Tommy Vercetti

@Seattle_AquaristUsing this Calcium test kit from API that clearly says that it is for Salt Water, I get a result of 80 ppm calcium from my tank.

Thanks for that. I have an api calcium test kit but it says that it is for saltwater. Do you think that will work for freshwater?

I also run a chihiros wrgb 2 and mine remembers all settings and can be turned on and off with a smart plug. I originally intended to use it in manual mode with a smart plug timer. I ran it this way for 2 week then decides to try the ramp features and it appears that my cherry barbs like the sunset so I now run the light with a 1 hour ramp up and 1 hr ramp down.

Roy, thanks for offing to help. I am not sure where you read those numbers. I have never seen calcium listed that low in Lake Mead and would like to read that data. But the Las Vegas Valley Water District has calcium listed at 70 ppm and Magnesium at 23 ppm. I do not have a water softener on my house. My phosphates are low (hence the title of this thread) they were measuring at 0 and currently are 1ppm. Silicone, okay there is Silicone that holds the glass of my aquarium together. Thank you for trying to help, I really do appreciate it but I am going to follow the advice given by @Mmiller2001 until I get a handle on this staghorn algae, which is the main concern and goal at this time.

I live in Las Vegas Nevada and our tap water comes from Lake Mead on the Colorado River. That tap water should be very high in calcium and magnesium.

Earlier in this tread, I state that I purchased a dry fertilizer kit that includes this (I am almost positive that this would be the same Epsom salt) : Also can this be mixed with my macros or micros for the sake of simplicity?

Here is a better photo of that S. Repens

Update: I have started my dosing of GLA fertilizers and also I have received my TDS meter. Tap water reads 420 ppm and my aquarium yesterday tested at 330 ppm. I don't really know what those numbers mean but at least I have a base-line. user error (tank tested at 564 TDS)

WOW, that aquarium is beautiful! I found some time to recalculate my fertilizer recipe and have come up with the following: Macros: To reach your target of 5ppm NO3 you will need to add 12.34 grams of KNO3 to your 500mL dosing container. Add 15mL of that mix to your 12gal aquarium to yield: Element ppm/degree KNO3 5 13.7 - 0 - 46 N 1.13 K 3.15 To reach your target of 1.3ppm PO4 you will need to add 2.82 grams of KH2PO4 to your 500mL dosing container. Add 15mL of that mix to your 12gal aquarium to yield: Element ppm/degree KH2PO4 1.3 0 - 52 - 34 P 0.42 K 0.54 To reach your target of 5ppm K you will need to add 16.87 grams of K2SO4 to your 500mL dosing container. Add 15mL of that mix to your 12gal aquarium to yield: Element ppm/degree K2SO4 5 0 - 0 - 52 S 2.05 Dose these levels 2-4 times a week for EI. Classic EI depends on good CO2, good circulation, and regular water changes. Light past moderation is not so important. Micros: To reach your target of 0.133ppm Fe you will need to add 2.88 grams of Plant-Prod Micro Mix (Green leaf Aquarium EDTA+DTPA to your 500mL dosing container. Add 15mL of that mix to your 12gal aquarium to yield: Element ppm/degree Fe 0.133 Fe as EDTA 0.076 Mg 0.089 Zn 0.008 Cu 0.002 B 0.025 Mo 0.001 Dose these levels 2-4 times a week for EI. Classic EI depends on good CO2, good circulation, and regular water changes. Light past moderation is not so important.

Thank you, I will take your advice. I have been shooting for 20 ppm to 40 ppm N03 with the Easygreen. I do have Phosphate test and I don't mind buying other test if needed. The way you explained the dosing and accumulated totals makes much more sense than any other source of my research thus far. Thank you so much for taking the time to help me. I have a busy weekend but hopefully I find the time to rework my calculations and start my EI dosing schedule on Monday. Once again, thank you. I realize that was a lot of effort for no reward and I am grateful. I am a diesel technician and automotive mechanic so if there is ever any information that you need, from my field of expertise, I would be more than happy to oblige.

Thanks I will do that. Nice, it works out to the same 5.05 grams.

Thank you! Guaranteed Analysis: Green Leaf Aquarium EDTA+DTPA Micromix Chelated Iron (actual) (Fe) - 7.0% Chelated Manganese (actual) (Mn) - 2.0% Chelated Zinc (actual) (Zn) - 0.4% Chelated Copper (actual) (Cu) - 0.1% Molybdenum (actual) (Mo) - 0.06% Boron (actual) (B) - 1.3% EDTA (Ethylene diamine tetraacetate) - 42% DTPA (Diethylene triamine pentaacetate) - 14% Guaranteed Minimum Analysis Plant-Prod Chelated Micronutrient Mix Chelated Iron (Fe) (actual) 7% Chelated Manganese (Mn) (actual) 2% Chelated Zinc (Zn) (actual) 0.4% Chelated Copper (Cu) (actual) 0.1% Boron (B) (actual) 1.3% Molybdenum (Mo) (actual) 0.06% EDTA (Ethylene diamine tetraacetate) 42% DTPA (Diethylene triamine pentaacetate) 14%

Okay Mmiller2001, I need a little help. I have used the calculator to learn the quantity of fertilizers to use in my 500ml bottles. I could not find GLA micros on the Drop-down list, so i did some research and found that "Plant-Prod Chelated Micronutrient Mix" is exactly that same listed ingredients and that product is on the calculator's list. I would like to try EI dosing of an arbitrary 15ml daily (alternating macros one day the micros the following day Etc.) Below is my recipe for the mix. Could you please have a look and let me know if this looks okay to you? I am a newb after all and it could not hurt to get an expert to weigh in with advice. Please let me know what you think. Thank you! Macros: To reach your target of 7.5ppm NO3 you will need to add 21.6 grams (equivalent to 3 tsp + 1/8 tsp + 1/32 tsp + 1/64 tsp ) of KNO3 to your 500mL dosing container. Add 15mL of that mix to your 14gal aquarium to yield: Element ppm/degree KNO3 7.5 13.7 - 0 - 46 N 1.69 K 4.73 To reach your target of 1.3ppm PO4 you will need to add 3.29 grams (equivalent to 1/2 tsp + 1/16 tsp + 1/64 tsp ) of KH2PO4 to your 500mL dosing container. Add 15mL of that mix to your 14gal aquarium to yield: Element ppm/degree KH2PO4 1.3 0 - 52 - 34 P 0.42 K 0.54 To reach your target of 7.5ppm K you will need to add 29.53 grams (equivalent to 1 tbsp + 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp + 1/16 tsp + 1/32 tsp + 1/64 tsp ) of K2SO4 to your 500mL dosing container. Add 15mL of that mix to your 14gal aquarium to yield: Element ppm/degree K2SO4 7.5 0 - 0 - 52 S 3.08 Dose these levels 2-4 times a week for EI. Classic EI depends on good CO2, good circulation, and regular water changes. Light past moderation is not so important. Micros: To reach your target of 0.2ppm Fe you will need to add 5.05 grams (equivalent to 1 tsp + 1/8 tsp ) of Plant-Prod Chelated (same as GLA EDTA+DTPA "Chelated Iron (Fe) (actual) 7%, Chelated Manganese (Mn) (actual) 2%, Chelated Zinc (Zn) (actual) 0.4%, Chelated Copper (Cu) (actual) 0.1%, Boron (B) (actual) 1.3%, Molybdenum (Mo) (actual) 0.06%, EDTA (Ethylene diamine tetraacetate) 42%, DTPA (Diethylene triamine pentaacetate) 14%" to your 500mL dosing container. Add 15mL of that mix to your 14gal aquarium to yield: Element ppm/degree Fe 0.2 Fe as EDTA 0.12 Fe as DTPA 0.04 Mn 0.057 Zn 0.011 Cu 0.003 B 0.037 Mo 0.002 Dose these levels 2-4 times a week for EI. Classic EI depends on good CO2, good circulation, and regular water changes. Light past moderation is not so important.

Thank you for link. I will study while I wait for delivery of the GLA kit. Shipping was steep ($$$) so I went ahead and paid for 2 day shipping to help me cope with the sting.

Okay, I have it ordered. Thanks again!

I guess I need EDTA+DTPA because my PH is 7.2 before my co2 kicks on. Then ph is 6.4 when the co2 turns off. Is this correct? That would be this kit:

Should I just go ahead an buy this kit: (can't post links because I am new) GLA PRO PPS ?

Thanks, for your help. I will order that and cross my fingers. I have been researching this all morning and I think I will try to target phosphates at 2ppm.

I forgot to mention the photo period is a total of 8 hrs with a 1 hour ramp up and a 1 hour ramp down

I have 14 gallon cube, 4 months old. Heavily planted, pressurized co2 injected, chihiros wrgb2 light running at 80%, fluval stratum substrate, dosing easy green at 5 pumps every other day, water change 50% once every week. Ammonia 0 Nitrites 0 Nitrates 20 to 30 ppm Ph 7.2 dKH 7 Phosphates 0 (using api liquid test kit) Plant list; S repens, dwarf baby tears carpet, cabomba, alternanthera reineckii, water sprite, pearl weed, cardinal plant, Monte Carlo, hygrophila pinnatifida, and a few other plants that I don't know the names of. Live stock: 7 Panda Corydoras, 9 cherry barbs, 3 pygmy cory doras, 3 male guppies, 5 guppy fry (from a female that was moved to another tank). 6 amano shrimp, 3 neocardina shrimp, estimated 10 to 15 bladder snails. I have staghorn algae (I think). I have been spot treating it with seachem excel (1.5 ml everyday). That treatment does kill the algae but it has become a game of wack-a-mole. The algae just pops up somewhere else in the tank. I was told by my local and respected fish shop that low phosphates may be the cause of this algae. I don't know where to start should I just start with seachem Phosphorus and see where that goes? Maybe I am way off base. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I would 50% water change daily, until ammonia reads zero. Then taper off starting with 50% water change every other day for a week. Then once a week, unless I detected ammonia on a given day, In which case, you guessed it, 50% water change. Good luck, it will go away with some work and some patience. Be sure not to over feed the tank.

Las Vegas, Nevada.