[APD] RE: the BarrReport.com - Mixing chemicals

[Jeffery Ludwig <jeff at rockytop_net>]

> 5 w/gal of PC lighting:
> Day 1:
> 50% water change, I add 1/4 teaspoon of KNO3, 1/16" of KH2PO4 right
> afterwards
> Day 2:

Tom,

This is something Bailin and I were chatting about during the convention 
and I haven't seen mentionted anywhere else - a lot of these chemicals 
will react, so one should be careful with the order and manner in which 
they are added.  In particular the PO4+Fe reaction is quite quick, 
forming very insoluable salts.  Also liquid stock solutions can start 
growing bacteria, nitrate solutions in particular, so I would add the 
following general advice to what you have (I know you do this but I 
haven't seen it written down too clearly):

1. Try to add everything dry if possible, and allow everything to mix 
well in the tank before adding additional components.  Try and keep the 
phosphate as far away from other chemicals as possilbe in terms of 
dosing time, especially iron based trace.

2. If you must make a stock solution, use distilled water, if its a 
nitrate solution a few drops of HCl will keep bugs from forming, maybe 
even a commerical biocide like Proxel would be appropriate.  Phosphate 
solutions should have a low enough pH to be okay if added to 
distilled/RO water directly (these are hard to measure dry).

Makes we wonder if the huge uptake rates people report with PO4 (1.0ppm 
to 0 in one day, etc) isn't just a reaction with all the trace/ferts 
we're dumping in.  If you want to see this stuff in action, add a little 
 PO4 solution to some Flourish.

Jeff Ludwig
Elkton, MD
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