# Ferts for the lazy??



## morefishies (Aug 29, 2006)

I know everyone recommends buying all the fertilizers separately and following daily fertilizing schedules, and I'm all for healthy plants and being committed to my tank, but frankly I suck at sticking to strict schedules. 

I plan on spending either saturday or sunday every week doing water changes/cleaning/trimming and this is something I'm confident I can stick to because there is no consequence if I'm a day late or something. 

So here's my question: Is there a way to fertilize that involves like one or two fertilizers being administered only twice a week or so? For example, administering the PMDD pre-mix plus like one other supplement twice a week instead of like 5 individual fertilizers 3x a week each. 

I know this isn't the best for my plants, but its better than nothing, right? and I know I could stick to fertilizing if it was simpler and less demanding... 

thanks


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## bigstick120 (Mar 8, 2005)

You could buy or make and auto doser. Eheim makes on and they are on sale at Dr. Fosters right now, mix everthing up in there and have enough for a week or 2. What are the specs on your tank? If its low light you could easily get away with dosing 1-2 times a week.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

It is far easier to dose the same thing every day, 7 days a week, than to try to remember to dose something twice a week. I dose KNO3 and KH2PO4 one day, and traces the next day. Those are in plastic bags in a shoe box under the tank. I turn the box 180 degrees after each time I dose. KNO3 is on the outside on its day and CSM+B on the outside on its day. Piece of cake to remember.


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## John N. (Dec 11, 2005)

Best thing to do if you're not keen on a regular schedule is to reduce your lighting to 2.0 wpg. Then just be sure you dose at least 2x a week. 

-John N.


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## turnstile (Oct 23, 2005)

Tropica's AquaCare Plant Nutrition+ is my recommendation. It has everything you need, macros and micros and it's pre-mixed and easy to use, especially if you use something like the Eheim Liquidoser. I have been using it for a few weeks now after mixing my own PPS solutions and I'm really happy with it and have nice growth. My only issue with it was that my plants wanted a little more iron so I now mix it with Kent's iron supplement and this solved the problem.

I know many people like mixing their own fertilisers solutions and the daily process of dosing a little bit of each solution but for me this is the perfect method -- hassle free and successful. Maybe you should try this yourself.


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## morefishies (Aug 29, 2006)

i really like the idea of having an automatic dispenser do the fertilizing... for a couple reasons: 1) I need high light for the plants I want to keep. 2) I need all the ferts I can get for the plants I want to keep.

would something like this work?? Fish Mate Automatic Feeder

I could dose KNO3 and KH2PO4 one day, and K2S04 and CSM+B the next, 6 days a week. On the seventh day I'd refill.

would this work?


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## bigstick120 (Mar 8, 2005)

I know a few folks that have tried the fish feeders to dose dry, some seem to work and some dont. They have to be sealed on the bottom of the resivor so it dosent leave any thing behind as it moves. I THINK the thread I saw said that the one you showed worked. Do a search here for auto dosing. The most reliable way to make a solution for the eheim. Dr. Foster has it on sale for 35 or so, not really that much more for something that you know will work just fine.


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## turbomkt (Mar 31, 2004)

I use the medicine holders. Something like this. You can get it at any pharmacy, grocery store, etc. When you do your water change you fill the chambers as appropriate.

I'm in Japan for three weeks, so I've got three of them numbered for each week. My wife just has to remember that there's something to do by the fish tank (Not hard with the tanks in the dining room) and she doesn't have to remember anything else other than what day it is.


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## werner (Jul 6, 2006)

You could get a used medical IV infusion pump (eBay). Make up a stock solution of your ferts and set it for X mL/hour... done!


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## morefishies (Aug 29, 2006)

ooh the daily medicine holders look like they would work... as long as i can remember to feed the fish, I can dose the ferts... heh

the only other question I would have would be if i can mix the ferts when I put them in the medicine holders.. or do they need to be separate until mixed in the tank water?

thanks


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## turbomkt (Mar 31, 2004)

Mixing them is no problem other than KH2PO4 shouldn't be with whatever your iron source is. Typically I use the medicine holders just for macros and do every other day with them. On the off days I add CSM+B, which most people dose as a solution but can be done dry.


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

I use a system like Mike's (only my containers are heptagonal instead of being in a straight line) for the person who watches my tanks when I leave on vacation. It works very well, and is easy to remember as long as you feed the fish every day. Fill up the M, W, and F holders with macros and the T, Th. and Sat. holders with Micros and plop them into the tank when you feed your fish. 

Just make sure to explain to anyone who watches your tanks that the "fertilizers" are not fish food. I am thinking about using the same system for fish food since my "tank watcher's" idea of a pinch of food is much greater than mine


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## morefishies (Aug 29, 2006)

how do you dose csm+b as a solution versus dry?

macros, micros... i know i should know what these mean, but i don't... help?

and lastly, I assume all these ferts won't be harmful to my fish? (specifically boraras brigittae, corydoras habrosus, red cherry shrimp.. but these won't be introduced till about 6 weeks after the tank is set up


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## Cassie (May 27, 2006)

morefishies said:


> how do you dose csm+b as a solution versus dry?


 here's  a topic that talks about mixing csm+b with recipes, dosing amounts, and everything


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## sarahbobarah (Sep 5, 2005)

You could set up kent aquadose with your ferts solutions - it's basically be an IV for you tank.... come to think of it, you could just get some IV bags from ebay. Not the most elegant solution, but it would work.


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## morefishies (Aug 29, 2006)

alright so 1 tablespoon per 250 ml, dose about 2 ml every other day (i'll have about 40 watts over the 10 gallons and more trace for higher light, right?)?

how long does the solution keep? 

thanks


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