# Tom Barr's GH booster vs. pre mix



## flashbang009 (Aug 6, 2009)

Hi all,

I already have K2SO4 and MgSO4, but i need the CaSO4. Should i buy Tom Barr's GH booster, or just order the CaSO4. And if i decide to mix it myself, what is the ratio?

Thanks.


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

My first question would be whether you're sure that you need GH booster. Some tap water pours out with 5+ppm of Mg, 20+ppm of Ca. From there KH2PO4, KNO3 and trace completes the dosing. Extra K2SO4 can be nice if you're prone to neglecting dosing; I do it when I get busy.

Anyhow, if you still need it the ratio would be 1:3:3 by weight of MgSO4:KH2PO4:CaSO4.


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## flashbang009 (Aug 6, 2009)

Well my tap GH and KH is 2. i don't have a test kit for mg and ca. i have however seen deficiencies in my snails shells and plants that are indicative of ca deficiency.


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

2KH/GH is pretty soft water. I'd definitely do GH booster.

If you end up heading for liquid stock solution in the future, be aware that CaSO4 has poor solubility.


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## flashbang009 (Aug 6, 2009)

Alright thats good to know. So even though i already have the other two ingredients you think i should get Tom's?


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

The stuff they sell is just pre-mixed for those of us without scales. I'm pretty sure Tom himself would recommend DIYing it. I sure do. 

If you don't have a scale, get one. They open up the world of liquid stock dosing, calibration solutions, DIY 4KH drop checker solution, ghetto dry weight analysis/dry growth yeild, etc. and you get to save money on ferts by dosing a number you know you've got vs. one you're hoping exists based on volume.


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## flashbang009 (Aug 6, 2009)

Yeah i recently got one that's .1gx500g. It's nice to have. So i will buy the other stuff i need. Why is CSM+B so expensive on aquariumfertilizers.com?


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

It's not that expensive. Rex Grigg charges $9 for 1/2lb; $18/lb. Besides GLA, any other fert store will pretty much demand wholesale CSM (add your own boric acid) 

If you want to compare GLA vs. Aquariumfertilzier.com, then it's pretty much into a price war. You can swing back and forth between suppliers for a dollar or two per pound on CSM+B, 50 cents for other products.

Myself, I tend to buy from aquariumfertilizer.com because it's less than a week shipping through basic flat rate. Outside of that, I'm not touching the forum/business politics.


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## flashbang009 (Aug 6, 2009)

Haha, that sounds good. Thanks for the info.


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## flashbang009 (Aug 6, 2009)

Ok, i got the other ferts in. Now it's just the concept i don't get. How much should i add (assuming i have the ingredients for gh booster properly combined) to raise the kh/gh from 2 to where it should be (5-6?)? And how should i work this into my weekly fertilizing regimen?


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## barbarossa4122 (Dec 31, 2009)

I wish AquariumFertilizer will sell 10% DTPA so I don't have to go back and forth between them and GLA. Btw, Gla answered my e-mails, AquariumFert did not. Anyway GLA will carry Fe Gluconate soon (I was told) and I can get all the ferts from them. Good costumer service is very important to me. I will pay more for a product if costumer service is good.

Edit: AF did answer my e-mail today and no DTPA in the near future.


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

flashbang009 said:


> Ok, i got the other ferts in. Now it's just the concept i don't get. How much should i add (assuming i have the ingredients for gh booster properly combined) to raise the kh/gh from 2 to where it should be (5-6?)? And how should i work this into my weekly fertilizing regimen?


Just dose it as per EI instructions here:
http://www.barrreport.com/showthread.php/2819-EI-light-for-those-less-techy-folks

GH and KH tend to be useful as tools for indirect observation, but IMO are not useful as precise targets. I've got 12GH/7KH pouring out of my tap, and almost none of that is from magnesium. On the other hand, someone can have tap that satisfies nutrients with heavy padding at 2-3GH and 0KH because they're dosing in 40ppm Ca and 10ppm Mg through CaSO4 and MgSO4. Still others may find themselves with 0GH and a few degrees of KH; usually this means sodium bicarb is being used somewhere along the line and no major nutrients are being fulfilled. So when we speak of dosing, the concern should be for adequate nutrients by individual elements rather than the sum of a few kinds expressed as one number.


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