# DIY fertilizing



## Wildman (May 6, 2008)

I know I need stump remover & fleets enemas for KNO3 & KPO4 but what trace mix do you recommend?

For that matter, what other sources do you guys recommend? Has anyone tried using Miracle Gro products or other gardening mixes? What has worked, what has crashed & burned?


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## Left C (Jun 14, 2005)

We can get our dry fertilizers from:
http://aquariumfertilizer.com/
http://www.bobstropicalplants.com/shop/en/6-fertilizers
http://greenleafaquariums.com/aquarium-fertilizer.html

I use their:
KNO3 for dosing NO3 and K
KH2PO4 for dosing PO4
K2SO4 for dosing K
GH Booster or Seachem's Equilibrium for dosing Ca, Mg and K. Some products also contain Mn and Fe.
Epsom Salt (MgSO4·7H2O) for dosing Mg
CSM+B for dosing trace
Iron Chelate 11% DTPA for dosing extra Fe with a good chelator
These companies also contain other products that you may find useful.

A forum member, wet, has some excellent fert dosing calculators. http://petalphile.com/#splash


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## Wildman (May 6, 2008)

Sorry, I wasn't clear. Imean non-aquarium sources (i.e., cheaper). We pour enough $ into the hobby, why notbe frugal where we can?


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## TarantulaGuy (Apr 15, 2009)

aquariumfertilzer.com is crazy cheap. You're going to be between 3-5$ a pound, that is really, really cheap. You can spend 15 bucks and get a year or more's worth of fertilizer. I doubt you find it much cheaper anywhere else.


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## D9Vin (May 12, 2011)

Well, not sure where you are from, but I am from an area with a largely agricultural based economy, so there are some farm supply stores around here where I can get some fertilizers a tad bit cheaper, but only in 50 pound bags. I think it's better to just order a pound off the Internet, it will last you quite a while. I recently got some from bobs tropicals, mentioned by left c, and was pleased with the service and product.


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## Left C (Jun 14, 2005)

You will find that Fleet enema and stump removers more expensive in the long run that using the raw chemicals KNO3 and KH2PO4 from the vendors mentioned.

Many of the fertilizers used for gardening and farming contain urea. In an aquarium, this mat lead to algae problems. Some contain ammonium which might cause problems as well.

Wildman, your idea of being frugal is a good one. This is why these dry chemical fertilizers came about. This helped to cut down the cost quite a bit compared to using various vendors' liquid fertilizers which contained a large part of just water.

Osmocote Plus is a good substrate addition that is fairly cheap. You can get this from many places including the big box stores. You should avoid regular Osmocote. It contains high levels of urea/ammonium and it doesn't contain the trace elements like the Plus version does.


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## Wildman (May 6, 2008)

Thanks so much for the insight. Lookslike I will be making a purchase later today!


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