# My recipe check



## Martty (7 Jan 2019)

Hello,

I tried to create my own fertilizer recipe, but I need to check it. I have 1 year old 60p high-tech plant tank, but mostly slow growers (Cryps, Microsorium, Buceps, Anubiases). Then Steurogynes, HC, Lobelia cardinalis. So, no fast stem plants, no need overdose iron. I tried to copy dose targets from ADA old serie ferts (ADA Brighty K, Shade, Step 3).

*Tap soft water:*
pH 7,4
NO3: 8ppm
Mg: 7,3ppm
Ca: 44ppm

*Dose targets (ppm):*
N      0.06 (0.42 weekly + _8ppm from tap water_)
P      0.04 (0.28 weekly)
K       3.6 (25.2 weekly)
NO3 0.235 (1.645 weekly)
NH4 0.014 (0.098 weekly)
PO4 0.123 (0.861 weekly)
Mg   _7,3 at tap water_
Fe    0.02 (0.14 weekly)

*Recipe:*
Bottle 1 (400ml RO)
1.3g Micromix Plus

Bottle 2 (400ml RO)
1.4g KNO3
0.2g NH4NO3
0.7g KH2PO4
30.5g K2SO4
32g MgSO4*7H2O

Dosing 5ml/day/50 litres

Is it ok? Thanks for your replays.


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## ian_m (8 Jan 2019)

No idea, this is your mixture, I very much doubt anyone else has scientifically used or tested your mixture in your tank with your light level and your CO2 levels. So you are on your own unfortunately.

Even so, you haven't told us your tank size, filtration flow rate, CO2 injection, light setup, light times etc etc.

Ignore tap water values, most people who base their dosing on tap water "test" results end up under dosing and producing great algae growth and dying plants.

Your mix is very very low in NO3. I would never use ammonium nitrate as extremely toxic to fish (and shrimps) even in small doses. Commercial aquatic fertilisers use it as it is cheap (main reason) and the recommended doses are extremely lean. Use KN03 instead, around 10-15gr, drop K2SO4 and increase KH2PO4 to 5gr.


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## Martty (8 Jan 2019)

ian_m said:


> Your mix is very very low in NO3. I would never use ammonium nitrate as extremely toxic to fish (and shrimps) even in small doses. Commercial aquatic fertilisers use it as it is cheap (main reason) and the recommended doses are extremely lean. Use KN03 instead, around 10-15gr, drop K2SO4 and increase KH2PO4 to 5gr.



Yes. Its lean dose strategy. Like ADA do. This recipe is a copy of ADA fertilizers which is recomended for 1 year old tank: ADA step 3 + ADA Shade + ADA Brighty K. Do you think, that ADA ferts are wrong, bad? I like their lean strategy. And ADA use ammonium too. Seachem too. Any chemical can be dangerous. It depends on concentration. Even your recommended KNO3 may be dangerous if a certain concentration is exceeded. Ammonium can be safe and very beneficial to plants in the right concentration. And I doubt the ADA team would count a bad concentration in their fertilizer.


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## ian_m (8 Jan 2019)

Martty said:


> Even your recommended KNO3 may be dangerous if a certain concentration is exceeded


Inorganic sourced nitrates only start causing issue in the 1500ppm region or higher, so operating below 50ppm NO3 isn't an issue. This was debated recently on this forum with links to scientific research with high nitrate levels,



Martty said:


> Ammonium can be safe and very beneficial to plants in the right concentration


Ammonia/ammonium is absolutely fine for plants, even in excessively high levels, but is quite toxic to fish in relatively low levels. As you say ADA doses lean, maybe even excessively lean so is probably OK to fish.


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## Konsa (8 Jan 2019)

Hi
ADA ferts are developed in line with their ultra rich substrate system.I believe thats the reason they are so lean.What substrate do U have in place?
I run inerts substrate low tech tanks and even in them I need higher level of N and P for what your planned addition is.
Regards Konsa


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## Martty (8 Jan 2019)

Konsa said:


> Hi
> ADA ferts are developed in line with their ultra rich substrate system.I believe thats the reason they are so lean.What substrate do U have in place?
> I run inerts substrate low tech tanks and even in them I need higher level of N and P for what your planned addition is.
> Regards Konsa


Yea, that is absolutely right and I forgot to mention it. I have ADA substrates and ADA ferts are developed  on the basis of their rich substrate. Plants take nutrients by their roots and level od ferts in water column is not so important.


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## Konsa (8 Jan 2019)

Hi
It sounds it may work for U.Keep us posted.
Just keep an eye on your ephites
As they not rooted in substrate 
Regards Konsa


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## Martty (8 Jan 2019)

Konsa said:


> Hi
> It sounds it may work for U.Keep us posted.
> Just keep an eye on your ephites
> As they not rooted in substrate
> Regards Konsa


yes, because of ephites I have such a high potassium. Mainly pinnatifida suffered from potassium deficiency. 

Can I mix all those macro ingrediences? Or should I add some stabilizators: E202, E300?


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## dw1305 (8 Jan 2019)

Hi all, 





Martty said:


> Is it ok?...


I'd add some more nitrogen and phosphorus and probably reduce the amount of magnesium.





Martty said:


> I have 1 year old 60p high-tech plant tank, but mostly slow growers (Cryps, Microsorium, Buceps, Anubiases). Then Steurogynes, HC, Lobelia cardinalis. So, no fast stem plants, no need overdose iron. I tried to copy dose targets from ADA old serie ferts (ADA Brighty K, Shade, Step 3).


Why don't you try the <"Duckweed Index">?

You would need a floating plant, (I use <"_Limnobium laevigatum">)_, but it gets around problems of trying to second guess deficiency symptoms or make up your own customized fertiliser mix. 

cheers Darrel


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## Konsa (8 Jan 2019)

Martty said:


> yes, because of ephites I have such a high potassium. Mainly pinnatifida suffered from potassium deficiency.
> 
> Can I mix all those macro ingrediences? Or should I add some stabilizators: E202, E300?


Hi
Yes U can mix N,P ,Mg and K without issues.
I will second Darrel's recommendation but U can only try can U
Regards Konsa


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