Dry Fert for Co2 Aquarium

Description

Dry Fertiliser for the Co2 injected Aquarium

1 x Sachet of Macro powder – Makes 1 litres worth

1 x Sachet of Micro powder – Makes 1 litres worth

Levels: The recipe we use is based on the ‘EI method’. Producing 10:1 nitrate to phosphate ratio and sufficient amounts of potassium for the overall health and reproduction of the plants. Magnesium is also added to help with nutrient absorption. Depending on fish load, you will end up with around 1-2 phosphate and 10-20 nitrate. These levels are on the assumption all your filters are fully cycled, you a running Co2 and your tap water does not already contains phosphate or nitrate. Your local pet shop should be able to test your tap water for nitrate and phosphate. Micro fertiliser contains all necessary trace elements including iron. Levels of iron within Micro fertiliser are sufficient for red plants as well, therefore, no extra iron supplementation is necessary. 

Directions: 

Mix Macro Sachet with 1 litre of cooled boiled water, shake well and let sit for 24 hours. 

Mix Micro Sachet with 1 litre of cooled boiled water, shake well and let sit for 24 hours. 

NB: Do not mix them together. They must be in seperate bottles and stored in a dark cool place. 

Dosing instructions according to plant stocking levels:

Heavily stocked with plants: (approx 20% of substrate does NOT contain plants): 10 mls per 50L alternating between macro and micro. (Amount used of each in 1 week would be 30mls).

Medium stocked with plants: (approx 50% of substrate does NOT contain plants): 6.6mls per 50L alternating between macro and micro. (Amount used of each in 1 week would be 19.8mls).

Lightly stocked with plants: (approx 80% of substrate does NOT contain plants) 3.3mls per 50L alternating between macro and micro. (Amount used of each in 1 week would be 9.9mls). Ideally you want your aquarium heavily stocked with plants when running Co2.

Note: Ideally you want to own a phosphate and nitrate test kit so that you can monitor your levels. If you find nitrate is above 40ppm and phosphate is above 2ppm then bring your dosing down a little. The more hungry plants you have the more you dose.

Example based on 50L Co2 injected heavily planted Aquarium: Dose in the morning before lights come on

Day 1 – 10 mls of macro (after 50% water change)

Day 2 – 10 mls of micro

Day 3 – 10 mls of macro

Day 4 – 10 mls of micro

Day 5 – 10 mls of macro

Day 6 – 10 mls of micro

Day 7 – Rest Day (do not dose anything)

Day 1 – Start over as day 1 above with 50% water change and macro dose. 

Alternative Dosing Regime: You can dose macro and micro on the same day, but half the amount of each according to the above. When dosing this way, be sure to dose them at opposite ends of the tank so they don’t collide at heavily concentrated levels. This method is simpler for people who forget which day they dosed what.

Important:

• Store in a dark cool place 
• Keep you Co2 levels constant and around 30ppm. If Co2 levels fluctuate or drop then algae can sneak in, especially if you have medium to high lighting. 
• Turn your Co2 on 2 hours before the light come on and 2 hours before they go off
• Be sure you have a drop checker to measure Co2 levels (lime green is the goal not dark green)
• Run your lights between 8 and 10 hours a day. Use a timer to do this.
• Do not let natural sunlight into your aquarium as this light is extremely bright and you will risk getting algae
• If your aquarium is lightly stocked with plants and you have just started running Co2 consider adding some fast growing plants, even if they are temporary until your favourite more harder to grow plants “bush out” and establish themselves. Broad leaf Indian fern left to float around is an excellent choice. It seems to be the more plants you have, the better all your plants will grow and the less chance you will have of algae occurring. We are unsure of the science behind this but from much experience this seems to be a sure way to succeed.
• Do not overfeed your fish as you do not want left over food rotting in your aquarium. This will have a negative affect on plants by allowing algae to germinate.
• Never let JBL root balls or any root balls/tabs escape out of the substrate and into the water column. Unfortunately this will create unwanted algae. If this does happen, do a large water change as soon as possible.
• If you are finding it difficult to reach sufficient levels of Co2, you can top it up using Seachem Flourish Excel. This is not dangerous to fish and merely offers a top up of Co2 in another form. This is a safer option than turning up the Co2 if you are worried about gasing your fish. Top ups using excel is especially effective if you have high light, as the demand for Co2 increases with the more light you have.
• Please contact us via our facebook page if you are feeling uncertain.

Offers: If you want us to make you up a custom fertiliser please email us with your recipe in grams. Price will depend on the amount of ingredient used. PPS-Pro method for example is more expensive but will last longer. We are happy to send a quote. 

Ingredients available if making up custom recipe: 

• Potassium Sulphate
• Potassium Bicarbonate
• Potassium Nitrate
• Monopotassium phosphate
• Sodium Bicarbonate
• Calcium Sulphate
• Magnesium Sulphate
• Trace Elements for aquatic plants – Contains iron and necessary trace elements and is safe for fish