[QQQUUUUAADDD]

Hi guys, whenever I pour dry ferts into my tank dry, my fish start eating tiny pieces of them. Do any of you experience this? Is there a way to stop this without premixing in bottle and dosing wet?

 

[Powchekny]

Put it in a mesh bag, and put it in your filter outflow?

 

[Diana]

I have seen that, and not had a problem.
I have seen some posts where people have lost livestock when they do that.

If you are running a HOB filter, then dose into that. The churning of the water will dissolve the ferts before they get into the tank.
If you have anything else, and there is lots of surface water movement, then dose slowly into the maximum water movement. If that does not dissolve the ferts, or at least spread them out so the fish get only tiny amounts, then you may have to go to dissolving the ferts outside the tank.

 

[Rich Guano]

Have you considered adding the ferts into the filter?

 

[oscarsx]

That's funny you say that because cause my fish do exactly that, ever since I added my 20 tetras, I've lost 3 to unknown deaths.. I'm not sure if they died because of consuming my Ferts or natural causes...

They still doing that but no deaths so far

- oz

 

[QQQUUUUAADDD]

I've been dosing into the current of the HOB. It doesn't dissolve fast enough. Next time I will try dissolving it in the HOB itself. I will be upgrading to an Eheim so then I can but the ferts by the spraybar. I have also not witnessed any deaths. Thanks everyone.

 

[Gooberfish]

I have a glass jar that I use to keep water in to top off my tank. I dose my ferts in the jar, fill with water, shake and top off.

 

[beginragnarok]

Dose into your filter if it is a HOB as others have mentioned.

Or you could make a concentrated solution that would last a few weeks worth of dosing. Otherwise a 250mL Erlenmeyer flask + ferts + water - dilsolve over the course of two minutes then dose. Problem solved.

I think these are your best options if you are worried about your livestock going NOM NOM on ferts.:biggrin:

-Zach

 

[sowNreap]

I had the same problem. I started dosing into the HOB until some undissolved particles got into the impeller and made my HOB quit working. Thankfully I was able to get it cleaned out and working again.

Then started using a jar to pre-mix but even so still can get GH booster to dissolve. Can't get it to dissolve even in boiling water. Now, the day before I need to add it, I boil water, put my GH booster in, add that to a 1-1/2 gal jug and shake, stir, shake, shake and every time I walk by it shake it again. Still wasn't dissolve the next day but at least the particles were smaller and poured them directly onto the sponge in my HOB so they hopefully won't get into the impeller again. Plus I needed to top off my tank so got 2 things done at once. I'm really getting aggravated with the GH booster. My tank is coldwater tank so the GH booster stays in the tank for 5-6 hrs before it's finally totally dissolved.

The other ferts I don't have as much problem with. Use the jar and they dissolve MUCH quicker.

 

[Jeffww]

The component in the gh booster that can't dissolve dissolves better in cooler water, not hot water. It's:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_sulfate

I prefer to replace some of my CaSO4 with CaCl2. It absorbs water very readily but it dissolves much easier. However, there's nothing wrong with being unable to get the calcium sulfate to fully dissociate...it'll do it over time.

 

[HD Blazingwolf]

they eat mine too... usually spit it back out when it tastes bad

 

[sowNreap]

The component in the gh booster that can't dissolve dissolves better in cooler water, not hot water. It's:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_sulfate

I prefer to replace some of my CaSO4 with CaCl2. It absorbs water very readily but it dissolves much easier. However, there's nothing wrong with being unable to get the calcium sulfate to fully dissociate...it'll do it over time.

Thanks for the info. It doesn't seem to be dissolving any quicker now that the water is cold than it did a couple months ago when it was warmer (tank temp is running about 58-60 degrees). 1 teaspoon Gh Booster in my 75 gal tank takes at least 3-4 hrs to dissolve .. my 20 gal takes 5-6 hrs both may take longer but it gets hard to see when the lights go out.

I was thinking of trying something else might try what you do replacing some of the CaSO4 with CaCl2.

 

[ChadRamsey]

i have a HUGE plastic cup, a bladder buster from QT, that i fill 1/2 full with tank water. I toss the ferts in there, stir, and pour it into the tank. The ONLY fert that doesnt dissolve is GH Booster. Everything else is good to go.

 

[temple2101]

they eat mine too... usually spit it back out when it tastes bad

LOL, same here. Never had a problem!