dosing and solutions recomendations

**Biollante** · 10-04-2011, 03:39 AM

Hi,

If you suspect you, live in a “soft water” area, glassware dries quite clear with only “blotchiness” and spots I recommend adding up to 16 teaspoons (~50 grams) of (CaSO₄)₂.H₂O at each water change that adds about 4-dGH to each 50-gallons.

It is hard to mess up with Calcium sulfate.

If you suspect you, live in a “soft water” area, glassware dries quite clear with no real spots; if anything an even film forms, you may wish to add a little baking soda, sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO₃, at each water change, 5-grams will raise 50-gallons of water a bit more than 1-dKH (~1.06-dKH).

It is easy to overdo baking soda, so a little care in this.

If you are going to use test kits, calibrate them by making known solutions. It is generally easier to make higher dose, larger solutions then bring them down to workable ranges by serial dilutions. If you have a scale, you can calibrate to ¹⁄₁₀ gram that works well for our purposes.

Biollante

**Biollante** · 10-05-2011, 08:13 AM

Hi,
Just seeing if I can place equations in a post.

If you add 50 grams of (CaSO₄)₂.H₂O to 50-gallons of water you add:
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]

apparently not...

for the mathematically challenged, yet curious, the answer is about 286-ppm sulfate, 71.76-ppm Calcium and 16-ppm water.

Biollante

**Biollante** · 10-09-2011, 02:01 AM

Hi,

In response to an email inquiry, it is about 95.5-ppm Sulfur added to the water column.

I am pretty sure it is hard to overdo Sulfur as sulfate.

No, I do not care what someone, somewhere else says, sulfate does not cause hydrogen sulfide.

(Hanging out with morons increases the odds you are, or will become, one.)

For more than you will ever need to know, I commend to all, “Sulfur’s role in Aquatic Macrophytes” by our very own Tom Barr. http://www.barrreport.com/showthread...sletter-Sulfur

*********************************************
From now on when anybody asks to figure anything dosing related, I am going to go to Wet’s amazing “Yet Another Nutrient Calculator” http://calc.petalphile.com/, get the numbers, round ‘em off, fuzz ‘em up and be done that is awesome!

Biollante,
My Mom says you are all just jealous, ‘cause I am special.

**omartinez** · 10-10-2011, 05:05 PM

for the moment all is great....the dosing you recomended is going great....

What are the signs of sulfur excess? just asking

and what is hydrogen sulfide? and why is bad on the tank?

**Biollante** · 10-10-2011, 08:12 PM

Hi,

I have seen sulfur deficiencies in terrestrial plants, cannot say I have ever seen it in aquatic plants.

As far as over dosing sulfur in planted tanks I am sure it is possible, I suspect the smell would be a giveaway.

I am uncomfortable discussing Sulfur since most of what I know or think I know is courtesy Tom Barr, he has published a paper on the subject, and I would simply be plagiarizing his work. http://www.barrreport.com/showthread...sletter-Sulfur
For the record, I believe a subscription to the “Barr Report” may be one of the best investments any serious planted tank keeper can make.

Hydrogen sulfide is an over exaggerated topic, and while sulfur or sulfates need to be present, they do not “cause” hydrogen sulfide. Organic material and a distinct lack of oxygen are also required.

In fact in some cases we use the sulfur cycle as a method of biological filtration.

For hydrogen sulfide discussion, http://www.barrreport.com/showthread...0977#post70977 is good. Also http://www.barrreport.com/showthread...0378#post40378.

Biollante