IFC Aquarium Fertilizer Calculator

[Hanuman]

I have been trying to use this calculator to make an AIO fertilisers for EI Dosing Mid. I have followed the measurements from the calculator but a lot of the salts aren't dissolving. I have tried using tap water & distilled water both resulted in salts not dissolving. Any advised would be appreciated.

Using Tap water is definitely not recommended when preparing ferts.
Also I do see that you are adding calcium in that mix which is also no recommeded. Calcium should be dosed weekly separately in the tank after water change rather than dosing it with your macro.
You mention that you are doing an AIO. Are you also adding the micro in that bottle? If so you are probably not adding Fe because the water is very clear. Can you please clarify what you mean by AIO.

 

[Hufsa]

I have followed the measurements from the calculator but a lot of the salts aren't dissolving. I have tried using tap water & distilled water both resulted in salts not dissolving. Any advised would be appreciated.

It is because you have mixed Calcium chloride with Magnesium sulphate and Potassium sulphate
On their own they are soluble enough, but together they combine to make Calcium sulphate.
Calcium sulphate is soluble but much less so than the others.
You will have exceeded the solubility limit for Calcium sulphate (it needs a lot of water to very little powder), and it has precipitated out.

Its best to keep calcium salts separate from the fertilizer mixture.
It is possible to put calcium into some specialized fertilizer recipes, but it requires very careful consideration of which ingredients are used, and is usually not worth the trouble for hobbyists.

 

[jordfoz16]

Using Tap water is definitely not recommended when preparing ferts.
Also I do see that you are adding calcium in that mix which is also no recommeded. Calcium should be dosed weekly separately in the tank after water change rather than dosing it with your macro.
You mention that you are doing an AIO. Are you also adding the micro in that bottle? If so you are probably not adding Fe because the water is very clear. Can you please clarify what you mean by AIO.

Hi Hanuman, I now have distilled water to use. That makes sense with the Calcium did I miss a warning in the excel document that said that Calcium shouldn't be dosed weekly?

For the FE I am adding micro into the bottle I'm using the Aqua Plant Care CSM+B which I believe has Iron in it?

It is because you have mixed Calcium chloride with Magnesium sulphate and Potassium sulphate
On their own they are soluble enough, but together they combine to make Calcium sulphate.
Calcium sulphate is soluble but much less so than the others.
You will have exceeded the solubility limit for Calcium sulphate (it needs a lot of water to very little powder), and it has precipitated out.

Its best to keep calcium salts separate from the fertilizer mixture.
It is possible to put calcium into some specialized fertilizer recipes, but it requires very careful consideration of which ingredients are used, and is usually not worth the trouble for hobbyists.

Hi Hufsa, thank you for further expanding on Hanuman's answer. Would you suggest removing the Calcium from the mixture? also are there any other salts that I'm using that would cause a reaction?

 

[Hanuman]

Hi Hanuman, I now have distilled water to use. That makes sense with the Calcium did I miss a warning in the excel document that said that Calcium shouldn't be dosed weekly?

No, Calcium shouldn't be added to your fert bottle but instead dosed directly to your tank weekly if you are remineralizing your water of course. If you are using TAP water in your tank then it is possible it contains Ca already so it might not be necessary to add any Ca to the tank. Hopefully that's clearer.

For the FE I am adding micro into the bottle I'm using the Aqua Plant Care CSM+B which I believe has Iron in it?

Strange because the color of the water is quite clear and Fe tends to darken the water quite a bit. However I do notice that you are using very small amount of ferts so maybe that's the reason why the water is so clear.

Would you suggest removing the Calcium from the mixture?

I'll answer that. YES. Do not incorporate Ca in your fertilizer mix. For Mg I did notice that you are adding quite a bit (~7.5ppm) so I interpret that as being your way of remineralizing the water in your tank. If that's the case then I would suggest also dry dosing Mg weekly like for Ca. This said, Mg will not react with the other compounds you have added in the your fertilizer.

Perhaps you should clarify why you are adding that much Mg in the first place. Are you using RO in your tank or TAP water?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I now have distilled water to use....also are there any other salts that I'm using that would cause a reaction?

That should help, you could try some gentle warming as well. Most salts (other than carbonates) are more soluble in warmer water.

Calcium shouldn't be added to your fert bottle but instead dosed directly to your tank weekly if you are remineralizing your water of course.

What @Hufsa and @Hanuman say, have a look at the <"solubility rules chart">, it highlights where problems (the green and pink squares) are likely to occur.

If you are using TAP water in your tank then it is possible it contains Ca already

If you have <"hard tap water">? Then it is a <"very easy way of adding calcium"> (Ca) (dGH) and <"alkalinity (carbonates (dKH))">.

cheers Darrel

 

[Kleetaru]

I believe Ammonium Nitrate is illegal in Germany, if so, you will have to source a different salt to use as your nitrogen source.
Using ammonium containing salts is not advised for fertilizer beginners as it carries a much higher risk of harm to the livestock.
KNO3 (Potassium nitrate) is most commonly used, but be sure to check with the appropriate authorities that it does not also have restrictions placed upon it. (Edit: It might indeed be )

On the subject of the other salts, because shipping over country borders is usually costly, I would advise you to check out garden supply stores, online gardening supplies, and brewers supply shops to see if you can source at least the majority of the salts you need from there. One of our German members might be able to suggest the best places for this, im not entirely sure but I think @Ria95 is from Germany?
Especially Calcium and Magnesium salts, and the E numbers you should be able to get quite cheaply from brewers.

If you also intend for your homemade fertilizer to contain micronutrients, you should be looking for a premade trace blend (premixed dry salts), preferably something that is designed for aquarium or hydroponic use.

Hey @Hufsa i might have found a website that sells me most of the stuff i need, i think so atleast, maybe u can correct me on that.. i hope its legal to buy there for me Lulz, the Aquariumpack consists of Potassium Sulphate, Potassium nitrate and Monopotassium Phosphate. I dont mind spending a bit more just so it works at the end fine i just use distilled water for the mixture later on then?

 

[Hanuman]

Hey @Hufsa i might have found a website that sells me most of the stuff i need, i think so atleast, maybe u can correct me on that.. i hope its legal to buy there for me Lulz, the Aquariumpack consists of Potassium Sulphate, Potassium nitrate and Monopotassium Phosphate. I dont mind spending a bit more just so it works at the end fine i just use distilled water for the mixture later on then?

I'll make a quick comment and let @Hufsa answer the rest.
I'm curious as to why you are getting 3 different types of Magnesium? Unless you have specific needs I think MgSO4 should suffice.
Since you are also going for Potassium Carbonate I assume you want to add some carbonate to the water. If that's the case then I would suggest you go for Potassium Bi-carbonate instead which is safer as it will prevent a PH spike when adding it to the water. More explanations here.

 

[Kleetaru]

Hey Guys its me again, i wanted to do a Micro and Macro fert, ive cloned ATP 3 from 2hr it seemed fine, wanted to tryout APT EI but its an AIO and ive read many bad things about it, so should i just get a part of Macro and another part of Micro nutrients? And what is the best Micro nutrient to buy since im missing those, ive read a couple about solufeed but that seems to be only buyable in UK. And with the calculator settings according to 2HR's ingredients im having way to much Magnesium, but if I switch Magnesium Nitratre with Potassium the calc goes green all the way. Whats the best way to do so. Is there anyone willing to help me out in Discord maybe that would be a bit easier, maybe we could create a Discord server for this forum #Kleetaru8704

 

[Hanuman]

im having way to much Magnesium, but if I switch Magnesium Nitratre with Potassium the calc goes green all the way

Use Potassium nitrate instead of Magnesium nitrate, OR, simply increase the ratio of Potassium nitrate vs Magnesium nitrate. This said you really don't need to play with different salts. Just using Potassium nitrate will do the job just as well.

according to 2HR's ingredients

In this case, this is irrelevant. Once a salt dissolves in water, it dissociates in its different components so it doesn't really matter which nitrate salt you are using. 2Hrs aquarist could be using Magnesium nitrate for multiple reasons but chemically speaking it won't change a thing if you use Potassium nitrate and then compensate with another source of Magnesium, OR the other way around if you use Magnesium nitrate and then compensate with another source of Potassium. The only issue using Magnesium nitrate alone is that it provides a considerable amount of Mg in relation to your target and that's why you see it overshoots.

As for micros, you have two options. You can either buy any CSM+B micro mix/commercial product mix like APFUK chelated traces OR buy each trace individually. The latter option provides you complete freedom as you can target each trace individually vs targeting Fe only with a pre-made mix. However it also implies higher cost initially. Since you are starting with DIY ferts I would recommend you to buy a premixed trace product such as CSM and go from there.
As for doing an AIO, I can't comment on doing it with a pre-made mix such as with CSM+b or others, simply because I only use individual traces myself. If you decide to do an AIO, make sure your solution is acidified prior adding any salts.

 

[Kleetaru]

Thanks @Hanuman for the quick reply. I was thinking the same, since the outcome will be the same but with a different salt, I guess it wont be bad doing it then.
So technically i could just do the macro part itself and a micro part aswell, in 2 different bottles and then just dose them individually? Having technically the same outcome but without creating an aio? In the Calculator im not getting the Ingredients up to 100% except FE is that supposed to be like that (in the mirco part) ? Ive posted it in the post before. Or am i missing something and i only want FE for the micro side?

 

[Hanuman]

So technically i could just do the macro part itself and a micro part aswell, in 2 different bottles and then just dose them individually? Having technically the same outcome but without creating an aio?

Yes and it is safer to do it that way because there is less risk of having interactions between compounds.

In the Calculator im not getting the Ingredients up to 100% except FE is that supposed to be like that (in the mirco part)

Only Fe is targeted in the micro side. Also 2Hr Aquarist does not provide information on individual traces so there is no way to know the % of each trace. We use Fe as a proxy for all other traces when using a trace pre-mix like APFUK, Solufeed or CSM+B.

 

[Kleetaru]

@Hanuman do i just make a 2nd container for the Micro dose? it tells me for example to use 17grams in the AIO mixture, do i just put in all salts one for marco one for micro, each like 350ml? Or do i have to do another calculation somehow?

 

[hypnogogia]

On the tank and dosing tab, you get to chose if you’re maki g AIO or separate macro and micro. If you chose the latter, then you enter the volume you want to make and your dosing volume and see the result on the target calculator tab.

 

[blairgerman]

Where do I enter the calcium values from my water report? Under Carbonate Hardness or Calcium? (i put 50 cuz its half way between 19.5 and 80.3)

 

[Hanuman]

Where do I enter the calcium values from my water report?

Can you please share your water report in its entirety? A link perhaps?
Looking at your cropped water report, it would seem that the carbonate hardness should be 80.3 mg/l CaCo3, not 50. I can't be sure though since there is no column title so I am unsure what that value represents. It seems that's the max value.

 

[blairgerman]

Can you please share your water report in its entirety? A link perhaps?
Looking at your cropped water report, it would seem that the carbonate hardness should be 80.3 mg/l CaCo3, not 50. I can't be sure though since there is no column title so I am unsure what that value represents. It seems that's the max value.

Of course! Sorry, preparing to move to new home, got distracted. Thanks for your all your help @Hanuman !
... I wasn't sure this value goes in carbonate hardness field, calcium field, or both, yes 80 is max, probably somewhere between 20 and 80. Trying to see if i have so much calcium that i do not need to add it to remin/wc.

 

[MichaelJ]

Of course! Sorry, preparing to move to new home, got distracted. Thanks for your all your help @Hanuman !
... I wasn't sure this value goes in carbonate hardness field, calcium field, or both, yes 80 is max, probably somewhere between 20 and 80. Trying to see if i have so much calcium that i do not need to add it to remin/wc.
View attachment 205930
View attachment 205931

Alkalinity in dKH: (19.5 / 17.85) = ~1.1 dKH to (80.3 ppm / 17.85) = ~4.5 dKH.

Total hardness in dGH: (104 ppm / 17.85) = ~5.8 dGH to (222 ppm / 17.85) = ~12.4 dGH.

So your water could be anywhere in those ranges.

Notice that the total hardness is expressed as mg/L CaCO3 equivalents ... which includes both Magnesium , the Calcium you get from actual CaCO3 and other sources of calcium rolled into one number, so we can't derive your actual Calcium and Magnesium content. However, while Florida mostly have moderate hard to hard water the magnesium content is fairly low throughout the state. A Ca to Mg ratio of 10:1 is not uncommon (average in Miami is 20:1) - loosely calculated based on 10:1 that would put your Calcium in the 35 to 75 range and Mg content in the 3.5 - 7.5 ppm range based on the figures in your water report.

Given the fairly wide dGH and dKH ranges you should probably get a reading of your tap water with a GH/KH test kit.

Cheers,
Michael

 

[Hanuman]

Alkalinity in dKH: (19.5 / 17.85) = ~1.1 dKH to (80.3 ppm / 17.85) = ~4.5 dKH.
Total hardness in dGH: (104 ppm / 17.85) = ~5.8 dGH to (222 ppm / 17.85) = ~12.4 dGH.

Quick note. You only need to use the ppm value in the Area Water Report of the IFC Calculator but good general knowledge for @blairgerman. Actually this calculation can be useful if using the ReminCalculator.

However, while Florida mostly have moderate hard to hard water the magnesium content is fairly low throughout the state. A Ca to Mg ratio of 10:1 is not uncommon (average in Miami is 20:1) - loosely calculated based on 10:1 that would put your Calcium in the 35 to 75 range and Mg content in the 3.5 - 7.5 ppm range based on the figures in your water report.

If that's the case then it would be wise supplementing the water with Mg I think.

Given the fairly wide dGH and dKH ranges you should probably get a reading of your tap water with a GH/KH test kit.

Indeed, those ranges are wide and pretty useless for the purpose of figuring out what the actual dKH and dGH really are. A test is probably a good idea but then again if those values vary that much not sure how good it could be to the tank. My assumption is that these values are seasonal and vary with rains, summer, winters etc so you would need to keep an eye on the water hardness depending what you are trying to achieve. Another way is to use rain water or RO water to completely bypass this seasonality and you would just need to remineralize to your liking.

 

[MichaelJ]

If that's the case then it would be wise supplementing the water with Mg I think.

Agreed.

Indeed, those ranges are wide and pretty useless for the purpose of figuring out what the actual dKH and dGH really are. A test is probably a good idea but then again if those values vary that much not sure how good it could be to the tank. My assumption is that these values are seasonal and vary with rains, summer, winters etc so you would need to keep an eye on the water hardness depending what you are trying to achieve. Another way is to use rain water or RO water to completely bypass this seasonality and you would just need to remineralize to your liking.

I can only speak for the US, but here you only get a min, max and an average value for what's being measured throughout the year among a subset of households. What actually comes out of your tap will vary throughout the year. In my city they mix surface water from lakes (relatively soft water) and ground water (relatively hard water) in different ratios throughout the year. Personally, I only use RODI water so I don't have to worry about it, but if I had to rely on straight tap water I would have to test it rather frequently to know my dGH/dKH levels.

Also, another thing @blairgerman, if your water is running through a salt (NaCl) based water softener (very common here in the US) and you don't have a bypass that allows you to conveniently access the straight tap, you will probably have to look into getting an RO system anyway or at least switch to Potassium Chloride if you softener is capable of using that. Either way, your water would be stripped from all Calcium and Magnesium content if it runs through an ion exchange softener system - essentially making it zero dGH. ( the "dKH" or alkalinity / CO3 contents remains unchanged however).

Cheers,
Michael

 

[hypnogogia]

Either way, your water would be stripped from all Calcium and Magnesium

And replaced with nasty sodium ion.