# Help with mixing dry ferts



## TorontoPlantMan (May 11, 2014)

Hey guys, 

I need a bit of help with figuring out how to make a stock supply of micro and macro ferts.

My aquarium is 37 gallon, high light, with pressurized CO2 and heavily planted. I've been having trouble with GSA which I know is a result of insufficient CO2/phosphates/flow so I'm trying the E.I route to potentially defeat this battle. 

According to wets calculator it says for my 37 gallon I need to do the following:

"To reach your target of 7.5ppm NO3, you'll need to add 85.639 grams of KNO3 into your 500.0 mL container.
Each 10.0 mL of that mix into 37.0 gal is:"

"To reach your target of 1.3ppm PO4, you'll need to add 13.045 grams of KH2PO4 into your 500.0 mL container.
Each 10.0 mL of that mix into 37.0 gal is:"

I just wanna make sure that it's okay to mix these two together? I've read things online where people say at certain amount it becomes difficult to mix them and they don't dissolve as well.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Attached is a picture of my tank.


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## misant777 (Mar 21, 2014)

Phosphates & nitrates are known to form precipitates, but since you're already dealing with a potassium moiety on both of them and the nitrate isn't apt to grab much else.... Well, why not try it in the name of science? 

Maybe mix them separately?

Pictures!


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## riverrat (Sep 6, 2005)

It is fine to mix them..
Phosphate and micros become problematic if I remember correctly.

So make a macro bottle and a micro bottle.


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## Tugg (Jul 28, 2013)

NPK can go together, its the chelators in the micros that interact with PO4 to cause precipitation. Ideally, you would also separate the time you dose micro vs macro as well.


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## TorontoPlantMan (May 11, 2014)

Tugg said:


> NPK can go together, its the chelators in the micros that interact with PO4 to cause precipitation. Ideally, you would also separate the time you dose micro vs macro as well.


Thanks for the help, just to confirm...micro would be the KH2PO4 & KNO3? and macro would be the trace mix, or is it the other way around?


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## Tugg (Jul 28, 2013)

Nope. Micro is your CSM+B, iron, or really anything that isn't NO3, PO4, or K.


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## TorontoPlantMan (May 11, 2014)

Tugg said:


> Nope. Micro is your CSM+B, iron, or really anything that isn't NO3, PO4, or K.


Here in Canada, or at least where I'm located anyway, CSM+B isn't available, just a general "trace" mix from the hydroponics store. Okay so then if the CSM+B (trace) is Micro, than Macro would be NO3, PO4, and K?


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## riverrat (Sep 6, 2005)

TorontoPlantMan said:


> Here in Canada, or at least where I'm located anyway, CSM+B isn't available, just a general "trace" mix from the hydroponics store. Okay so then if the CSM+B (trace) is Micro, than Macro would be NO3, PO4, and K?


Yes.


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## Skizhx (Oct 12, 2010)

In Toronto there's a hydroponics store called "Grow it All". They're located around Dupont street somewhere. They'll come up if you google them.

They sell all the dry ferts you need. Their ferts are from Dutch Nutrient Formula (DNF) but they sometimes relabel the packages with their own labels "Trip Tonic".

The DNF micro mix is nearly identical to CSM+B, I think I posted a nutrient breakdown somewhere on these boards a few years ago. The differences are negligible (1% copper here, 1% manganese there), and I've kept shrimp happily while using the mix.

The DNF micro mix has also been programmed into this dose calculator.
http://calc.petalphile.com/

It's been ~4 years since I lived there though, so I'm trusting the store hasn't changed much since.


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## TorontoPlantMan (May 11, 2014)

Skizhx said:


> In Toronto there's a hydroponics store called "Grow it All". They're located around Dupont street somewhere. They'll come up if you google them.
> 
> They sell all the dry ferts you need. Their ferts are from Dutch Nutrient Formula (DNF) but they sometimes relabel the packages with their own labels "Trip Tonic".
> 
> ...


Awesome thats great information dude thanks a billion.


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## krissy (Jun 3, 2014)

Use 2 dosing bottles. 1 for all the macros. NPK

One for the micros plus iron. Csm+b and Chelated iron.


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