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

This thread should be sticky! ... if there every was one, this is it!

Too bad we cant get Solufeed in the US ... any alternatives? @Happi?

Cheers,
Michael
 
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am curious to see if multiple people are using this? please do post your results.
We would like to see some members results with this to make it a viable solution to promote, since a few companies that sold dry salts left the business will be good to have some alternatives if they work as expected. Time to convert some of those Journals to Solufeed!

@Happi I assume the white vinegar is an alternative to the Ascorbic Acid, if you can include that on the recipe on the first page, make sure that is an up-to-date version of the recommendation (base starting point) as most people will use that first and not read the entire thread.

Also will be good to have a table charting the values in comparison to E.I. so people that want to try it know exactly what they are jumping into.

I can see the Solufeed 2:1:4 being a more practical solution rather than buying a kilo of multiple boxes, would not be cost effective and you would have salts to last a lifetime.
 
We would like to see some members results with this to make it a viable solution to promote, since a few companies that sold dry salts left the business will be good to have some alternatives if they work as expected. Time to convert some of those Journals to Solufeed!

@Happi I assume the white vinegar is an alternative to the Ascorbic Acid, if you can include that on the recipe on the first page, make sure that is an up-to-date version of the recommendation (base starting point) as most people will use that first and not read the entire thread.

Also will be good to have a table charting the values in comparison to E.I. so people that want to try it know exactly what they are jumping into.

I can see the Solufeed 2:1:4 being a more practical solution rather than buying a kilo of multiple boxes, would not be cost effective and you would have salts to last a lifetime.
I have been using solufeed 2:1:4 since around the beginning of November last year after a recommendation from @dw1305 and I've had really good results with it.

I have downsized my tank in that time but plants were growing great in the previous tank and are also doing so in the new one.

I have been looking into mixing up a stock solution and using an auto doser however haven't gone down that route yet.
I am currently adding about 0.8g 3 times a week
 
I have downsized my tank in that time but plants were growing great in the previous tank and are also doing so in the new one.
If you/other members have a journal, will be good to provide a link to that also 😉
Happi can then add some links to the first thread also to journals using this method!
I still have a "ton" of dry salts! otherwise, would be tempted to test sulafeed myself!
 
If you/other members have a journal, will be good to provide a link to that also 😉
Happi can then add some links to the first thread also to journals using this method!
I still have a "ton" of dry salts! otherwise, would be tempted to test sulafeed myself!
I've been meaning to start a journal for the new tank but haven't had the time, I will however look at starting one this week. Will be good to see other people experience with using solufeed also
 
Thanks 🙂 I must admit that I'm not the kind of person (especially right now) who can manage a tight regime, which is part of the reason I stay away from CO2 as well. I think your methods may be pretty much what I need at the moment so I'll have a play and keep an eye on stuff. To be honest, at the moment I dose when I remember, though I'm trying to sync that with turning the lights on in the morning to try to get a bit of consistency at least!
+1 for me, also health-related. I'm trying to find a very basic approach to micronutrients for low-tech tanks, along 'dose when I remember' lines. Something not too pricy I can buy and a squirt now and then. Enough to do c. 300 litres on an erratic basis.
 
Was looking through Solufeed's other products and found this Sodium Free Coir TEC micro mix, which has the Iron DTPA chelated rather the EDTA chelated as it is with standard Sodium Free TEC:

Coir TEC


I wonder if this would be a good alternative for people running tap water/higher pH tanks that often encounter iron deficiencies @Happi ? Most of the other elements look to be in similar levels to the standard Sodium Free TEC.
 
I wonder if this would be a good alternative for people running tap water/higher pH tanks that often encounter iron deficiencies
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Haven't double/triple checked a thing 😳😳😳- just threw it in quick
 
Another @Happi customer!

A couple of questions if I may:
Does the vinegar acidity matter? - this one is 5% and assume that's fine.
Just so I know my calculations are roughly in the right area, not because this is my intention, but am I correct in thinking that if I targeted 30ppm of NO3 a week in a 200ltr tank from Solufeed 2:1:4 alone, then assuming 500ml bottle and 3 x 20ml doses a week I would need to add 75g Solufeed 2:1:4 to the 500ml bottle?
I tried to calculate this back from @Zeus. earlier calculations attached which were part of an 'as if' for an 0.5ppm FE target.

P s. I do have potassium sorbate too... somewhere!
 

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Another @Happi customer!

A couple of questions if I may:
Does the vinegar acidity matter? - this one is 5% and assume that's fine.
Just so I know my calculations are roughly in the right area, not because this is my intention, but am I correct in thinking that if I targeted 30ppm of NO3 a week in a 200ltr tank from Solufeed 2:1:4 alone, then assuming 500ml bottle and 3 x 20ml doses a week I would need to add 75g Solufeed 2:1:4 to the 500ml bottle?
I tried to calculate this back from @Zeus. earlier calculations attached which were part of an 'as if' for an 0.5ppm FE target.

P s. I do have potassium sorbate too... somewhere!
1696691605064.png

To dose at EI levels Solufeeds 2:1:4 alone isn't enough as it [Fe] isnt enough, But is a level of 0.5ppm Fe needed !!!!
 
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To dose at EI levels Solufeeds 2:1:4 alone isn't enough as it [Fe] isnt enough, But is a level of 0.5ppm Fe needed !!!!
Hi @Zeus. yes I'm not considering the FE at the moment, more whether my calculations for making up 500ml were correct with 30ppm NO3 as a weekly target (3x20ml per week). I do recall from the other thread that targeting 0.5ppm FE with 2:1:4 alone would result in somewhat of an NO3 overkill of circa 180ppm.

I'll be dosing FE separately, either with one of the Sodium free TEC's or Fe EDDHA, dependant on my water as in the longer term I'm considering slowly reducing the RO to see how I get on with my tap 'liquid rock' as is.
 
View attachment 211458

To dose at EI levels Solufeeds 2:1:4 alone isn't enough as it [Fe] isnt enough, But is a level of 0.5ppm Fe needed !!!!
Oh and thanks, completely missed you had ran it through the calculator! 👍

I was trying to do it the other day on laptop but missed where the addition of Solufeed was until I re-read your original thread on its inclusion, but then ran out of time.
 
my calculations for making up 500ml were correct with 30ppm NO3
Maybe overkill, but I wouldn't be targeting 30ppm No3 via Solufeed, approx 50% of the N is coming from urea. And whist dosing Urea seens to be the trendy thing to do, and maybe harmless, there is a chance it will bite you in the ass.
If you're chasing Ei, stick with KNO3 😀
 
Maybe overkill, but I wouldn't be targeting 30ppm No3 via Solufeed, approx 50% of the N is coming from urea. And whist dosing Urea seens to be the trendy thing to do, and maybe harmless, there is a chance it will bite you in the ass.
If you chasing Ei, stick with KNO3 😀
Thanks John, yes I am aware and why I said not my intent, more to check that I my brain was working correctly with the calculations.

To be honest I'll probably go with Happi's original but split Macro/Micro, given I might end up changing the FE up at some point, and see how I get on.

Currently playing around with APT E at EI dose but also Seachem Phosphate, Potassium, Iron and Nitrate (which has urea too if I recall correctly), on alternate days, though that's not sustainable long-term and I'm not sure what effect it's really having anyway given the dilution of the Seachem line. That said my tank seems to be in a happy place at the moment after BBA took over everything a few weeks ago, though that may well just be me getting a better handle on maintaince, lighting, CO2, Flow and fertilisation more generally - it's actually much much better than when I was using Excel and APT Fix to battle the BBA [I'm not really a fan of using either to be honest].
 
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Mat, have you considered the above version? It is DTPA based Fe
Hi @Happi, yes I have both the EDTA TEC and the Coir DPTA version -in my earlier picture- 😀, I also have some EDDHA.

I might experiment a little with the DTPA and EDDHA but I have no particular FE issues at the moment. I just want to be prepared if I revert back to 100% Tap water (liquid rock)! 👍
 
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