Macros and Micros

865 Views 3 Replies 4 Participants Last post by gregwatson, Feb 2, 2005

83mulligan

Discussion Starter · Feb 1, 2005

GW,

We have exchanged some e-mails in the past about automated dosing. What do you think about making a two gallon solution of your basic macros/micros probided there is a source of agitation? The solution would be paid out over a period of two weeks in pint per day doses. Tom always reccomends dosing macs and mics on different days. Is there any benefit to the plants doing this? I can't see where there would be.

Thanks,

Steve

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Raul-7

· #2 · Feb 1, 2005

This sounds interesting. I actually was thinking of the same thing, but how can we prevent the nutrients from settling? Basically, what will provide the agitation?

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pineapple

· #3 · Feb 1, 2005 (Edited)

Can the initial question above be distilled down to:

"Is any chemical reaction likely to happen between the macro and micro chemical components if they are mixed together in one solution? Would the results of any such reaction have negative effects on water quality, plant growth, algae growth, or fauna?"

That has been my question for a long time and I have been too lazy to do the research. Perhaps Greg has a quick fix on that for me?

Andrew Cribb

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gregwatson

· #4 · Feb 2, 2005 (Edited)

83mulligan said:
GW,

We have exchanged some e-mails in the past about automated dosing.

<grin> ... I remember ... something about dosing into a venturi setup if I recall ...

83mulligan said:
What do you think about making a two gallon solution of your basic macros/micros probided there is a source of agitation?

It might work with the lower levels of concentration that we were discussing ...

83mulligan said:
The solution would be paid out over a period of two weeks in pint per day doses. Tom always reccomends dosing macs and mics on different days. Is there any benefit to the plants doing this? I can't see where there would be.

Thanks,

Steve

To be honest with you, I don't know the "why" about this recommendation from Tom.

However (note I don't personally buy into this argument, but also don't have any "facts" to disprove it either), but there is a point of view that believes that dosing certain macro nutrients at the same time as micro nutrients can contribute to the breakdown of the chelators that are used to help make micro nutrients available ... (again, note that I don't personally buy into this point of view - but it is a very common thought) ...

This is the way I look at it ... in many cases, the "application" of a principle in a real world environment may work, even if some of the assumptions used to justify that principle are not valid ...

For example - some of the underlying assumptions of the PMDD philosophy have been more or less disproven ... however, the "application" of the PMDD philosophy actually works ... why? Because the application of the philosophy teaches you to feed your plants the right ratio of nutrients to meet the unique nutrient uptake requirements of your aquarium plants ... in otherwords, we are feeding our plants rather than starving them ...

There are many "right ways" of doing things, even if sometimes we do them for the wrong reasons <grin> ... thus, I will always continue to advocate dosing macro nutrients and micro nutrients on separate days ...

Of course <grin> ... that's just my opinion ...

Greg

P.S. ... I just got back from an 8 day vacation ... did I do my almost daily dosing while I was gone? No ... but I did mix up one bottle of both macros and micros and left it for the lady who was feeding my fish to "pour into the tank" on Friday <grin> ... Are my plants better off or worse off for being fed? Do what works for you and also feeds your plants on a consistent basis ...

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