[cralz]

Hey everyone, I'm trying to set up a system to automatically dose my fertilizers. I'm just wondering, is there any problem with mixing together dry ferts to make an all-in-one solution? I'd most likely be mixing K2SO4, KH2PO4, KNO3, and a micro nutrient mix. I just want to know if I'll run into any problems with reactions, precipitation, algae (the whole system will be in the dark 99% of the time), anything like that.

As for my delivery system, I've been looking at this KollerCraft Aqua Lifter pump. Has anyone ever used it before, and would it be suitable as a liquid fertilizer dosing pump?

Thanks.

 

[jmowbray]

I'm not sure how you would dose with that pump. There is no way to tell it to turn on or off unless you have controller like you would put on a reef tank. I use that pump to run an ATO on my reef tank. An alternative would be a Marine Color triple doser. That's what I use of my tank to dose ferts. Also you have to keep the macros and micros seperate or you will pull things out of solution.

 

[cralz]

I was imagining plugging it into a programmable digital timer, running a test to find out its mL/min output, and programming the timer to run once a day or whatever for the appropriate amount of time to get my pre-calculated dose. Those triple-peristaltic pump units are pretty expensive to me, I'm doing this on a budget.

So micros and macros aren't compatible? That's exactly the kind of info I was looking for, thanks.

 

[jmowbray]

You setup should work with the timer.

I have always been told about the ferts.

 

[nilocg]

You will have troubles mixing the kh2po4 and the micros. The iron in the micros and the phosphates in the kh2po4 will form an insoluble precipitate.