Using Seachem Flourish Products for EI Dosing

[Oliverpool]

Hi,

In my country, its a little difficult to get KNO3. So I was thinking if I could use the Flourish range of products (Nitrogen/Potassium/Phosphate) as a substitute for EI dosing? As you probably already know, EI dosing is really calls for high levels of NPK. Cost is not really a problem for me as I have a small 6G tank.

Do you have any experience of feedback on folks who have done similar? Thanks!

[Tech Support LK]

While I do not have personal experience with using EI dosing, I cannot see any reason why one could not substitute the Flourish products for the dry ferts and get the same results.

Some hobbyists choose to go the dry fert route strictly based upon cost, but find in the long run that it is much easier to use pre-mixed liquid fertilizers. If cost is not of issue, then I think this is a very good choice.

For what it is worth, we do make our products quite concentrated to allow for not only effective and easy to use products, but affordable as well.

[Oliverpool]

Thanks! One more question. I believe I found my mix of NPK. Could I mix flourish NPK into a premixed bottle without any prOblems?

[Tech Support LK]

Depending upon how concentrated the mix will be, there is some potential for precipitation to occur when you add potassium to the mix. You will be able to see this occur though. It may not happen, but it is probably best to dose Flourish Potassium alone.

[dc88]

I have a similar need here to use Flourish Products as EI dosing.

Have a question how to do this as a pre-mix stock, is my concept here correct :

Say, if my tank size is 30L.

And my target level per dosage (3 times per week) are :
NO3 = 5 ppm (weekly target = 15 ppm)
PO4 = 0.5 ppm (weekly target = 1.5 ppm)

From an online fert calculator, I need :
Flourish Nitrogen = 2 ml
Flourish Phosphorus = 5ml
Which as a total is 2 + 5 = 7 ml per dosage,

If to prepare a 6 months worth of dosage at 3x a week,
= 6 mths x 4 weeks/mth x 3 times/week
= 72 dosage x 7ml
= 504 ml total

So can I pre-mix these together in a container ?
72 dosage x 2ml = 144 ml of Flourish Nitrogen
72 dosage x 5ml = 360 ml of Flourish Phosphorus

And dose 7 ml of this mixture 3 times a week ?

I might round it up/down to get a more managable standard measurement (e.g. 5ml each time).
Just want to check is my line logic make sense.

Thanks !
Dennis

[Tech Support HK]

Thank you for your post, dc88!

According to our dosing calculator, you will need 10mL of Flourish Phosphorus weekly (3.3mL three times a week).

If you are wanting 15ppm of NO3 weekly, keep in mind that this will be equal to 3.4ppm nitrogen. Every 1ppm of nitrogen that Flourish Nitrogen contributes to, will increase nitrate to 4.4ppm. According to our dosing calculator, you will need to dose 6.8mL of Flourish Nitrogen weekly (2.8mL three times a week) to maintain 15ppm nitrate.

Therefore, to prepare a 6 months worth of dosage at 3x a week,
= 6 mths x 4 weeks/mth x 3 times/week
= 72 dosage x 6ml
= 432 ml total

To pre-mix these together in a container:
72 dosage x 3ml = 216 ml of Flourish Nitrogen
72 dosage x 3ml = 216 ml of Flourish Phosphorus

[Tech Support HK]

We do recommend maintaining Nitrogen and Phosphorus in a 5:1 ratio within the tank. According to what you will be dosing weekly, you will be creating a 2.3:1 ratio. However, the nitrates produced by fish waste in your aquarium may bump you to the 5:1 ratio, as long as your nitrate level runs about 30ppm, while your phosphate runs about 1.5ppm.

[dc88]

Thanks !

Just to clarify you recommend "Nitrogen and Phosphorus in a 5:1 ratio" it is N:P ratio ?

I am trying to experiment and the reason I am using NO3:PO4 as ratio is because my test kit measure NO3 and PO4, can't measure N and P. And I pick 10:1 for NO3:PO4 is just a start and may tune it as I go. My tap water already have 5ppm NO3 and 0.5ppm PO4 to begin with, and with fish waste and fish food hence I take the cautious start.

So if is 5:1 N:P ratio is a recommended goal, what do you suggest if is NO3:PO4 ratio ? (in order to measure it with my test kit).

Another question I have is the recommendation of the dosage.
" If you are wanting 15ppm of NO3 weekly, keep in mind that this will be equal to 3.4ppm nitrogen. Every 1ppm of nitrogen that Flourish Nitrogen contributes to, will increase nitrate to 4.4ppm. According to our dosing calculator, you will need to dose 6.8mL of Flourish Nitrogen weekly (2.8mL three times a week) to maintain 15ppm nitrate."

=> Here your suggestion is to reach 30ppm of NO3 instead of 15ppm ?
=> 2.8mL x3 = 8.4mL of Flourish Nitrogen ? not 6.8mL ? Or is it 2.3ml x 3 ?


Good to know I can premix Flourish Nitrogen with Flourish Phosphorus !!!
Seachem is great product offer good flexibility to suit my needs.

[Tech Support HK]

To convert a phosphate reading to phosphorus, simply divide phosphates by 3. To convert a nitrate reading to nitrogen, simply divide nitrate by 4.4.

The Nitrogen to Phosphorus ratio should be 5:1. The nitrate to phosphate ratio should roughly be 3.5:1. It is difficult to keep this ratio when you begin combining the Flourish Nitrogen and Flourish Phosphorus and dosing them at the same time. Nitrates will also be produced by fish waste and decomposing food or plant matter. So even if you make a solution that will result in the correct ratio, the ratio will be thrown off by nitrates produced within the tank. Therefore, it is best to dose these components separately.

The 30ppm nitrate I mentioned was referring to what you nitrate level would probably be by the end of the week after dosing 15ppm nitrate, plus the nitrates produced within the tank. I did forget to convert the phosphate to phosphorus, so if your nitrate runs at about 30ppm by the end of the week, your phosphate will need to be high; around 8ppm. So I would suggest dosing lower than 15ppm nitrate.