# Storing ferts



## jagz (18 Aug 2009)

ok so i have just made up a all in one fert using the recipe from james website , i have mad up 1 litre of the stuff can someone tell after it is made does it go off and also where chould it be stored does it have to be stored in the fridge or dont it matter where it is stored

and also is it supposed to look like i have p1$$ed in a bottle   

cheers
jagz


----------



## soton_dave (18 Aug 2009)

mines just left in the cabinet under my tank and is clear,i just give it a shake before i dose it although ive never had any settle.
has all the ferts disolved?i use 10tsp in 900ml of water and they all dissolve ok,may be worth adding more water if they havent disolved,just remember to dose more to get the required ppm.


----------



## jagz (18 Aug 2009)

yea it has all disoved why is mine yellow then

jagz


----------



## Dolly Sprint 16v (18 Aug 2009)

Its the trace mix powder that turns its yellow.

Paul.


----------



## ulster exile (18 Aug 2009)

My trace mix goes mouldy if not kept in the fridge.  Last two times I've mixed a batch up, I've some disaster or other meaning I've stopped dosing


----------



## aaronnorth (19 Aug 2009)

the trace is the problem. Keep it cool if possible, either in the frifge or a cool cupboard. Also keep it out of sunlight as it breaks down the chelator.


----------



## hakova (25 Aug 2009)

Hi there,

I have been using ferts via EI protocol as described in this link: http://www.ukaps.org/EI.htm. Basically I prepared a 600 ml solution for NPK and a 250 ml solution for CSM+B. I am dosing 25 ml of NPK 3 times weekly and 12.5 ml of CSM+B twice weekly to my 10 gallon tank. This morning, however, I saw floaters in the NPK solution. I am pretty sure they are bacteria colonies. I keep both solutions in brown glass bottles to protect them from light. I used distilled water to solve the powders about 3-4 weeks ago, and I am still using that original solution as above. I neither filtered the solution nor boiled it after preparing it. Was I supposed to do such things to prevent bacterial colonization? Or should I just relax and keep dosing? This situation worries me, because I don't want to inject a solution with colonization of unknown bacteria in my tank. I just lost one of my Harlequin Rasboras due to a possible bacterial infection on top of everything. I don't mind preparing a new stock solution, but it will get colonized eventually, too. So, what would you recommend?

Any response will be greatly appreciated.


----------



## ceg4048 (25 Aug 2009)

Hi,
    Well for one thing you can stop using distilled water and use tap water instead, which is chlorinated and which may help delay the onset of spoilage. You can also think about adding a few drops of muriatic acid or other strong acid to the solution when preparing it. You can also keep the solution refrigerated. 

In any case there millions of species of bacteria and I doubt that the species in your NPK bottle are the same as those that attack your fish. Bacteria do the work of detoxifying your tank, remember? So lets not get on a bacteria bashing witch hunt.   It might not even be bacterial growth, it might be fungal.

Cheers,


----------



## CeeJay (25 Aug 2009)

Hi hakova

Just my experience.
I dose EI like yourself and I use tap water and I've never had any fungus or bacteria issues. I only mix up enough for a 4 week supply and keep it in clear bottles in the cabinet under the tank  . 
No fridges or cool cupboards for me. 
About all I do is keep it in the dark  .
Just a suggestion, my maths tells me that your 600ml @ 25ml per dose is 24 doses = 8 weeks supply. Maybe try reducing your volume to 300ml for a 4 week supply and see how that goes. Then you have fresh water in your mix every 4 weeks instead of 8. Might solve your problem.
Certainly works for me  .

Chris


----------



## hakova (26 Aug 2009)

Thanks a lot for the replies.

@ceg4048: Excellent article on EI dosing, very easy to understand and apply. I appreciate the inspiration that made me chose EI path over others. And you are right, no need to do bacteria bashing witch hunt; just two events coinciding on an anxious fish tank hobbyist   .

@chris01: I was thinking about exactly the same thing. Thanks a lot for the suggestion, will definitely prepare the new batch that way tonight.

BTW,  I didn't intend to hijack the thread, the subject was exactly what I was going to post on, that was why I posted at the first place. I am sorry if I caused confusion and trouble.


----------



## ceg4048 (26 Aug 2009)

No troubles at all mate. It's a good thing to keep various aspects of the same issue together. Makes it easier for folks to access the data.  

Cheers,


----------



## LondonDragon (26 Aug 2009)

I use tap water with my mixes and never had a problem, I mix 1.4l of water with the dry salts and last about a month, does not settle or become mouldy!!  I followed JamesC recipe!


----------

