# Where do I get dry ferts?



## apc789 (Jan 7, 2010)

Hi all. For the past couple of months I have been using the liquid seachem line of fertilizers. I have been following the Seachem dosing chart found in this section of the forum. I have read about EI and how popular it is and how much success people have with it, so I really want to give it a try! My only problem is that they don't sell dry ferts in any of the local pet or fish stores around here.

Where can I get dry ferts? And are there certain ones I want to avoid?

PS. If anyone can post me a link explaining all the of ferts neccessary, and what exactly each fert is for, it would be greatly appreciated. I think I have tons more research to do. I am still confused as to the difference between micros and macros.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi tigerbarb420,

I see you live in Canada. aquariumfertilizer.com website says that they ship to Canada. I have used them; they have a good assortment, they ship promptly, and package their shipments well. I believe the EI "Sticky" in Fertilizer forum indicates the ingredients you will need.


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## dyckster (Nov 28, 2006)

I was surprised to find dry ferts at a local hydroponics store when I lived in Regina, SK. At the time shipping costs to Canada were quite high and the exchange rate unfavourable. It might be a better option to order online now but it could also be worth giving your local hydroponics store a call.


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

IME it's cheaper to just order from aquariumfertilizer.com. I lived near a chemical/fertilizer supply wholesaler and they still cost more to pick up in person. The only way to break even was to buy 10lbs at a time, and they still didn't have CSM+B.


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## apc789 (Jan 7, 2010)

Thanks guys! I will check into the website and some local hydroponic shops and see which is best!


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## Ozone (Sep 30, 2009)

This is where i bought mine http://www.greenleafaquariums.com/aquarium-fertilizer.html


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi Ozone,

I would have recommended Green Leaf Aquariums but unfortunately they indicate on their website that they don't ship to Canada.


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## virgo888 (Jun 25, 2009)

aquariumfertilizer.com and rexgrigg.com


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## apc789 (Jan 7, 2010)

Tomorrow I am going to be heading to one of my local hydroponic stores. So far on the list i have KN03, KH2P04, and CSM+B Plantex. Will I need anything else? Is Plantex CSM+B a commonly found thing in these shops?


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## barbarossa4122 (Dec 31, 2009)

I bought from GLA and AquariumFertilizer. Both fast, cheap with good costumer service. Btw, costumer service is very important for me. I don't care how cheap a company sells a product, if costumer service is poor, I'll not buy from them.


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## apc789 (Jan 7, 2010)

Wow I am really amazed at the prices on aquariumfertilizer.com

I hope they are close to as cheap from a hydro shop.


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## Left C (Jun 14, 2005)

virgo888 mentioned rexgrigg.com. His ferts are here: http://www.bestaquariumregulator.com/ferts.html

He works for the USPS and he ships to many places including Canada. This is another option.

You may want to get his Fertilizer Combo Pack, Grumpy's GH Booster (if your GH is low), and Chelated Iron 10%.

Also note that you use a ratio of ~ 2 lbs of KNO3 to ½ lbs of KH2PO4 (or 4:1 in other words).

There are other iron products available. You may want to read about them before deciding which one to use. Some may work better for you than others depending on your conditions.


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

aquariumfertilizer.com is definitely cheap. Unless you're going to order more than 10-12lbs though, you have to account for about $2/lb for shipping. Be sure to buy as much as you can fit for the shipping size you're doing, I think it increases by $6 every 3lbs or so.


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## apc789 (Jan 7, 2010)

I visited a few local hydroponic shops and nowhere seems to carry the dry ferts! Looks like I am going to have to order from aquariumfertilizer.com afterall.

I am just curious. How long is 1 lb of each macro expected to last in a 50g aquarium? Is 2 lbs of each sufficient?


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## barbarossa4122 (Dec 31, 2009)

tigerbarb420 said:


> I visited a few local hydroponic shops and nowhere seems to carry the dry ferts! Looks like I am going to have to order from aquariumfertilizer.com afterall.
> 
> I am just curious. How long is 1 lb of each macro expected to last in a 50g aquarium? Is 2 lbs of each sufficient?


1LB of each will last a looooooooooooong time. 2LB it's too much, IMO.


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

1lb of KH2PO4 will last years; 3-16ish depending on whether you dose 2ppm or 10+.

1lb of KNO3 will last you about 1.4 years if you dose by weight/liquid at 20ppm/wk. Odds are it'll last about a year dry dosing. Both assume perfect dosing though, which most of us don't do. 

K2SO4 varies depending on how you dose it, but even using huge quantities (30-40ppm up from ~14 through KNO3) you'll be using it at the same rate as KNO3.


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

1lb of KH2PO4 will last years; 3-16ish depending on whether you dose 2ppm or 10+.

1lb of KNO3 will last you about 1.4 years if you dose by weight/liquid at 20ppm/wk. Odds are it'll last about a year dry dosing. Both assume perfect dosing though, which most of us don't do. 

K2SO4 varies depending on how you dose it, but even using huge quantities (30-40ppm up from ~14 through KNO3) you'll be using it at the same rate as KNO3.


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## apc789 (Jan 7, 2010)

is K2SO4 neccessary? It is not listen in the EI dosing regimen.

So far I am thinking 2 lbs of KNO3, 1 lb of KH2PO4, and 1 lb of CSM +B, and possibly 1 lb of K2SO4 if recommended.


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## Aquaticz (May 22, 2009)

tigerbarb420 said:


> is K2SO4 neccessary? It is not listen in the EI dosing regimen.
> 
> So far I am thinking 2 lbs of KNO3, 1 lb of KH2PO4, and 1 lb of CSM +B, and possibly 1 lb of K2SO4 if recommended.


You do not neeed it,


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

tigerbarb420 said:


> is K2SO4 neccessary? It is not listen in the EI dosing regimen.
> 
> So far I am thinking 2 lbs of KNO3, 1 lb of KH2PO4, and 1 lb of CSM +B, and possibly 1 lb of K2SO4 if recommended.


It goes in with GH booster. I find it's nice if you're a little lazy about dosing as K+ usually gets removed from the column through other processes faster than the other macros, and it's hard to OD.

K2SO4 definitely isn't necessary though; just icing on the cake (like DTPA iron, custom mixed micros, etc.)


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## apc789 (Jan 7, 2010)

Would it recommended for a rookie like me to stick with the general outline of the EI dosing method and add nothing else?


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi tigerbarb,

I do EI dosing plus Seachem Flourish (Comprehensive) for the extra micros.


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

General EI dosing is pretty easy to follow. When you start you watch your tanks a ton anyhow, so regular work isn't a big deal. When you get more experience, you can mold it and combine other methods or techniques to do what works for you. 

Once you're doing it and have your CO:light ratios worked out, it creates a good safe zone where everything functions properly. You can always leave or come back as needed.


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## Aquaticz (May 22, 2009)

I would say...a definite yes 

Best of luck


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## aquyenl (Apr 15, 2010)

is EI dosing necessary if i'm already using planted substrates like ecocomplete+flourite?


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

EC and fluorite are mostly inert/biounavailable to plants. They've got some Fe and Mg, but the main thing is that they have CEC so they can uptake and store nutrients from the column for the plants. By dosing EI, you can load that CEC. Starting with a little mulm, some peat, a little osmocote, or a bit of mineralzied soil/worm castings can help.

Plants also passively uptake from stoma all over their exterior, so dosing the column delivers more nutrients to the plant. At the same time, if you high dose all your nutrients and line up your light:CO2 ratio properly, algae disappears as a problem. The why behind it is inconclusive right now, but it seems algae doesn't like to hang around in certain conditions that heavily favor plants. EI is one way of creating these conditions.

If you decide to start from a higher nutrient substrate, there's still the concern of having to keep it fertilized through root tabs when it burns out after about a year. If it has CEC and you're dosing the column heavily though, it won't run out of nutrients.


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