[Hater]

Guys, I currently use seachem fertilizers for my plants but thanks to a friend, now I know that Greg Watson is much, much cheaper.

So I'm getting ready to make an order and I need to know what is what and what I should be buying:

Iron Chelate-Is this Iron?
PMDD Pre Mix-Is this Flourish Comprehensive?
CSM+B Plantex-No idea what this is, anyone?
Mono Potasium Phosphate=This has to be phosphate right?
Barr GH Booster=What?
Calcium Sulfate=
Calcium Chloride=
Potasium Sulfate=Is this potasium
Potasium Nitrate=Is this Nitrogen
Calcium Nitrate=
Calcium Calbonate=Is this Carbon, Excel?
Magnesium Sulfate=

If anyone can answer feel free please.

I also saw that they don't have instruction on how to mix the ferts with water. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hater

 

[bigstick120]

Answer to all most of your questions as well as what to do with it when you have it all http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...zing/15225-estimative-index-dosing-guide.html

 

[Jimbo205]

Hater, why Greg does not have directions for what is what and how to use it is beyond me.
Maybe he has some reason that is being kept a secret.

I have had the same questions as you for a very long time.

I hope that thread above was very helpful to you.

To partially answer your question, the riddle of this hobby is why there is so often NOT a straight answer.

Maybe Greg's reason is because people seem so have SO MANY DIFFERENT ways to fert their tanks?

Best of luck.
And just to let you know you may get very different answers to the same questions in different forums.
Find what works for you.
Or in my case, slowly learn THEM ALL and then decide which makes sense for you.

Enjoy the hobby.

 

[hoppycalif]

Just read the stickies on the fertilizer forum page, and you will know all that the rest of us know. If you want simple and easy, concentrate on the EI (estimative index) sticky.

 

[Jimbo205]

I am using the Potassium Nitrate, CSM+B, and the Potassium Monobasic Phosphate with the EI Light technique and my Melon Sword is turning Red!

Cool!

This is so much easier! I am rotating the three ferts, dosing 1 of the 3 per day so that I end up dosing each twice per week. Spoons are in the Ziploc Twist Cups. No more looking up on charts and measuring!

 

[gregwatson]

Hater, why Greg does not have directions for what is what and how to use it is beyond me.
Maybe he has some reason that is being kept a secret.

There is no secret ... we all have access to great forums here that walk everyone step by step through *their* favorite dosing strategy ...

There are lots of right ways to do things ...

To partially answer your question, the riddle of this hobby is why there is so often NOT a straight answer.

Maybe Greg's reason is because people seem so have SO MANY DIFFERENT ways to fert their tanks?

And there are so many different tank setups ... each which require their own different approaches or strategies ... some people have high light, some have low light, some have CO2, some have DIY CO2, some have high plant mass, some have low plant mass, some have high fish populations, some have low fish populations ... the variables are significant ...

My favorite example ... is when I had Discus in my 180 gallon tank ... I never dosed Potassium Nitrate for over two years ... I did 20% daily water changes, had 2.5 watts per gallon, pressurized CO2 on automated controllers, densly planted tank ... why? I feed my dinner plate sized Discus an aggressive diet of raw beef heart ... my plants got all of the nitrate that they needed from the fish food and fish waste ...

And just to let you know you may get very different answers to the same questions in different forums.
Find what works for you.

Bingo ... That is the best answer! My advice is always the same ... read about the different dosing strategies ... choose one that makes sense to you and matches your lifestyle ... then follow it consistently .....

Thanks,
Greg

 

[Jimbo205]

Greg, I like doing the dry ferts. I just did a significant water change (5gallons out of 27 Gallon tank) and tried to make sure that I got as much of the carbon out of my filter pads. The DIY 3 Liter Soda Bottle CO2 is doing its thing very well.

My question is about my water and the dry ferts. I don't really know what green water is, but my water is starting to get 'cloudy'.

Is this caused by too much dry ferts? (The water in my 10 Gallon where I use the same dry ferts is crystal clear.)

Hoppy, I am still using the light schedule that we talked about last. Should increase or decrease the light? (sorry if I posted these questions in the wrong place).

 

[hoppycalif]

Greg, I like doing the dry ferts. I just did a significant water change (5gallons out of 27 Gallon tank) and tried to make sure that I got as much of the carbon out of my filter pads. The DIY 3 Liter Soda Bottle CO2 is doing its thing very well.

My question is about my water and the dry ferts. I don't really know what green water is, but my water is starting to get 'cloudy'.

Is this caused by too much dry ferts? (The water in my 10 Gallon where I use the same dry ferts is crystal clear.)

Hoppy, I am still using the light schedule that we talked about last. Should increase or decrease the light? (sorry if I posted these questions in the wrong place).

"Cloudy" water can be many things, from bacteria, to algae, to CO2 bubbles, to fine dust from the substrate, etc. Adding fertilizers is barely a possible cause - if you add phosphate and iron together they chemically combine and make a haze. The best suggestion I have seen is to put a sample of the water in a white bowl - if it looks green it is green water, if not, it isn't. When I dose my CSM+B+extra iron dry, as I now do, I often get a white haze for a few minutes, I assume from the phosphate already in the water from the day before.

 

[Jimbo205]

So a large amount of newly recharged CO2 (DIY) and CSM+B could possibly cause this. Okay.

I will do another large water change (5 Gallons out of 27 Gallons) and hold off on ferts until it stabilizes.

When the light is off, the water looks greenish. When the light is on - the water has a whitish 'haze'.

I assume from the phosphate already in the water from the day before.

Hmmm....

More to learn.

 

[whitetiger61]

I think what Hater was looking for is what dry ferts equal out to Seachem products..
for example KNO3=Seachem Nitrogen + Potassium ?
PMDD? does does it equal to the Seachem Flourish

i dont think he was loking for dosing recommendations..just what is what