I3 I L L wrote:
I am rapidly realizing that I should have ordered each ingrediant
seperatly. If I add 2 teaspoons of the PMDD to my 1/2 liter (34mL), I
get 4.45ppm nitrate in KNO3. That's not too bad considering it should
be around 5ppm. Now with that same 2 teaspoons I get 2.81ppm
potassium
in KNO3, 3.49 potassium in K2SO4. Potassium levels should be about
15-20 ppm. Lastly, I get .69 ppm magnesium when it should be 5-10ppm.
What should I do at this point???


Um, I guess I should suggest what worked for me. I was totally
confused for a week or two, and had to keep going back to the
calculator, Greg Watson's page and the write up on "Estimative Index"
by Tom Barr. After two weeks of thinking I had it down and relearning
it when I once again found myself dumb, I finally grasped the concept
and understood the basic plan.

Here's on point I think you may have missed because it hasn't come up
in your previous posts. The calculator lets you know how much stuff is
in each ml of the solution you've made. But you're making a larger
amount, unless you put "1" in the ml of solution box. Using the
calculator, it gives you several boxes to fill in. I use the teaspoon
box, and fill in the amount of water box with 100 ml. I never click
the recalculate box as that changes the page in a weird way. When you
click on one parameter and then another, the calculation takes affect.
So, try this; Put .5 teaspoon in the amount box for KNO3. Put 100 ml
in the amount of solution box and 20g for tank size. Now the answer
will be .23 ppm nitrate in potassium nitrate, right? FOR EACH
MILLITER. If you multiply the answer by 100, it will tell you the
total effect of the 1/2 teaspoon in your 20g tank.

Now, about PMDD... I ordered the trace mix, and a bag of KNO3 and a
bag of KH2P04. Since I have plenty of phosphates in my water already
from fish food, I don't us the KH2P04 and have since had to buy KCI,
pure potassium. Using the calculator for those, I dose accordingly.

What is the ratio of KNO3, KH2P04 and trace elements in the PMDD
recipie you bought? By knowing that, is that how you're using Chuck's
calculator?

steve