ADA Ferts vs Pfertz vs Dry Ferts

[Green_Flash]

Trying to decide on what ferts to purchase.

ADA Brighty K
ADA Green Brighty Step 1

Pfertz High Tech
NPK + Micros

Dry Ferts from GLA

I need some explanations on pro/cons and why one option might be best.

thanks for looking

[Monster Fish]

I use dry ferts because they are cheap and you can modify your dosage based on your needs. Though they take a bit of work since you need to measure them out or mix them yourself into solutions. I'd probably go pfertz if I didn't have the time to dose dry.

[sayurasem]

Pfertz had 55% off everything yesterday... really worth it.
Plus I just love the design of the bottles, I'm a sucker for nice package products.

[DeeJayA1]

I just took advantage of the Pfertz sale... but bobstropicalplants.com has a sale on the npk csm+b combo pack for dry ferts... i put a good amount of thought into it and I didn't want to have to figure out the dosing for dry and have to deal with a 50% water change every week for EI. I just hope the pfertz works with my laziness in maintenance.

[Diana]

Dry ferts.

Do not pay for water, or shipping water.
Liquid ferts are mostly water with just a little bit of active ingredient.

If you want the bottles, then go ahead and order them. Once. Then get dry ingredients to refill.

[Hoppy]

The 50% water changes called for in the EI method are not because dry fertilizers are used, but because dosages are intentionally a bit higher than the plants will use, allowing the concentration to build up in the water over time. Whether you use Pfertz, ADA fertilizers, GLA fertilizer chemicals, or Flourish products, you still need the water changes if you dose enough to make sure the plants' growth rates are not reduced by a lack of a nutrient.

[Sotty]

I would vote for Dry ferts as well. Definitely most bang for your buck and once you get used to dosing them they aren't anymore hassle. I find them less actually, when compared to having to frequently reorder the bottled liquid products (a couple years worth of dry ferts takes up less space than a month or two of liquid so its easy to keep extra in hand).

Don't get me wrong, ADA is a great company and has some really nice products. Their ferts will definitely grow plants, but there isn't any "magic" compound in there that will guarantee your success.

[sayurasem]

Pfertz is having 60% off everything before shipping

[LushLED]

Originally Posted by sayurasem

Pfertz is having 60% off everything before shipping

Actually, 45% off. Just got high tech+ bundle from them.

[STS_1OO]

Entirely new here but have a low-to-medium light setup. What types and where from do you all get your dry ferts?

Pfertz for a 5g (thinking only Nitrogen, roots and micros) that would last years seems much more convenient than mixing dry ferts.

Dry ferts (from the little i know) always made more sense in my head for larger tanks with high light. But for nano tanks (especially low-to-medium light), Pfertz seems more convenient considering the savings are negligible at the use-rate we're talking about.

Also, in case it was mentioned already, the Pfertz discount is after applying a coupon code.

As for pros and cons its just more work vs. higher price.

I may upgrade my tank to high light + Co2 pending light selection in which case I will likely use dry ferts.

[Darkblade48]

Originally Posted by STS_1OO

Entirely new here but have a low-to-medium light setup. What types and where from do you all get your dry ferts?

At the very least, you will need

potassium nitrate
potassium phosphate
a trace mix (CSM+B, Iron EDTA, etc)

You can also supplement with things such as calcium sulfate, magnesium sulfate and potassium sulfate, depending on your water parameters.

I got my dry fertilizers at a hydroponics store; I believe some users also sell them on these forums (I would as well, but I am in Canada, and shipping across the border is a hassle).

[Green_Flash]

Another option I found was root medic one step.