CSM+B will most probably contain sulphates already.
-
You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up
IFC Aquarium Fertilizer Calculator
- Thread starter Hanuman
- Start date
-
- Tags
- calculator clone diy fertilizer ppm
It was about time 😉. This calculator is indeed god-brewed!
_Maq_
Member
I consider this ratio wildly incorrect.
There's nothing wrong about 3:1 ratio, yet it seems that this ratio (Ca:Mg) is not that important. Observations and agronomic literature suggest that plants tolerate quite a wide range of ratios.
In practice, there's only one situation really worthy an attention: some hard waters are relatively poor in magnesium. Mg adjustment is then necessary.
True, but what @MichaelJ says...
... is also very true.
Once a person enters the field of blending salts, it would be a pity to create a nonsense - meaning wildly inefficient and possibly harmful blends.
To be fair its pretty easy for a user to play with the Target Dosing sheet and manually iterate to a combination of NPK that fits a particular ratio if that's what they want to achieve.
Perhaps the only thing that might make it easier is to be able to manually enter target values for N, P and K, rather than just NO3, PO4 and K.
Perhaps the only thing that might make it easier is to be able to manually enter target values for N, P and K, rather than just NO3, PO4 and K.
Exactly and this why it is in the calculator. The calculator actually allows you to use whatever ratio floats your boat since reality is that it doesn't really matter unless you go to extremes. But Ca:Mg ratio is typically how a lot of people think when it comes to remineralizing their water. We used that so people could relate more easily.
I consider myself past the intermediate level when it comes to growing plants and mixing ferts. Have I ever needed to use ratios? Never. Can I grow plants, well my journal can attest to that as well as the hundreds of customers I have sold plants to and have praised how healthy my plants are. There are also countless people out there who grow perfectly healthy plants without going into this ratio rabbit hole.
Now, I am not saying that people should not explore and get interested in theories and why and how elements work and interact together. It's very possible that certain ratios have their truth, but from a general perspective, ratios mean going down into much more detail than most people care to go. Also, although the IFC calculator was partially designed for users to makes their own mixes, the idea was also to make this calculator easy to clone known fertilizers, which does not require you to get into ratios.
😱 that would be a much much bigger job, as it would require so much coding changing in the back end as we have close to one hundred commercial products which link to the target cells and that's just scratching the surface. Giving the resultant NPK ratio the IFC is another thing all together. Maybe a little 'popup' text which shows what the targeted NPK ratio may be another option- however if targets are overshot as sometimes happens depending on what salts and targets are used, Having a desired NPK ratio may be misleading if the user doesn't notice the target is overshot. So giving the resultant NPK ratio may be a better solution and any overshot in the users targets will be accounted for as only one NPK ratio will be showing on a screen already packed with data.
Myself and @Hanuman have had a chat about it and are thinking about the coding side. No timeframes or promises 😉
I have no personal requirement for this option, so feel free to file it well below my historic request for a daily dosing/daily water change option 😅 😂
All requested are always considered, but some do make you initially think 'WTF' and that was one of them 🤣
This from the man that tried half hourly dosing? 😂
Hi all,
If anyone wants the conversion factors (and the explanation of how they are derived) they are in this post <"percentage for dry fertilizers">
cheers Darrel
That is why I think that the <"commercial mixes designed for hydroponics"> etc won't be far wrong.
You also have the issue of agricultural and horticultural fertilisers expressing phosphorus content as the pentoxide (P2O5) and potassium (K) as dipotassium oxide K2O.
If anyone wants the conversion factors (and the explanation of how they are derived) they are in this post <"percentage for dry fertilizers">
cheers Darrel
I vote no, but that's because I know what it involves in terms of additional condition to the coding ... if if if or, and, if 🤣
MichaelJ
Member
I agree. Thats why having the N P K ratios calculated based on the amount of NO3 PO4 K right there perhaps as optional information could be helpful... It's really the only bit I am asking for. I am not suggesting leading anyone down a rabbit hole. Yes, everyone just wants to grow nice plants, but you're not going to be in a good spot to accomplish that if your end up with wildly erroneous blends that provides say way too much Phosphorus relative to Nitrogen etc.
I agree that having the dosing made from say targeting N at a certain level and let the app figure out the proper amount of P and K based on ratios, while neat, is probably a feature not that many would take advantage of.
Cheers,
Michael
Last edited:
John q
Member
The thing that gets me is what's a whacky N and P ratio that won't grow plants. 3:1, 5:1.
I've grown plants with 14ppm NO3 and 6ppm PO4, not sure what ratio that is but it's probably a whacky one.
Appreciate your thirst for knowledge @MichaelJ and I respect it. I just worry the IFC calculator is going to get dragged down a hole that it needn't go down.
For what its worth the calculator should help people calculate various mixes from dry salts, it's not there to suggest dosing regimes and ideal ratios. 😉
Last edited:
No chances of it being all recoded so certain NPK ratios can be targeted, neither myself or @Hanuman have the time for that. Any changes will be minor which will change little of the IFC general use. It will probably just report the resultant NPK ratio, which is all that has been asked for, which will aid those who wish to know or seek a certain ratio
eg
It will just save time for those interested in the ratios having the information handy without doing the maths
It’s not Christmas yet but your wish has been granted. Next update will integrate NKP ratios in both the TargetCalculator and the DIYCalculator as long as both N and P are available. If anyone comes with additional commercial ferts we could also add those to the update if reported in time.
I think you are under estimating people. Never have I seen anyone pushing over 4-5 ppm of PO4. Once people enter the realm of DIY ferts it usually means they have already gone through a journey of reading and basic understandIng of what the general levels of each nutrients should be. If anything, the very large majority of people clone commercial products and so they can see what the general idea is when it comes to NPK levels.
Anyhow, I’m glad this was done in less than 10 minutes. I was already having cold sweats of how much time this was going to take Zeus and I. Ended up being easy although it is not how I ideally would like it to be. But it’s good enough IMO.
Last edited:
MichaelJ
Member
I agree. And I am not suggesting that the IFC should venture into recommending any specific dosing regime or ideal ratios. That would be a mistake, as it depends on a lot of specific tank parameters etc.
Excellent news! 👍
@Hanuman and @Zeus. I'd be happy to test a Beta when you guys are comfortable with how it works!
Btw. back when working at an office I used to have this Dilbert strip on my wall (Not sure if Dilbert is a thing outside the US):
Cheers,
Michael
No need for beta version I think for this. We will just release a new version.
In quick terms we wrote a formula that says the following:
= IF(OR(N=0,P=0),""," [ NPK ratio: ≈ "&(N/P)&" : 1 : "&(K/P)&" ]"))
in other words, the output is something like this:
= NPK ratio: ≈ 5 : 1 : 2
IF N or P are unavailable then no ratio is shown.
I'll test it further today to make sure it works as intended.
Last edited:
_Maq_
Member
After all, I agree. A calculator way too sophisticated could discourage beginners. And "precise dosing enthusiasts", like me, are likely to have developed their own calculators. Mine is based on molar mass, and that would be an outright no-go for the audience, I'm afraid.
