Custom nutrient mixes...Why use premix?

[Audionut]

I've been heavily into planted aquariums for some time now, and the cheapest method of fertilizing the tanks is with dry nutrients blended as needed.  K2SO4, KNO3, KH2PO4, etc, etc.

 

So now the time has come to grow my own weed for personal use and I've been looking at fertilization methods, and it seems that everyone uses store bought blends or blends of these store bought blends.  The local BGA here sells nutrients for around $1/kg (20-25kg bags), so while the initial outlay may be higher, the savings in the long run are immense.  Not to mention that given that you have complete control over N/P/K/S/Ca/Mg/Trace ratios, you can tinker as needed during the various cycles of the plant.

 

I've been using the waste water from my aquarium for watering the garden.  This only contains a light concentration of nutrients since I must care for aquarium life, and it really only supplements the organic nutrients in the soil anyway.  But I figured with so much excess nutrients floating around the house, it makes sense to see if I can drive weed growth as fast as possible.

 

So what's the go.......Is it just a general lack of knowledge, or is there something I'm missing?

 

edit:  A image of the tank, click for bigger.

 

Edited March 7, 2016 by Audionut

[merl1n]

Why I use premix is primarily less pissin around with balances. Everything I need is in one bottle, its a balanced mix. In my case even has pH balance, sure it needs some fine tuning to get the pH right but its within the 'ballpark' of what I require and only a few drops of adjustment fluid required. I know of someone who uses pigeon shit but their pH is way off and they are often bitchin about burning of the leaves due to this. My NPK is also balanced and although there is N,P and K in fish effluent I doubt it would be considered balanced. This balance is especially important for me as I grow full hydro in perlite, so there are no other available nutes other than what I feed. Growing in soil, where other nutes would be available, this would not need to be so refined but I'd still be a bit concern around balances.

 

Merl1n

[Matanuska Thunder]

na' you are not missing a thing, it's all about convenience

 

hubby once grew hydro tomatoes using the bulk nutrients ... he could never figure out why I didn't do the same.

I'm a stoner, easy is well, easy...

 

Aquaponics is a great way to feed canna plants but, you'd need a much bigger tank 

[Naycha]

You could grow some decent plants with your own mix but I think you would be hard pressed matching a commercial product. You can get basic nutrients cheap but they are probably not going to react well when mixed, some nutrients need to be chelated and certain forms of nutrients react in certain ways when mixed together (because there are different types of sulphur etc) blah blah blah

 

You do pay a lot more for commercial nutrients but a lot of what you are paying for is the research that goes into making the product, particularly if you are using a nutrient developed specifically for growing Cannabis hydroponically.

[Audionut]

I have a spreadsheet that I use for the aquarium,I could modify it for ease of use and adapt it a little better for the need at hand.  I'll try and do that over the next few days, and share some knowledge.  It really is easy.

[forgetiwashere]

its just laziness on my end. plus im a stoner. the less room for error the better.

[torrietree]

Laziness, ability to walk in a buy what I need, easily conselibul with other shopping in bunnings, people know what I'm using. And lazy again

[Joey Genovese]

Hydroponic nutrients are for hydroponic plants...sure you can make your own, but they are not going to be nowhere near as stable. You will be banging your head against the wall while getting lower yields among a million other nightmares to deal with.

[itchybromusic]

Laziness, ability to walk in a buy what I need, easily conselibul with other shopping in bunnings, people know what I'm using. And lazy again

the funniest thing you see at bunnings is you young blokes , early 20's lookin like a boy from the hood 

checkin out nutes , Nah he's not growin canna he's just an early 20's bloke that likes his roses & gardenias ,

 

Everybody looks at me when i'm buying my canna nutes in any health food shop ,

except there not lookin & sayin " that's a grower " , it's more like , " that's a fucken hippy "

[forgetiwashere]

people see me buying my nutes and they say "hey mate hows things?"