# If u have aquasoil & powersand - how important are liquid fertilizers?



## glassguppy (Nov 2, 2012)

Hey everyone, quick question - If I'm using aquasoil and powersand, would it be wise to use another brand fertilizer, like pfertz? They've got a good deal on it looks for 45 percent off their' stuff, does it compare well against ada's stuff? I'm trying to save a buck here... also, I really do want a nice vibrant tank and crystal clear water, how beneficial is it to have liquid fertilisers if I have aquasoil and powersand? Could I go without liquid fertilizers? would I want to? lol


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

Depending on your lighting situation, liquid fertilizers may be called for. Under high light conditions, plants are driven harder, and require more nutrients and CO2.

If you are looking to save money, then you should purchase dry chemicals; it is the cheapest option, and you can customize your own dosing.


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## glassguppy (Nov 2, 2012)

Darkblade48 said:


> Depending on your lighting situation, liquid fertilizers may be called for. Under high light conditions, plants are driven harder, and require more nutrients and CO2.
> 
> If you are looking to save money, then you should purchase dry chemicals; it is the cheapest option, and you can customize your own dosing.


I have an eheim aquastyle 9 - the light from what I've gathered is medium, a 7 watt LED, supposedly 1200 lumens I think? And I hear that because it's LED light it cuts through water differently/more intensely than other types. I've heard it's medium to approaching high in terms of brightness but I can't tell myself since this is my' first planted tank. I don't think I can afford a CO2 setup anytime soon either btw. I could look into a DIY scenario later on at some point maybe but don't people do rather well without that anyway?


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

I am not too familiar with that light so I cannot tell you in certain terms what kind of lighting you have. Perhaps other members here can chime in.

However, if you cannot afford pressurized CO2, then DIY CO2 is another method you can go with.

It is possible to maintain an aquarium with no CO2, but these are generally lower light aquariums; in medium light and up, CO2 is generally needed in order to keep the plants healthy so that algae does not take advantage.


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## Sotty (Aug 31, 2012)

All planted tanks, unless keeping the least demanding of species, will need some type of fertilizers. 

Need for macro nutrients is driven by light and supplied by fish waste and uneaten fish food. 

low light = low requirement for macros
lots of fish = high supply of macros (with the exception of K will frequently be deficient if relying only on fish waste)

So you can get away without macro nutrients assuming you have ow medium light and a decent fish load. Though I would still dose potassium. 

But even with the best substrate in the world you will eventually becime micro deficient.

ALL tanks (with very few geographical exceptions) will become deficient in micro-nutrients over time. The first deficiency most see and report in my experience is iron. 

whether you add the fertilizer as a liquid or a powder is immaterial. But I would suggest a buying dry unless you like paying for and paying to ship water. 

Look up nilocg sale thread for dry ferts. You will be shocked how cheap they are compared to the liquid crap


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## glassguppy (Nov 2, 2012)

Sotty said:


> All planted tanks, unless keeping the least demanding of species, will need some type of fertilizers.
> 
> Need for macro nutrients is driven by light and supplied by fish waste and uneaten fish food.
> 
> ...


Nilocg? So are dry fertilizers comparable to what I would get if for example I got anything from ADA? or Pfertz? And when you say dry ferts are you talking about like the kind you insert into the substrate? "root tabs?"


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

glassguppy said:


> Nilocg? So are dry fertilizers comparable to what I would get if for example I got anything from ADA? or Pfertz? And when you say dry ferts are you talking about like the kind you insert into the substrate? "root tabs?"


Pretty much, dry ferts are the most economical way to go. Your buying by weight without water and yes the plants won't care if you use dry ferts with your AS/PS.


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## glassguppy (Nov 2, 2012)

houseofcards said:


> Pretty much, dry ferts are the most economical way to go. Your buying by weight without water and yes the plants won't care if you use dry ferts with your AS/PS.


Could you give me any suggestions, as far as brands/products? And what if I don't want to disrupt the substrate? I think I've heard others just make up a bottle of their' own fertilizer dosing by mixing water with their' dried stuff... lol


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

glassguppy said:


> Could you give me any suggestions, as far as brands/products? And what if I don't want to disrupt the substrate? I think I've heard others just make up a bottle of their' own fertilizer dosing by mixing water with their' dried stuff... lol


Many folks here including myself order from here:

http://www.aquariumfertilizer.com/

As far as disrupting the substrate, are you referring to inserting fertilizer into it? If yes, you don't need to do that with AS in the vast amount of setups. Just dose the water column.


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## glassguppy (Nov 2, 2012)

houseofcards said:


> Many folks here including myself order from here:
> 
> http://www.aquariumfertilizer.com/
> 
> As far as disrupting the substrate, are you referring to inserting fertilizer into it? If yes, you don't need to do that with AS in the vast amount of setups. Just dose the water column.


Wait, so if aquasoil should do fine and all I'd need to do is dose the water column, could i do that with the dry fertilizer? is that what you're saying? lol or should I get something liquid? And I was looking on marinedepot.com's selection of seachem's fertilizers and stuff and they weren't expensive... they were like $4-12 for bottles of things, not like $20 for brighty k on ada's website for example.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

glassguppy said:


> Wait, so if aquasoil should do fine and all I'd need to do is dose the water column, could i do that with the dry fertilizer? is that what you're saying? lol or should I get something liquid? And I was looking on marinedepot.com's selection of seachem's fertilizers and stuff and they weren't expensive... they were like $4-12 for bottles of things, not like $20 for brighty k on ada's website for example.


Yes, you could achieve water column dosing using dry chemicals.

Some people like to do liquid dosing (or require it for their autodosers, etc); in that case, it is as simple as taking the dry chemicals and dissolving them in the appropriate amount of water. 

As for the pricing, for commercial products, you are essentially paying for the cost of shipping (due to the weight of water). You would end up going through commercial products much faster (as they are more dilute). For example, a $4 bucket of dry chemical might last you a year or more (depending on how many aquariums/how large they are, etc)


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## glassguppy (Nov 2, 2012)

Darkblade48 said:


> Yes, you could achieve water column dosing using dry chemicals.
> 
> Some people like to do liquid dosing (or require it for their autodosers, etc); in that case, it is as simple as taking the dry chemicals and dissolving them in the appropriate amount of water.
> 
> As for the pricing, for commercial products, you are essentially paying for the cost of shipping (due to the weight of water). You would end up going through commercial products much faster (as they are more dilute). For example, a $4 bucket of dry chemical might last you a year or more (depending on how many aquariums/how large they are, etc)


Okay if a $4 bucket of dry chemical might last me about a year, how much would it probably last in liquid commercial form? - and i'm a noob so I'm very new to all of this chemistry. I don't mind dissolving into water but I'd like to know i'm doing it correctly, part of the appeal to me about getting something like brighty k or pfertz or whatever is that it's "already there and ready" but if I could simply know for example to: put two teaspoons of X and Y into 4 oz of water and I'll get the equivalent of something like either Brighty or pfert'z stuff... cool! I just want as much of the guess work out of the picture as possible but I also need to save money too! and I want a supply that will last me.. so the dry ferts are appealing to me if that kind of friction were minimized. I also find some kind of assurance about name brand commercial stuff because of the testimonials and accountability a business front will/should have as opposed to say someone who doesn't... but my' mind IS open. I'm new to all of this.


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## nilocg (Jul 12, 2010)

If you want to make a liquid solution from dry ferts for your 9 gallon tank you would need some dosing containers, 500ml bottles would be good for a tank your size. You would mix the following:

Bottle 1- MacroNutrients- 
20.831 g KNO3
4.061 g K2HPO4 
Fill to the 500ml mark with RO water, dose 10ml 3x per week

Bottle 2- MicroNutrients
13.043 g Plantex CSM+B
Fill to the 500ml mark with RO water, dose 10ml 3x per week on alternating days with the Macros.

Do a 50% water change on the 7th day.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

Ah, with a 9 gallon aquarium, 454 grams of dry chemicals (1 pound) should last more than a year, even if you are dosing EI (I assume that is what nilocg posted).


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## glassguppy (Nov 2, 2012)

Darkblade48 said:


> Ah, with a 9 gallon aquarium, 454 grams of dry chemicals (1 pound) should last more than a year, even if you are dosing EI (I assume that is what nilocg posted).


What does EI mean?


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## KH2PO4 (Jul 18, 2009)

glassguppy said:


> What does EI mean?


A fertilizing method based on a concept that excess in any* nutrient, 
either in water column or substrate, doesn't cause algae. 
Other "methods" of fertilizing may use the same ingredients (dry ferts) as EI.
But this is THE distinction that set it apart from other "schools".

And test kits are not needed, some even anti using them.

More info on the barrreport.com

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*Except ammonia/ammonium in the water column.


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