S

Tank specs- 55 gallon set up 2 weeks ago-160w NO 6500k - DIY CO2(2 bottles-HOB Reactor)-Fourite substrate-moderate fish load
Overall Plan-I am going to start with a 7 day schedule as follows:
Day 1 - 50% water change
Day 2 - Macro dosing
Day 3 - Traces dosing
Day 4 - None
Day 5 - Macro dosing
Day 6 - Traces dosing
Day 7 - None
Macro
Nitrate- I am using SALTPETRE purchased at a local pharmacy. Per Chuck's Calculator 1/4 teaspoon KNO3 added dry to a 47 gallon tank (55x85%) will add 4.82 ppm Nitrate. I would mix this into a cup of tank water and pour into tank.
Phosphate- My girlfriend works in a pharmacy and gave me a 15mL bottle of Potassium Phosphates for IV use. Per the bottle:
45mM/15 mL Phosphorus
66 mEq/15 mL Potassium
Each mL contains: Potassium Phosphate Monobasic (Anhydrous) 224 mg. Potassium Phosphate Dibasic (Anhydrous) 236 mg. Water for Injection q.s.
7.4 mOsmol/mL
Each mL provides 93 mg (3mM) of Phosphorus and 170 mg (4.4 mEq) of Potassium. contains no more than 62,500 mcg/L of aluminum.
Can I use this? If so, how, and how much would add .5 ppm PO4 (my target dose)? Ideally, I would like to dillute it with distilled water so that I could add an easily measured dose of say 3 mL and get the .5 ppm result. Am I better off buying a fleet enema?
Traces- Fourish...5ml per 20 gallons. Do I need Flourish Iron also?

Sorry for such a long post but I didn't want to leave anything out. I have kept reef tanks for the last ten years and I thought setting up a planted tank would be a less complicated diversion. What was I thinking???

S

My attempt at the phosphate calculation:

If each mL provides 93 mg of Phosphorus and its a 15 mL bottle then thats 1395 mg per bottle or 1.39 grams. Entering the following variables in Chuck's Calculator- 1.39 grams mixed with 30 mL water added to 47 gallon tank yields a resulting solution where 1 mL adds 0.18 ppm Phosphate. By tripling the dose to 3mL I would be adding 0.54 ppm.

Is this correct?

nino

Hi S.
Just a suggestion. I wouldn't dose traces/Flourish this early. I would start dosing it going into the 7th or 8th week and wouldn't start with that much dosing either. 1ml per 10/15gl of water is good enough to start.

Edward

I would recommend, you get some K2SO4, KNO3, KH2PO4, MgSO4, TE and start again.

Edward