ADA Liquid Ferts question

[rick4him]

Does anyone use these ferts?

I am using step 1, brighty K, eca, green gain, Special Lights.

My phosphates has been at .5 and my nitrates around 10 - but only when I put some pumps of Special lights in the tank.

How do I know how much of that to put in the tank? (If you don't have enough what will the result be? If I have to much what will the result be?)

Also I am getting a green tint to my big rocks in my scape. It isn't fuzzy, or hairy, it really just looks like the rocks are turning a "lime" color. What is the cuase of this, and how do I fix it?

Also yesterday I put more pumps then usual of special lights, and my HC started to pearl more then before. Today it isn't pearling as much, but I don't want to dose alot of that special lights and end up causing a problem with alega.

any help would be great.

thanks

you can see the tank at RickOnline.us

 

[Tom Barr]

You can read the ppm's in the last BarrReport newsletter for the ADA liquid.

You can make your own DIY for 10- 20 cents, vs 15$ a bottle.

You can then refill those 15$ bottles

Just use a simple dosing calculator, add the dry ferts to the bottles, and then you are set.

Basically the Step 1-3 are pretty much traces and the bright K, well you know they are K+, it's from KCl vs K2SO4, I prefer K2SO4 though. ADA uses KCL as it dissolve very easily whereas the K2SO4 not so much.

You can also customize the ADA basic formula and add Mg or moire K, more Fe etc, whatever you wish, set up a routine more for dosing 3x a week vs daily or vice versa.

There's no one set formula that will make or break the ADA or any daily dosing method. You are not bound strictly to the routine. Most everyone will tell you to add more or less "depending"............ I think EI is unique as it did this without more or less, rather a non limiting approach.

Still, ADA has plenty of nutrients in the sediments as well, so whatever is added to the water column relieves the draw from the sediment=> makes the Aqua soiil last longer.

So you have flexibility.






Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[detlef]

You can read the ppm's in the last BarrReport newsletter for the ADA liquid.

Sorry Tom,

I cannot see the break down of ADA liquid ferts. Several other people seem to have difficulties finding it as well. The last report solely deals with sediments.

Please direct us blinded people into the right direction!

Best regards,
Detlef

 

[Tom Barr]

Hummm........now it's missing........I have it here, but I'll need to ask Greg where it went, perhaps it was not added back during maintenance of the site.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[shane]

I have used all the ferts you described above. I wanted to see what the big deal with the ferts were. I had so so success but I think doing dry ferts is a better way to go. Especially since ADA ferts are now $20/bottle. IMO they are not worth it.

 

[Tom Barr]

I have used all the ferts you described above. I wanted to see what the big deal with the ferts were. I had so so success but I think doing dry ferts is a better way to go. Especially since ADA ferts are now $20/bottle. IMO they are not worth it.

Heresy to an ADA loyalist!
Off with your green thumbs!

You may still use the same ADA system and bottles if you prefer, but make your DIY solutions that are more individual to your routines, preferences and tap water etc.

As mentioned, there's no one single method that will fit everyone's goal.
Virtually every method is modified in some respect.


Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[Frosties]

Has anyone found the original thread with the breakdown... would be interested in trying this...

thanks

tony

 

[Tom Barr]

Yes, I nagged Greg to repost it.
Might have been lost during the recent server issue, but we have some back ups.

 

[Frosties]

Excellent.

 

[Tom Barr]

I took it off awhile back because some subscribers where taking it and then sending it to everyone they knew and the article was all over the net.

That is one of the banned people, of the total of 3 real people I have ever banned from this site.
Potty mouthing others, really unethical things etc......being a real jerk etc.

I'm pretty open otherwise.

 

[Neil Frank]

Once again, thanks to Tom for making important information about ADA liquid ferts more readily available.

This is quite useful, and is a great supplement to the qualitative table provide by ADA here - ADA Info on their Liquid Ferts.

One small update to Tom's Table 2 (with concentration units in mg/liter):The values for NO3 ion should be 0.22 mg/L and not 0.05 as shown. Lets call this a typo, since all the other concentrations are simply the measured amounts divided by 20,000.

I noticed this when i was comparing to the lean EI type mixture i use in my 2-year old ADA substrate tank and to "typical" EI values.

Until 2 months ago, i increased the mid-day lighting period, and upped the daily dosing on my 120g tank with ferns and crypts to 3/4t KNO3 and 1/4t KH2O4 daily, --resulting in 1, 0.3 and 4 mg/L(ppm) of NO3-N, PO4-P and K. (the calculated concentration includes the 30gal of water in the sump).

When I compared those concentrations to ADA's daily green brighty "shade" + "step 3" dosing, i see that it is similar to the amount of K but 3-5x higher for P and N respectively. Two months ago, I had already cut the daily dosing in half.... and then last month to none. Reason: GDA.... which seem to like the extra light in combination to the extra P and N in the water column ....which the slower growing plants did not need. Normally, i have not seen any issues with extra N and P. However, without faster growing plants to help deplete the water column, it seems to have been problematic in connection with the extra illumination.
GDA is an interesting challenge.

BTW, the ADA shade and sun regimes suggest that two corresponding versions of EI may be useful.

An aside: Adding P is a critical ingredient... the recommendation of which i attribute exclusively to Tom... although we see that our friends across the pacific have similarly discovered this important need. In Europe this approach may not be as common, because it seems that P is quite prevelant in the tap water supply. Its occurence and chemistry in general also varies across the US. I just recently learned the reason that i never had problems growing crypts on NYC -- during the 1960's , is because P is quite high in their water. Maybe that is also why their bagels and pizza are so good . However, it is quite deficient here in NC, and unless i use native soil (high in P), i must add P thru the water to grow crypts here.
--Neil