Liquid Fertilizers

[Byron]

Yeah it has Calcium and Magnesium in the fertilizer, does not affect Ph from my testings but increases GH when I dose it the right way. But I just did not know the reliability of that. Thanks guys

Are you certain? I just checked the ingredients, and there is not sufficient calcium to increase the GH, though if you have a digital GH meter or something it might detect minimal amounts. But the API GH/KH liquid test cannot as it only measures in degrees, and there is not sufficient calcium nd magnesium in Thrive to increase the GH by 1 whole degree. Maybe there is something else occurring?

 

[Byron]

I had to google osmotic pressure. So, that would be the ability for the pure water to pass thru the fishes skin membrane?

Freshwater fish continually assimilate water via osmosis through their cells; this is how they "drink." The problem is, that substances dissolved in the water are thus entering the fish, provided the ions of the substance dissolved in the water can diffuse across the cell membranes. Calcium and magnesium, the two principle minerals involved with GH, readily enters the fish's bloodstream, and so will many other minerals and even more dangerous additives. This calcium is OK for hard water fish species, essential in fact, as they obtain the necessary minerals for their physiology to function properly from the water they live in--which is why GH is so important for such fish. Soft water species have the opposite problem, as these minerals enter their bloodstream and because they are not needed for anything they get pulled into the kidneys to be "flushed out"--except they end up blocking the kidneys and the fish dies.

 

[maritzsa]

Are you certain? I just checked the ingredients, and there is not sufficient calcium to increase the GH, though if you have a digital GH meter or something it might detect minimal amounts. But the API GH/KH liquid test cannot as it only measures in degrees, and there is not sufficient calcium nd magnesium in Thrive to increase the GH by 1 whole degree. Maybe there is something else occurring?

Are you certain? I just checked the ingredients, and there is not sufficient calcium to increase the GH, though if you have a digital GH meter or something it might detect minimal amounts. But the API GH/KH liquid test cannot as it only measures in degrees, and there is not sufficient calcium nd magnesium in Thrive to increase the GH by 1 whole degree. Maybe there is something else occurring?

No it does boost GH. I conducted the experiment by getting a gallon of water putting the accurate dosage of thrive in drops and measured GH before adding thrive and after. We filter our water so there is almost no Calcium or Magnesium where my GH measures our the tap 1 dGH. After Thrive I measure 8dGH. Did the same tests for aquariums before water change then after change with thrive and get the same degress.

 

[itiwhetu]

Fish keeping is primarily about constants. You need to be careful that you don't have fluctuating parameters. That is why if you are going to do 50% water changes always do 50% water changes. If you are going to use any fertilizers use them consistently, don't vary the amounts.

 

[Byron]

No it does boost GH. I conducted the experiment by getting a gallon of water putting the accurate dosage of thrive in drops and measured GH before adding thrive and after. We filter our water so there is almost no Calcium or Magnesium where my GH measures our the tap 1 dGH. After Thrive I measure 8dGH. Did the same tests for aquariums before water change then after change with thrive and get the same degress.

I'm not following this. First, on the tests, what is the GH of the bucket of tap water on its own, no other additives (no conditioner, no Thrive, etc)? What is the GH of the bucket of water after Thrive is added? We need the actual GH numbers here.

Second, this filtering may be involved. What exactly is this, a softener?

 

[StevenF]

maritzsa​

Hey guys so I was wondering if liquid fertilizers can successfully double as GH boosters. Because I did a test with NilocG Thrive liquid fertilizer and it increased GH ( I test with api liquid tests).

For starters the GH test only detects calcium and magnesium Calcium and magnesium both are needed by plants and hish also needed.

So you would think all fertilizers contain calcium and mangnesium. However if you look at the ingredient labls. over 90% of fertilizers don't have calcium. Most do list magneisum but when you calculate how much magnesium ithe recommended doseage provides you will find most fertilizers proved very little magneisum when comapared to the amount plants need.

So you cannot use liquid fertilizer to maintain a stable GH in your tank. If you did you would send up with zero calcium and a lot of magneisum which is not healthy to fish or plants.

In theory 2 degrees GH with 3 part calcium to one part magnesium (the typicalCa Mg ratio in GH boosters ) should be enough for plants. and soft water fish. However for hard water fish much higher levels may be needed.

I did a test with NilocG Thrive liquid fertilizer and it increased GH ( I test with api liquid tests).

The API liquid test provides a reading in degrees GH. 1 degree is 17.8 miligrams per liter (17.8ppm) of GH. According to Rotalabutterfly.com fertilizer calculator thrive only provides less than 0.1 ppm of magnesium and no Ca. So if thetest kit is good and you performed the test properly you should not have not seen any increase in GH. I can only conclude that something went wrong with your test or your fertilizer has more magenesium than it should have.