Solufeed 2:1:4 and Solufeed Sodium Free TEC or Solufeed Coir TEC Combination

[dw1305]

Hi all,

TNC Complete: £2.40
TNC replacement: £2.01
2:1:4/TEC S-F: 59p

Price <"really is the only difference">, there is no <"question of aesthetics"> <"with fertilisers"> (other than <"the container they come in">).

N, P, K accumulation which is why I don't dose EI levels of fertiliser... or looking again at Happi's recipe maybe I do ??

Looking at your Salvinia and Limnobium etc, they look <"lush"> and <"super-green">*, suggesting that you could reduce nutrient addition a bit.

This is the Leaf Colour Chart, from the linked thread <"The scientific background to the "Leaf Colour Chart"">

* Not necessarily <"a bad thing">.

Cheers Darrel

 

[LFNfan]

Always learning 🙂

 

[Happi]

Not related to this thread in anyway, but Experimental Setup with silica sand, my own custom liquid fertilizer. less than 0.1 ppm Fe weekly
example:

 

[Aeropars]

Can someone clarify something for me?

Using the recipe below, is this effectively EI levels of nutrients? If so i might dull them down a bit as i only tent to water change once every two weeks.

500 ml solution, 20 ml per 50 gallon

Step #1
start with 450 ml Distilled water

Step #2
Add 0.25 gram potassium sorbate and mix till fully dissolve

Step #3 (Pick one from the list below, White Vinegar is Preferred) and mix till fully dissolve
Add 0.25 gram sodium benzoate
Add 0.5 gram Ascorbic acid
Add 5-10 ml White Vinegar

Step #4
Add 31.545 gram Solufeed 2:1:4 and mix till fully dissolve
Add 5.721 gram Solufeed Sodium Free TEC and mix till fully dissolve

Step #5
after mixing all the chemicals, add distilled water to reach the 500 ml solution

 

[Zeus.]

Can someone clarify something for me?

Using the recipe below, is this effectively EI levels of nutrients? If so i might dull them down a bit as i only tent to water change once every two weeks.

500 ml solution, 20 ml per 50 gallon

Step #1
start with 450 ml Distilled water

Step #2
Add 0.25 gram potassium sorbate and mix till fully dissolve

Step #3 (Pick one from the list below, White Vinegar is Preferred) and mix till fully dissolve
Add 0.25 gram sodium benzoate
Add 0.5 gram Ascorbic acid
Add 5-10 ml White Vinegar

Step #4
Add 31.545 gram Solufeed 2:1:4 and mix till fully dissolve
Add 5.721 gram Solufeed Sodium Free TEC and mix till fully dissolve

Step #5
after mixing all the chemicals, add distilled water to reach the 500 ml solution

I would say about mid EI dosing

This is closer but some nutrients are above/below EI full
Always easier when using single salts

 

[Aeropars]

Ah. I didn't realise solufeed had been added to the fert calculator. I'll go have a play with that!

 

[Zeus.]

Ah. I didn't realise solufeed had been added to the fert calculator. I'll go have a play with that!

We had it done about the same time as Happi started this thread - Great minds think alike. Small advantage of the IFC is you can also add/use the salts you can still get like epsom salt , KCl, K, PO4, urea prills etc to hit the targets you may struggle with with just two compound salts from solufeed

 

[Zeus.]

Ah. I didn't realise solufeed had been added to the fert calculator. I'll go have a play with that!

go to core setting and swap it out for Ammonium Nitrate - we did it so any suitable AIO salt can be easily added, There is three to choose from ATM

 

[Aeropars]

Dumb question, but what to i then do after that?

 

[Zeus.]

Dumb question, but what to i then do after that?

Set you tank and dosing details, select your regime/clone/parameters in targetcalculator

select multi salts eg

Target calculator will work out amount needed based on your NO3 and Fe target of regime/clone/parameters
It will show also how close other nutrients are to your regime/clone/parameters - if Mg is low a little epsom salts is easy fix etc.

DIY calculator will could also be used and you enter mass of multi salts and it gives you the results


Target Calculator is best IMO

 

[r2mahara]

I'm about to mix a batch of this - what's the maximum shelf life?
500ml will last me about 2 months - can I mix 1000ml in one go by doubling the ingredients and use it for 4 months?
I'll store in a black container and keep it in a drawer, so no exposure to light. Thanks.

 

[Tankless]

Not related to this thread in anyway, but Experimental Setup with silica sand, my own custom liquid fertilizer. less than 0.1 ppm Fe weekly
example:

View attachment 223915View attachment 223914

Did you only dose liquid ferts in this tank?

 

[Happi]

Did you only dose liquid ferts in this tank?

This aquarium is specifically set up for experimental purposes, using inert silica sand that is free from any nutrients in the sediment. My liquid fertilizer protocol can be found here

 

[ainsy]

Hoping someone can help!
I have been using the Solufeed 2:1:4 and Solufeed sodium Tec recipe from the start of this thread.
I have a heavily stocked, heavily fed discus tank and my NO3 and PO4 are much higher than I would like.
Is there a way to make a mix that mimics TNC Light?
I.e. ALL of the other necessary things without the NO3 or PO4?
TIA

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
Welcome back,
Can we have a FTS? It will just make making suggestions easier.

Hoping someone can help!
I have been using the Solufeed 2:1:4 and Solufeed sodium Tec recipe from the start of this thread.
I have a heavily stocked, heavily fed discus tank and my NO3 and PO4 are much higher than I would like.

How much plant mass do you have? You may be able to carry on using the mix, but just use less of it. I use @Happi's mix, but <"lean dosed">, via the <"Duckweed Index">.

<"Phosphate (PO4---) tests"> should be reasonably good, but <"nitrate (NO3-) testing"> is more problematic, <"so I use leaf colour and growth rate"> as a proxy for nitrogen (N) levels. If your plants look this green ?

You can definitely scale back your dosing.

If you don't <"have a floating plant">? I'd add one, Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) would be <"biotope appropriate"> and is a <"fantastic nutrient sponge">. They have the <"aerial advantage"> of access to atmospheric CO2.

Is there a way to make a mix that mimics TNC Light?
I.e. ALL of the other necessary things without the NO3 or PO4?

Not using the Solufeed 2 : 1 : 4 mix, but you could carry on using the micro element mix?

Cheers Darrel

 

[ainsy]

Hi Darrel, thanks for your help!

Some tank shots for you to see. I am definitely struggling with the plants and have just recently started with an algae issue - suspect that this is due to the high level of phosphate.
Got some phosphate remover on order.
Does the Sodium Free Tec include all of the micros or in the original recipe do some of them come from the 2:1:4? If so what would I need to add to the Sodium Free Tec to cover all the micros?

Thanks!

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Hi Darrel, thanks for your help!

That is what UKAPS is for. If you want some floating plants (Amazon Frogbit, Water Lettuce and / or Salvinia) PM and I'll send you some. They are great nutrient sponges.

Some tank shots for you to see. I am definitely struggling with the plants and have just recently started with an algae issue - suspect that this is due to the high level of phosphate.

Possibly for the algae growth, but it won't affect plant growth, unless the <"high levels of PO4---"> have made iron (Fe++(+))? unavailable.

Got some phosphate remover on order.

It will work <"in the short term">, because PO4--- is highly mobile within the plant, but in the longer term it will <"stop all plant growth">, because most <"phosphate compounds are insoluble">.

Does the Sodium Free Tec include all of the micros or in the original recipe do some of them come from the 2:1:4? If so what would I need to add to the Sodium Free Tec to cover all the micros?

You would need to cover all the nutrients, like potassium (K), which aren't in the micro mix. Plants <"need all fourteen of the essential nutrients for plant growth">, just in vastly different amounts.

<"TEC - Sodium Free">.

Cheers Darrel