# Low tech fert dosing



## Bacom (3 May 2018)

Hi I’ve had plants for a little while but want to start using ferts, the question is which one and how much? I’m just using a single t8 bulb on a 260 litre tank but want to change the lighting soon to led. So what would people recommend to start with? Thanks


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## Konsa (3 May 2018)

Hi 
U can start with some ready made ones like 
TCN complete or The Aquascaper range(wich will be a bit costly on your size tank) and when U get your head arround the fert thing U can swap to Aquarium Plant Food EI starter pack and mix your own solutions  (the cheap option).Or just mix your own from the start. How much will depend on your light strength and plant mass U have.I personally  mix my own solutions and dose heavy my low tech tanks with 1/2 to 3/4 of EI values dayly and never had issues with it.
Regards Konsa


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## Bacom (3 May 2018)

Konsa said:


> Hi
> U can start with some ready made ones like
> TCN complete or The Aquascaper range(wich will be a bit costly on your size tank) and when U get your head arround the fert thing U can swap to Aquarium Plant Food EI starter pack and mix your own solutions  (the cheap option).Or just mix your own from the start. How much will depend on your light strength and plant mass U have.I personally  mix my own solutions and dose heavy my low tech tanks with 1/2 to 3/4 of EI values dayly and never had issues with it.
> Regards Konsa



Thanks, I have been Looking at the EI packs but may start with a ready made solution I’m not sure yet. There’s not much light just a single t8 atm and all the plants are “easy” I think. At least they’re doing okay so far but I’ve added new ones recently so wanted to feed them more.


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## zozo (3 May 2018)

I also started with a complete fert solution, but in the end i didn't realy like it.. Still kinda ran into issues and was reluctant to add more of everything.

I switched to dry salts and Easylife Profito for the micro nutrients. In the beginning it requires a bit of thinking and measuring to get used to it, but after that i pretty pleased with the concept, much more versatile and cheaper, absolutely not thinking of ever going back to a complete fert solution.

Regarding dry salts in the inert substrate tank i only dose 20 ppm K(Potassium), 1 ppm P (Phosphate) and 3 ppm Epsom salt (Magnesium sulfate). since i know from my water company that they provide my tap water with an average of > 20ppm Nitrates and the live stock poops the rest. I use Potassium Sulfate (K2SO4) and Potassium Phosphate (K2HPO4) which you can buy as dry salts at various places. I also have Potassium Nitrate (KNO3) in the house just in case, but i never needed to use it till now.

Easy Life Profito contains next to Micros also a bit K, but it's not clear to me how much.. But potassium is never an issue it can't realy be overdosed, so i just calculte the 20 ppm K with the dry salts.

With doing this even in low tech a regular water change is required to prevent accumulations. Not that i ever measure anything, not needed i do the weekly water change,  is doing its job pretty good. A bit á la Redfield ratio.. 

Tho it also depends a bit on lifestock, feeding habbit and soil.. For example in the garden i  have a setup with plants on organic clay soil rather rich in ferts, a lot more and bigger poopers in need of more food and the nitrates from the tap added and less water changes, the only deficiency i run into this setup is Magnesium.. That's the only salt i add in this setup, till now with success.

Thats the nice thing with using dry salts, you can have all you need in a seperate bag in the cabinet and add what ever you need when you need.. Know your setup and know your plants, use your plants condition as a marker to know what to add. Or just add in suficient numbers and do your weekly reset water change. Adding a floater or some other fast growing emersed growth can be of great help, these plants show deficiencies rather quicker and clearer than their submersed counterparts.  If the floater or emersed growth is happy than you always have enough for what grows bellow the surface. Than if you still run into issues it aint the ferts.. Than check light or flow..

I use https://rotalabutterfly.com/nutrient-calculator.php and calculate the "Dose to reach target" with dry salts.
My average targets are
20 ppm K
1 ppm P
3 to 4 ppm Mg.
Micros go according the bottles manual.
N i don't seem to need, so why add it extra.. But 20 ppm N would be a good starting point if you do not know.


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## Tim Harrison (3 May 2018)

Typically, the weekly dose for low-energy is around one fifth to one tenth of that recommended for high-energy tanks. The dose is small enough that ready made liquid nutrient formulations like TNC Complete can be economical to use, depending on the size of your tank, of course.

Similarly, dry salts can also be used particularly if a more economical alternative is required for larger aquariums and/or higher doses. The standard regime, for say a 20 gallon low energy tank, is to dose once every week or two with the following; 1/4 teaspoon of GH booster, plus 1/8 and 1/32 of a teaspoon of KNO3 (potassium nitrate) and KH2PO4 (monopotassium phosphate) respectively. The ratios can be scaled up or down to suit any size of tank. The above dosing regime presupposes that macrophytes in lower energy tanks grow 5 to 10 times slower than in higher energy setups, and it also assumes that “fish food” indirectly contributes about 80% to 90% of the nutrient load. https://barrreport.com/articles/non-co2-methods.37/


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## Bacom (4 May 2018)

Tim Harrison said:


> Typically, the weekly dose for low-energy is around one fifth to one tenth of that recommended for high-energy tanks. The dose is small enough that ready made liquid nutrient formulations like TNC Complete can be economical to use, depending on the size of your tank, of course.
> 
> Similarly, dry salts can also be used particularly if a more economical alternative is required for larger aquariums and/or higher doses. The standard regime, for say a 20 gallon low energy tank, is to dose once every week or two with the following; 1/4 teaspoon of GH booster, plus 1/8 and 1/32 of a teaspoon of KNO3 (potassium nitrate) and KH2PO4 (monopotassium phosphate) respectively. The ratios can be scaled up or down to suit any size of tank. The above dosing regime presupposes that macrophytes in lower energy tanks grow 5 to 10 times slower than in higher energy setups, and it also assumes that “fish food” indirectly contributes about 80% to 90% of the nutrient load. https://barrreport.com/articles/non-co2-methods.37/



Weekly dosing sounds more manageable for me, so il just to 1/5 of my chosen fert to start with probably a ready made one at first like TNC, it’s a 260 litre tank so I gues just follow the instructions on the bottle and change it to a 1/5?


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## Bacom (4 May 2018)

zozo said:


> I also started with a complete fert solution, but in the end i didn't realy like it.. Still kinda ran into issues and was reluctant to add more of everything.
> 
> I switched to dry salts and Easylife Profito for the micro nutrients. In the beginning it requires a bit of thinking and measuring to get used to it, but after that i pretty pleased with the concept, much more versatile and cheaper, absolutely not thinking of ever going back to a complete fert solution.
> 
> ...



May start using dry ferts after a little trial just need to get my head around it 


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## Konsa (4 May 2018)

Hi 
Instructions on bottle are a guide to general usage only and not as strong as EI values.If U opt for them just dose as it is stated on bottle and dont reduce it furder
Regards Konsa


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## zozo (4 May 2018)

Bacom said:


> May start using dry ferts after a little trial just need to get my head around it
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Sounds familiar..  Was the same for me, getting my head around all the terms, numbers, calculation and dosing method. It's exciting the first few weeks/months feeling like a nutty professor that doesn't realy knows what he's doing, juggling pots with powders.

Than a complete fert solution is much easier and less to think about.

If it works it works, never change a winning team..  If it doesn't work as expected for what ever reason.. Than dry dosing is a nice alternative.. Once you know the measurments and find the proper scoop for it, it's pretty easy. Scoop it out of the pot into a bottle add water shake it and add to the tank and that's once a week after a water change. Wait a day and add the micros.

Everybody does it the way it feels most comfortable. I do dry dosing, others use the salts to make a pre mixed macro solution and other buy complete fert solutions.

Options enough to find a way that suits you best..


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## Tim Harrison (4 May 2018)

TNC is pretty much compatible with EI. But like most things the instructions on the bottle are just a guide. For instance, in my heavily planted hi-energy tanks, I dose a weeks worth every day. That way I know the plants are getting enough nutrients. Same for EI as well, the original instructions aren't meant to be carved in stone.

The key is to keep an eye on your plants, eventually you learn to read them, and if you've got green fingers, almost instinctively. I reckon, that if you ask a lot of successful plant growers how they managed to do it, they'd probably have to stop and think about it. And then you'd probably get some gardening folklore as an answer, like planting the rhubarb when the wind is blowing from the east on a day with a "Y" in it


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## Fiske (4 May 2018)

Konsa said:


> Hi
> U can start with some ready made ones like
> TCN complete or The Aquascaper range(wich will be a bit costly on your size tank) and when U get your head arround the fert thing U can swap to Aquarium Plant Food EI starter pack and mix your own solutions  (the cheap option).Or just mix your own from the start. How much will depend on your light strength and plant mass U have.I personally  mix my own solutions and dose heavy my low tech tanks with 1/2 to 3/4 of EI values dayly and never had issues with it.
> Regards Konsa



I was a bit reluctant to start dealing with EI, Aquarium Plant Foods starter pack is about as easy it gets with salts. Much recommended as entry level EI. And it's cheap.


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## ian_m (4 May 2018)

My mate has a 120l tank with a partially covered T5 tube and doses EI solution about 1/3-1/4 EI daily dose once a week. Tank is algae free and plants do grow, albeit slowly.

He originally had a T8 tube, but starter failed so replaced with a single T5 tube, in fact Juwel length so full width of tank was covered, but suffered green algae appearing, so has some foil rings on the T5 tube reducing the light level.


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## Bacom (4 May 2018)

Think I may go for the EI starter pack and figure out how much to use, would prefer to just dose weekly after a water change just need to figure out how much. I appreciate all the help from everyone 


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## zozo (4 May 2018)

There are wonderfull online calculators to figure out the amounts.. As above the rotala butterfly is very good and extends to the more advanced user.
But for beginner basics adding Macros than this calculator is a bit more straight forwared to start with.
http://theaquatools.com/fertilization-calculator/

For example you have a 260 litre planted aqaurium, than provide the calculator with the volume




As you can see it also shows good values at the bottom as an average target.. Fill in the grams and see imediately result in the bold numbers above the good values. You can't go wrong keep adding or retracting grams with 0.1 if necessary till you get your target value..

This is all metrics and what also drove me crazy for a start is all the talk about teaspoons and tablespoons. <So i just got me a good pocket weight scale that goes to 0.00 grams> Took the smallest kitchen scoop i could find in my draw, 1/4 tsp and weigh the contens of the scoop. In my case one 1/4 tsp scoop is 1.7 grams..  That's all i need to know, the rest aint rocket science and it doesn't need to be spot on the ppm. After a water change i scoop what i need into a bottle add water shake and add to the tank. And done.

After that it is repetition, at first you calculate again and again every week and after few weeks you know your scoop the elements and the bags. before you know you can do it with your eyes closed..


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## Bacom (4 May 2018)

zozo said:


> There are wonderfull online calculators to figure out the amounts.. As above the rotala butterfly is very good and extends to the more advanced user.
> But for beginner basics adding Macros than this calculator is a bit more straight forwared to start with.
> http://theaquatools.com/fertilization-calculator/
> 
> ...



Do I have to fill out these values myself? On mobile so the calculator isn’t loading. And is that for weekly dosing? Trying to understand it thanks


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## zozo (4 May 2018)

No you have to fill in the grams yourself, than it shows immidiate result bellow how much PPM you add corresponding to the amount of grams.
Thus you fill out the tanks volume, choose the correct element from the dropdown list, choose "Dose directly to aquarium" and add grams next to the elements to be added. 

Compare it with the good values pre added at the bottom to see where you're at. Change the grams till it corresponds with your desired target. Than you know how much grams of each substance to add.

If that is a weekly dose depends on your overall regime and other things... Could be a weekly dose in the top range if you do a weekly 50% water change. What i filled in is just an example.. As it shows for example good value for Nitrate is 10-20ppm.. Start with the recomended low range 10ppm and see how it goes.

This is a nice calculator for beginners because it shows results on the fly.. No need to press calculate buttons and skip pages.. Just change the numbers in grams and the results change on the fly with it and you can check and double check if you did all correctly.


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## Bacom (4 May 2018)

zozo said:


> No you have to fill in the grams yourself, than it shows immidiate result bellow how much PPM you add corresponding to the amount of grams.
> Thus you fill out the tanks volume, choose the correct element from the dropdown list, choose "Dose directly to aquarium" and add grams next to the elements to be added.
> 
> Compare it with the good values pre added at the bottom to see where you're at. Change the grams till it corresponds with your desired target. Than you know how much grams of each substance to add.
> ...



Ah okay I think I understand, so fill it out til it’s within the good values


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## Bacom (4 May 2018)

Also looking for a better light, would 2 t8 bulbs be too much for a low tech? Looked at the cheap led bars also but heard mixed reviews


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