IFC Aquarium Fertilizer Calculator

[Zeus.]

Mine is based on molar mass

So is the IFC, we have the complete periodic table in the back end linked into all the calculations. Any round ups/downs was done at the front end. Made sense to do it that way in our opinions. Prevents typos entering valves and if there was an error or change in atomic mass one correction at the back end and done.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

So is the IFC, we have the complete periodic table in the back end linked into all the calculations.

Yes, that was where I started, because it has to be <"the foundation of everything">.

@Zeus. and @Hanuman have built a whole <"palace"> on that very humble fondation.

cheers Darrel

 

[Hanuman]

When adding Aquarium co-op Easy Green AIO to the IFC calculator I noticed that the NPK ratio was off compared to what he quotes in his website.

NPK 2.66 - 0.46 - 9.21

which matches his guaranteed analysis:

Guaranteed Analysis:
— Water Soluble Nitrogen (N) 2.66%
— Available Phosphate (P2O5) 0.46%
— Soluble Potash (K2O) 9.21%

Then I remember your post:

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">

and realized that his NPK is in actuality expressed as N : PO5 : K2O which using the conversion factors (P=PO5*0.436 and K=KO2*0.83) ended up being what I had in the IFC calculator (13:1:38).

So something struck me. Do people want to see the actual N : P : K or the N : PO5 : KO2 ratio?

@Zeus. and @Hanuman have built a whole "palace" on that very humble fondation.

With the help of the Genies in the bottle such as yourself and a few others!

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

and realized that his NPK is in actuality expressed as NO5:K2O which using the conversion factors (P=PO5*0.436 and K=KO2*0.83) ended up being what I had in the IFC calculator (13:1:38).

So something struck me. Do people want to see the actual N:K or the NO5:KO2 ratio?

Aargh, the return of the , if you put a <"space in between : & P"> they will disappear and ": P" will appear.

It took me ages to find out how to get rid of them, or why they appeared.

cheers Darrel

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

So something struck me. Do people want to see the actual N : P : K or the N : P2O5: K2O ratio?

It is a bit of a minefield. I'd guess that nobody use the P2O5 or K2O values. In some ways they would be most useful as ions*, so NO3- for N, PO4--- and K+, but then you would need to convert from P2O5 to PO4--- ............

If you want to know how much PO4--- that is, it is bit more complicated because you need to know the percentage of P in P2O5 (43.7) and the percentage of P in PO4 (32.6), the divide 43.7/32.6 = 1.34, so 10 mg/L P2O5 = 13.4 mg/L PO4, to go the other way around PO4 to P2O5 its 32.6/43.7 to give you multiply by 0.747.

* Other fixed nitrogen ions are available

I like the approach <"Solufeed have taken">, where they give you the elemental N : P : K values as well (this is "Solufeed 2 : 1 : 4"). They have to give the analysis as N : P2O5 : K2O : MgO values by law.

cheers Darrel

 

[Hanuman]

I like the approach <"Solufeed have taken">, where they give you the elemental N : P : K values as well. They have to give the analysis as N : P2O5 : K2O values by law.

That won't happen in the IFC calculator though. We are constrained by space, so it has to be one or the other.

 

[Zeus.]

I vote for N: P:K as we dont mention K2O5 elsewhere in the IFC front end. It was built on NO3, P04 and K, the conversion to N, P, K was done at the end. Products that K2O5 etc when entered in the back end are highlight to account for different compounds as they contain a formula in cell that converts the [K2O5] to [K].
Plus theres only room in cell for NPK at front end.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I vote for N: P:K

I honestly think that is the best option, there is no ambiguity then.

cheers Darrel

 

[Hanuman]

There is however one ambiguity. If people decide to compare the actual NPK with the manufacturer NKP on the website, it will not match as according to what I have researched so far, some fertilizer manufacturers will actually give the N : PO5 : KO2 value but say it's NPK.

 

[Zeus.]

There is however one ambiguity. If people decide to compare the actual NPK with the manufacturer NKP on the website, it will not match as according to what I have researched so far, some fertilizer manufacturers will actually give the N : PO5 : KO2 value but say it's NPK.

Well at least we have the answer ready for why there's a difference

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

If people decide to compare the actual NPK with the manufacturer NKP on the website, it will not match as according to what I have researched so far, some fertilizer manufacturers will actually give the N : P2O5 : K2O value but say it's NPK.

True. I know <"it isn't for every-one">, but the <"dip, lick"> and <"slosh - splash"> methods get around these problems.

cheers Darrel

 

[Hanuman]

Calculator has been updated to v1.2b6. Download link and Change Log are in the OP.
Comments? Bugs? Let us know. Thanks.
Have fun ladies and gentlemen.

 

[Kleetaru]

@Hanuman is there any chance you might can add the Kelamix from alquera into the fertilizer calculator? Im not quite familiar with excel to do that myself. They sadly only have % not sure if that's enough for it. Glad to hear back from you 😊

 

[Zeus.]

is there any chance you might can add the Kelamix from alquera into the fertilizer calculator?

We don't often do additions to the commercial fertilisers, or if we do we add them and they only get released when there is an update for correction of bugs or new features. Addition of new commercial fertilisers is easy in itself, its all the work needed for release that takes the time, plus we avoid doing frequent releases as a in a way its not an update as the old program is replaced by a new program. So if we do add it it won't be released till the next release - which may be quite some time.
However there is an easy work around which should fit your needs.
Kelamix from alquera has 7.8% Iron and so does Aqua Plant Care CSM+B
So just select Aqua Plant Care CSM+B in the IFC and the mass it gives you will be correct, both products also have the other trace elements in the same order of magnitude also so both yield very similar results

 

[Hanuman]

@Hanuman is there any chance you might can add the Kelamix from alquera into the fertilizer calculator? Im not quite familiar with excel to do that myself. They sadly only have % not sure if that's enough for it. Glad to hear back from you 😊

Unfortunately you just missed the train. We asked last week for people to tell us which ferts they wanted us to add to the calculator.
I just released the update 2 days ago, but as Zeus said, you have a work around.

 

[mrtank50]

Thanks for the update. You guys are amazing.

 

[Kleetaru]

@Zeus. @Hanuman yeah thanks.just mixed my macro yesterday looking clean. I'll just use the aquaplant care csm then so no need to put it in there. Thanks for research Zeus 😊. Another question I have is how much destilled water do I use? If I say I have a 1L container and add salts+1L of distilled water it will be more after all. Or is there an indicator that tells me to just use 846ml then?

 

[Hanuman]

Another question I have is how much destilled water do I use? If I say I have a 1L container and add salts+1L of distilled water it will be more after all. Or is there an indicator that tells me to just use 846ml then?

I personally don't bother although that sould be the way of doing it. I simply just take 1 liter (or whatever the amount I am aiming for) of water and add the salts to that. This means my solutions are usually below the target I set since they are more diluted.
Only reason I would bother with doing what you are referirng to is if I did serial dilutions with traces and the amount of stock solution to be added to the main container were above 50ml. Below that it would be difficult to measure unless you have a graduated cylinder which enable you to be precise.

 

[Kleetaru]

Yeah ok, so that's the same way I am doing it. That's totally fine 😊

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

If I say I have a 1L container and add salts+1L of distilled water it will be more after all. Or is there an indicator that tells me to just use 846ml then?

You can do it by weight, it isn't exact because salty solutions are denser then water, but 1000g (for salts + water) won't be far wrong. You can also get "volumetric flasks". A 1000 mL should be about 15 euro.

cheers Darrel