel


----------



## KirstyF (5 Jan 2023)

I’ve got Rotala H’ra doing ok in my hard water, which I believe is a Rotundifolia variant, albeit, it took a good while and some persistence to get it going. Wallichii though…failed and failed again! 🙄


----------



## keef321 (5 Jan 2023)

KirstyF said:


> I’ve got Rotala H’ra doing ok in my hard water, which I believe is a Rotundifolia variant, albeit, it took a good while and some persistence to get it going. Wallichii though…failed and failed again! 🙄


Interesting I might give H'ra  a go at some point. Currently giving rotala macrandra a go, very early stages


----------



## dw1305 (5 Jan 2023)

Hi all, 


KirstyF said:


> I’ve got Rotala H’ra doing ok in my hard water, which I believe is a Rotundifolia variant


I'd guess it is much like terrestrial <"calcifuge"> plants, you can keep them going if you <"can continually supply"> iron (Fe++(+)) and magnesium (Mg++) ions. 

cheers Darrel


----------

