# Where to get KNO3? Macro dosing?



## doug737 (Jun 1, 2004)

What does everyone use to dose this? i will need to start addin gmacros soon and im confused on what to purchase for this.

N, P, and K, right? i have read that people use granular forms of these nutrients. right now im using seachem flourish with diyco2 and leaf zone. i think its time to dose macros if not late already. whats an easy way to dose these? could you share your fert methods? here are the tank specs:

15g
55w pc lighting
flourite substrate
plants are r.indica, crypt tropica, petchii, walkeri, ciliata, n stellata rubra, java moss and fern on wood.

all of my plants are growing well and have good color but i have an outbreak of bba i think looks like spider webs on rotala and some c. tropica lately. would dosing macros help to balance things out?
i know i should have test kits but im still shopping for them. what should i do? im learning as i go sorry about all the questions haha.


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## Steve Pituch (Jan 25, 2004)

www.gregwatson.com

Get 1 pound of KNO3, KH2PO4, CSM+B.

Also get his set of measuring spoons. Very good quality, service and price.

Steve Pituch


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## Steve Hampton (Feb 13, 2004)

doug737 said:


> all of my plants are growing well and have good color but i have an outbreak of bba i think looks like spider webs on rotala and some c. tropica lately. would dosing macros help to balance things out?
> i know i should have test kits but im still shopping for them. what should i do? im learning as i go sorry about all the questions haha.


Yes, dosing will insure that the plants are getting what they need. Testing can be tricky especially for the newer folks starting a planted tank. Tom Barr aka Plantbrain has written an article titled _The Estimative Index _that should help you better understand how and when to dose and not have to rely on test kits. Here's the link:

http://www.aquatic-plants.org/est_index1.html

Note that the amount listed for Potassium is probably double what is needed but I followed that amount for a very long time with any problems...other than maybe wasting some very inexpensive potassium sulfate.


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## Jeff Kropp (Apr 25, 2004)

SeaChem makes a full line of products. For your 15 gallon tank they should not be too expensive and should provide easy recomended dosage calculations.

KNO3 is pottasium nitrate, also often called stump remover. There are many brands available. In these forums people often insist on Greenlight brand but in my area Lilly Miller and Cooks brands predominate. In many hardware stores classic pottasium nitrate stump removers are being displaced with flamable type stump removers. If there is any mention about lighting the stump on fire you are looking at the wrong kind of product! Best is to ask at a gardening store. Pottasium nitrate will usually have dillution recomendations for foliar fertilization in addition to typical stump removing instructions. Usually the product comes in the form of small translucent white beads about the size of a pinhead. They dissolve slowly in water but can be crushed to speed dissolution. With a 15g tank you will need to measure this product in 1/8 teaspoon quantities. These spoons are uncommon in many kitchens so you may need to find one. Adding one level 1/8 tsp after your weekly water change would be a typical starting point. Repeat for 3 weeks and decide to add more or less based on your observed results. You will not need test kits if you make changes slowly, observe carefully and think about what you see, read and do.

Many people with compact florescent lighting and DIY CO2 are reporting difficulties with maintaining enough CO2. Improving your yeast culture methods may do more for your success than adding more macros. There have been some very informative yeast nutrition threads on the APD this year. http://fins.actwin.com/aquatic-plants/

gl
___
Jeff


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## doug737 (Jun 1, 2004)

thank you so muchj thats just what i need.
now, im thinking of getting the premix for pmdd. this has everyhting i need right? i think a premade 1lb mix sounds nice and easy. what do you think? should i buy them all separately? thanks for all the help.


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## Steve Pituch (Jan 25, 2004)

I think you should get the separate compounds. For example I may dose 10 ppm NO3, .5 ppm Fe, and 1 ppm PO4 for a while, but then decide to try a different combination based on how the tank is doing. If the compounds are premixed you can't change the ratios. Plus a PMDD mix is not the most soluble mix there is. Many people have trouble dissolving PMDD combinations.

Steve Pituch


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## Jeff Kropp (Apr 25, 2004)

Macro supplementation should be tuned to your particular water supply and tank balance. This is why Seachem produces a product for each nutrient. You learn to tune your supplementation by observation and education. If observing and learning are too much for you, then a pre-mix combined with the estimative index's flush and fill method may work best for you.
___
Jeff


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## gregwatson (May 24, 2004)

doug737 said:


> thank you so muchj thats just what i need.
> now, im thinking of getting the premix for pmdd. this has everyhting i need right? i think a premade 1lb mix sounds nice and easy. what do you think? should i buy them all separately? thanks for all the help.


Separate ingredients is really much better. It allows you to adjust the ratio of various components to best meet the nutrient uptake requirements of your tank.

Of course that's just my opinon <GRIN>!!!!

Greg Watson
http://www.GregWatson.com


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## doug737 (Jun 1, 2004)

okay thanks everyone that make sense.
jeff- i was only trying to simplify things im not a total newbie i was only confused about dosing each nutrient. also im not a kid dude no need to be condescending. why would observing and learning be "too much" for me? everyone learns something new as they go thats what makes this hobby fun.


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## Jeff Kropp (Apr 25, 2004)

doug737 said:


> jeff- i was only trying to simplify things im not a total newbie


Sorry dude, I find the estimative index condescending and my inconsiderate comment is critical of assumptions underlying that index, it is not intended as a personal criticism.
___
Jeff


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## doug737 (Jun 1, 2004)

oh sorry haha


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