My tank ph is between 5-5.5.
The pH of the fertilizer I make drops down to 2.
I was wondering if it was limiting some things. Because it drops too much.
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IFC Aquarium Fertilizer Calculator
- Thread starter Hanuman
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- calculator clone diy fertilizer ppm
The pH of the fertilizer I make drops down to 2.
I was wondering if it was limiting some things. Because it drops too much.
Here are PH tests I carried out a year ago. 
@Zeus. With Ascorbic Acid PH should go down to 2.5 prior adding any compound.
It's basically the Fe that ends up bringing PH up, hence why it's best to use higher concentration Fe. In that test I used 7% Fe.
But as @dw1305 said it is pretty much irrelevant.
NOTE to noob reading this. This was merely a test to understand and experiment on PH levels. Don't go around buying those acids. As you can see Ascorbic Acid pretty much does the job.
@Zeus. With Ascorbic Acid PH should go down to 2.5 prior adding any compound.
It's basically the Fe that ends up bringing PH up, hence why it's best to use higher concentration Fe. In that test I used 7% Fe.
But as @dw1305 said it is pretty much irrelevant.
NOTE to noob reading this. This was merely a test to understand and experiment on PH levels. Don't go around buying those acids. As you can see Ascorbic Acid pretty much does the job.
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It's normal and expected. That 's the point of adding the Ascorbic Acid so that compounds remain stable and don't interact between each other. Once you add the fertilizer in your tank it will dilute to the point that PH of the fertilizer is pretty much irrelevant.
Andy Taylor
Member
Dont worry we all know you like taking your time😉
hi all. having trouble with this. when i open the file (tried on both my pc's) I'm greeted with 'excel found unreadable content in ifc-fert-cal-v1.09br do you want to recover the contents of this workbook? if you trust this workbook, click yes'
after clicking yes the program opens but does not work properly. it allows me to enter tank volumes etc but when trying to run the target calculator 'which one' (item 2) the drop down box is blank. then the program crashes.
I'm guessing nobody here is a computer expert but wasn't sure if it had actually become corrupt on here?
I'm using Microsoft excel 2007.
cheers
Martyn
after clicking yes the program opens but does not work properly. it allows me to enter tank volumes etc but when trying to run the target calculator 'which one' (item 2) the drop down box is blank. then the program crashes.
I'm guessing nobody here is a computer expert but wasn't sure if it had actually become corrupt on here?
I'm using Microsoft excel 2007.
cheers
Martyn
aquariumshed
New Member
Hi Everyone
Shameless plug, but I've created a video about this calculator with the kind permission and support of Zeus and Hanuman. Thanks, guys!!
I imagine it won't be quite as useful to more experienced forum members since I've tried to simplify the calculator to make it fairly beginner-friendly (I hope!), but thought it was worth sharing and should be a useful resource for new people exploring dry salts for the first time.
Cheers!
Video here:
Shameless plug, but I've created a video about this calculator with the kind permission and support of Zeus and Hanuman. Thanks, guys!!
I imagine it won't be quite as useful to more experienced forum members since I've tried to simplify the calculator to make it fairly beginner-friendly (I hope!), but thought it was worth sharing and should be a useful resource for new people exploring dry salts for the first time.
Cheers!
Video here:
Very nice overview of what can be a fairly complex/confusing process, any thing that helps folk start the DIY route is an asset to the hobby - well done
aquariumshed
New Member
Thanks so much, really happy to help in any way I can. So pleased with how everything is going since switching to dry salts. Can't believe I didn't switch sooner! 👍Very nice overview of what can be a fairly complex/confusing process, any thing that helps folk start the DIY route is an asset to the hobby - well done
Dry salts were my first go. I had a little difficulty with the IFC calculator. So I went with what the website from the supplier suggested for weights Post 79 in my journal. Some of the NPK precipitated on me and I was a bit miffed.
I am a very visual learner, your video helped a lot. Im gonna give it a go on the next round, so thank you!
Aleman
Member
Well hello all, I'm the noob 😀 Have had a 30 year gap from keeping fish, and I took a little bit of time planning my planted tank, having never had much luck with plants in the past, although I grow algae really well 😭. I'm not "new" to water chemistry, as I am a dedicated beer craft brewer, and have advised on water treatment to several fora and commercial microbreweries. I found this place from the Barre Report, and used the Rotala Butterfly calculator to determine my EI dosing levels, then I saw a post from Zeus about the IFC calculator, and here I am 😀
From my "Noob" perspective the calculator is pretty easy to use, and, ATM, to my eye, looks damned accurate ... or perhaps I should say, agrees with Rotala Butterfly, and the great thing about the IFC is that I can use it to determine GH/KH levels for remineralising my RODI water.
However I do have a small request, would it be possible to add di potassium phosphate to the calculator?
Keep up the good work 😀
From my "Noob" perspective the calculator is pretty easy to use, and, ATM, to my eye, looks damned accurate ... or perhaps I should say, agrees with Rotala Butterfly, and the great thing about the IFC is that I can use it to determine GH/KH levels for remineralising my RODI water.
However I do have a small request, would it be possible to add di potassium phosphate to the calculator?
Keep up the good work 😀
Gald the calculator has been of use.
@Zeus. is also working on a specific RemiCalculator sheet for the IFC calculator but he has been busy lately. Once he is done it, it will be my turn to sprinkle some magic powder on it. This said the "BespokeRemi (R)" option in the TargetCalculator can be used as a proxy for that in the meantime.
@Zeus. is also working on a specific RemiCalculator sheet for the IFC calculator but he has been busy lately. Once he is done it, it will be my turn to sprinkle some magic powder on it. This said the "BespokeRemi (R)" option in the TargetCalculator can be used as a proxy for that in the meantime.
Well there is Monopotassium Phosphate (also known as monobasic potassium phosphate) already in the calculator. Isn't that what you want?
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Aleman
Member
Fraid not ... I use K₂HPO₄ rather than KH₂PO₄ . ... Why ? I know that EI dosing is based on always oversupplying nutrients, but given my experience with high phosphate levels in the past (via water supply) then I'm going for the lower end of the phosphate range, and also for nitrate, as low nitrate levels promote deeper reds in red plants ... as soon as I can stop my Alternanthera reinekii from melting away 😱😡
... The ludwigia is growing well thoughNot sure how the use of dipotassium phosphate will decrease the amount of phosphate you want in your tank. You just need to target a lower ppm value of phosphate when preparing your fert when using monopotassium phosphate. Dipotassium phosphate simply adds more K instead.
How high are we talking here? I think the high phosphate being a bad thing for tanks is yet another myth. My tank runs at 8.4ppm phosphate and all I see is happy plants, happy fish and happy me, and I am far from being the only one.
Yes nitrate limitation will tend to improve red coloration in plants but my say on that is that it is far more important to understand and clearly master your light and CO2 before playing the alchemist. You can get plants pretty red with light alone.
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Aleman
Member
Understood, completely, but if I want to add half the phosphate, and maintain the level of potassium, without increasing nitrate using KNO3 ... dipotassium nitrate fits the bill perfectly.
I can't recall phosphate levels off hand, but it was in excess of 10ppm from the tap ... and varied drastically in spring and autumn when fertiliser wash off from the fields entered the water courses 🙁
