# Ferts???????



## reel1090 (May 10, 2011)

Hi All,

I have a 55g with co2 injection and 2 55w ho lamps. Have been set up now for about 2 months and the plants are doing great. The one thing that is a mistery to me is ferts. I have no idea what to add or even where to purchase such.:icon_cry: Help me get started.

Jim


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## AnotherHobby (Mar 5, 2012)

First off, I'm no pro, and I've only been doing ferts for 3 weeks... but hey, it's free advice. 

Basically, from what I gathered, how much you dose will depend on how much light you have, how much CO2, and if your soil has high CEC (will uptake the nutrients and leach them back out to the plants).

My tank is a 12 gallon with medium light (2.25 w/gal), I'm doing DIY CO2, and I have ada aqua soil. I was reading this thread, in which Tom Barr (plantbrain) suggested that with lower light and good soil, you can dose at 1/2 EI with good results. That's what I'm trying for now, and I'm seeing really good growth so far from all my plants.

I'm used this article as a reference for EI: Estimative Index Fertilization Method

I picked up a pound of each KH2PO4, KNO3, K2SO4, and Plantex CSM+B from GLA for a little over $30 shipped. It should last me a couple of years. I pre-mixed solutions with distilled water such that 5mL is 1/2 of a normal EI dose. All of the macros are in one solution, and the Plantex CSM+B is in the other one (you don't want to mix those two).

There are other dosing methods to use, but I chose EI because it's super stupid easy and it follows a routine that I'm already doing. I have a 10 mL syringe that I draw half full of the fert solution, and just squirt it in. Macros one day, micros the next. I have to feed fish daily anyway, so I just do this at the same time. It adds no work.


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## nilocg (Jul 12, 2010)

Dry ferts are the most economical and likely the most effective way to dose your tanks. As said about there are many ways to dose the tank, the most common one is via the Estimative Index, for a size your tank you would dose the following:

40-60 Gallons
1/2 tsp KNO3 3x a week
1/8 tsp KH2PO4 3x a week
1/8 tsp K2SO4 3x a week
1/8 tsp CSM+B 3x a week 

There are a few people that sell dry ferts on this forum, if you look in the swap n shop Im sure you will find what you are looking for at a very good price.


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## keithy (Jun 8, 2010)

nilocg ^^ (above poster) have a very fair price on dry ferts.


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