Autodosing for Dummies

[Wasserpest]

If you plan to place the mixture container underneath the tank, I would go with a slightly stronger pump, like the MiniJet AS606.

Aquarium Water Pumps & Powerheads: UL-Listed Mini•Jet Pumps

Mini-Jet 606 Powerhead - Marine Depot - Marine and Reef Aquarium Super Store

[donaldbyrd]

Are there any concerns with mixing more than a week of macros at a time? Will they degrade if they are in water too long?

[Martin]

I'm trying out a mix of both micros and macros.
They last about 10 days(ish)
So far I haven't seen any problems with mold or anything else.
I mix the amounts, written in my signature, with RO water.

[Wasserpest]

Originally Posted by donaldbyrd

Are there any concerns with mixing more than a week of macros at a time? Will they degrade if they are in water too long?

Good question, which has come up a couple of times in this thread.

Initially, I mixed macros and micros, less KH2PO4, together in one container. After two weeks, it grew slimy black stuff, and stank.

To figure out what was causing which, I separated macros and micros. Now the macro solution was smelly, and the micro solution grew stuff.

I noticed that mixing only KNO3 and K2SO4 and leaving the phosphates out would reduce smellyness. Now I mix just N and K and the solution is dosed for four weeks and it doesn't smell bad. Just for the record, for my 100gal tank, I use ~1gal of water and dissolve 6 tsp of KNO3, 4 tsp of K2SO4, and 2 tsp of MgSO4. I dose P separately, once a week.

It is possible that the solution will last longer if it is higher or lower concentrated. Would be worth to do some testing, but for now I am happy with the 4 week cycle.

Regarding the micros, I haven't found a way to prevent the growth. Instead, I am using the Fluidoser which injects full strength Flourish into the tanks. Using undiluted micros, nothing grows in there.

[Justintoxicated]

I was thinking about trying an airpump setup rather than a small pump.

Then I could use a nice 2 Liter bottle and have a good seal at the top (twist the cap on) - No Stinkyness.

what are the advantages to using a pump?

edit: Another option would be to use an inline pump I suppose, with a one way valve to keep the container from imploding.

BTW: I picked up an electric timer at Target in the X-mas light section that you can run in 1 minute intervals and alternate days of the week to dose if you choose to (allowing you to mix more concentrated in your container if needed). It was $10.

[Wasserpest]

The airpump method works well for smaller containers. For a 2l bottle, you would have a large air space as the solution gets lower, and there will be a large difference of what is dosed when the bottle is full vs when the bottle is almost empty.

Stinkyness isn't really an issue for the room, more so for the fishies, so moving that into a closed bottle doesn't resolve the problem.

[RoseHawke]

I haven't noticed any smell or growth in mine. However mine is mixed about half strength, and is changed (when I remember ) about every 10 days. I do not use treated water for the solution, just water straight from the tap, figuring it's just a couple cups a day, and the tank gets a weekly water change. The macros are all in one bucket, micros in another, dosed about 4 hours apart. The micros consist of Flourish, Flourish Iron, and Flourish Excel. The Excel, however is a full recommended dose. No problems so far.

[donaldbyrd]

I have been mixing about 2 weeks of macros at a time and about a month of micros so far no smells or anything growing.

[MoonFish]

I just bought some of the old people MTWTFSS pill dispensers and shoveled the dry goods into that. I just set it up. I wonder how many problems I have had from hastily tossing mini spoonfulls into the tank? Not to mention the forgetting.

[5380]

I have been doing planted tanks for a few years, and my 500ml CSM+B+phosphate always grew mold. I made it so that 1ml was the dose for the week, and stored it in the fridge and it still grew mold. About a year ago it occured to me to use Excel as 1/2 the solvent, no mold and no fridge needed. And if i spray it on any BGA it dies, even kills the clado that i had.

HTH

[vidiots]

Originally Posted by Symbiot

I'm trying out a mix of both micros and macros.
They last about 10 days(ish)
So far I haven't seen any problems with mold or anything else.
I mix the amounts, written in my signature, with RO water.

I have read that the issue with mixing the micros and macros isn't so much mold, but that the phosphate can combine with the iron and render both unavailable to plants. I am not a chemist so I don't know or understand this first hand.

[Anthony]

I've always read about the "precipitive fallout" of phosphates and iron being dosed together as well, hmmm.....

[Wasserpest]

Originally Posted by Anthony

I've always read about the "precipitive fallout" of phosphates and iron being dosed together as well, hmmm.....

I have even seen it!

So yes, I think combining micros (iron) and phosphates in concentrated form in one container isn't a good idea. That's why you see often macro and micro dosing containers separate. Others combine everything except the phosphates.

[Anthony]

Will mixing everything will the exception of phosphates in one container cause the micros to degrade?

[donaldbyrd]

I mix my micro's and macro's separately. My micro mix is 1TBLS of csm+b plus iron to 250 ml of tap water which last me a little over a month I have never noticed mold or any smells from it other then the slight smell of the iron.