# Premixing ferts for EI dosing with 500 ml bottle?



## Kathyy

Wet's calculator uses grams and tsp, did you look there? Add in how many tsp of what and get how much NPK you are adding per dose but it is easy as you don't have to go between screens.
http://rota.la/


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## Zorfox

wantsome said:


> Premixing ferts for EI dosing with 500 ml bottle? Is there a way to premix ferts using 500ml bottles with measuring spoons? I can't find much info on it everything I've found is people using scales.


Dry dosing and Nutrient Solution Recipes


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## Diana

Here is how I do it. 

Original EI recipe:
40~60gal
50% H20 change-weekly
1/2 Tsp-KN03 3x a week
1/8 Tsp-KH2P04 3x a week
3/4 Tsp-GH booster once a week
10ml or 1/8Tsp-Trace 3x a week
Optional
2-4ml-Fe/Iron 3x a week

I am actually using a low dose, modified version of EI that I have worked out suits my tanks, light etc.
My variation per 40 gallons:
Macros:
1/4 tsp KNO3
1/4 tsp K2SO4
1/16 tsp KH2PO4
No GH booster (tap water is already just fine)
Micros:
1/16 tsp CSM+B 
1/64 tsp chelated iron

1) Figure out how much fertilizer my tanks will need in a certain amount of time (like 1 week, or 2 weeks... or a month)
I am dealing with about 1000 gallons worth of tanks, so I start with the modified recipe and multiply it out (40 gallon recipe x 25 = 1000 gallon recipe) x 2 weeks x 3 doses (macros in one bottle, micros in the other)

2) Decide how much water I will use to dose each tank. 
I dose at the rate of 1ml per 3 gallons of tank size (my tanks range from a little 3 gallon Eclipse to 125 gallon). 1000 gallons x .33 = 333 ml in one day. x 3 times per week = 1000 ml. I use a 2 liter bottle to make my mixes, so I get 2 weeks out of one bottle. 

3) I also add some glut to my bottles. So I also figure out how much I want to add to each tank each day and multiply that out for 2 weeks. 

4) Put 2 weeks worth of fertilizer in the bottle. (Remember, 2 bottles- Macros, and micros in separate bottles.) 
Put 2 weeks worth of glut in the bottle. 
Add a pinch of citric acid. 
Top it off with distilled water. (RO, rain...)

5) Shake REALLY WELL. 

When I tried adding more ferts (so dose a smaller amount) more ferts would not dissolve.


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## kman

The recipe to mix dry ferts are all over the net. My shipment from GLA included them, too. Here's one, towards the bottom of the page:

http://www.aquascapingworld.com/mag...ne/Estimative-Index-Fertilization-Method.html

As to converting to wet mixes, it's easy. You can combine all of your macros into one mixture, and do micros (+iron if needed) in a second mixture. Then do the simple math: Take 500ml of newly-mixed solution divided by, let's say 10ml doses should give you exactly 50 doses. Since you dose each mixture 3 times per week (alternating macros and micros, and water change on the 7th day), that's just over 16 weeks worth of solution, when you dose 10ml per 500ml solution.

I bought a whole box of 12ml syringes (without any needles) from Amazon for about $5, so dosing is as simple as sucking in 10ml and squirting it into the tank. And actually, as soon as my automatic dosing pumps are finished being built, it'll be even easier than that, since all I'll have to do is top off the two little containers that hold 2 weeks of solution (keep the main jars in the fridge, and add a couple drops of Excel as an algaecide) every couple of weeks.


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