KLAROS KNOWLEDGE GUIDE
Hydroponic A/B Stock Tank Calculator and Nutrient Recipe Guide
Understand your water. Plan your nutrient mixture with clarity.
The Klaros A/B Nutrient Calculator is an online hydroponic planning tool that brings together water analysis, crop and growth stage, available fertilizers, and the volume and dosing details of two stock tanks. It makes complex nutrient calculations easier to follow for growers who are just getting started.
What does this program do?
It compares selected nutrient targets with the amounts supplied by water and fertilizers, showing the target, supplied amount and deficit or excess for each nutrient. It calculates numerical trial amounts for A and B tanks. The current development version does not provide an approved mixing instruction for direct production use.
Use the calculator in 5 steps
- Choose the crop, growth stage and root medium.
- Check and enter values and units from your laboratory water report.
- Select available fertilizers or add their label composition.
- Enter final A/B tank volumes and separate dosing details.
- Review nutrient balance, deficits, excesses and warnings with your expert.
What are A and B tanks, and why keep them separate?
A/B tanks hold concentrated nutrient stock solutions that are added to irrigation water at specified doses. Stock solution is the concentrated mixture in the tank; final irrigation solution is the diluted water delivered to the crop. Their measurements must not be treated as interchangeable.
Some fertilizers can form precipitates in concentrated mixtures. A general compatibility guideline is to keep calcium sources in a separate stock from phosphate and sulfate sources. Product-specific and site-specific compatibility still needs checking. [1]
Why start with water analysis?
A nutrient solution includes contributions from the starting water as well as fertilizer. Water analysis helps assess these contributions and water quality. EC, pH, alkalinity and individual elements should be considered together. [2]
Enter water data as elemental mg/L. Ca and CaO, or nitrate ion NO₃ and nitrate nitrogen NO₃-N, are not equivalent expressions. Assuming an unmeasured field is zero is not a measurement; do not guess unknown values.
How do crop and growth stage affect the recipe?
The tool includes NFT lettuce, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry and blueberry. Where suitable source data exists, the profile matches the stage and root medium. Rooting, growth, leaf development, bud formation, flowering and fruiting selections apply to combinations with supporting data.
This does not mean every crop has a distinct, complete recipe for every stage. Shared starter profiles are identified rather than replaced with invented targets. Selecting a source profile is optional: leaving it blank uses a suitable existing suggestion. You may also enter targets supplied by your expert.
Calculate with the fertilizers you have
Choose fertilizers from the reference list or enter a solid product’s label percentages in the “Add my fertilizer” panel. The same commercial name does not always mean the same analysis. Check the product name, nutrient forms, percentages and tank assignment against the actual label.
For example, if a label says K₂O 46%, enter 46 in the K₂O field; do not use it directly as elemental K percentage. The tool applies supported oxide conversions. Liquid fertilizer entry and verification of all branded labels are not available in this version.
Why are tank volume and dosing separate inputs?
Tank volume is the final mixture volume you plan to prepare. Dosing describes how much stock from that tank enters the final irrigation solution. The same tank size can produce different results at different dosing ratios. Enter A and B details separately.
Input example only: preparing 100 litres in tank A and using 10 litres from A per 1,000 litres of final irrigation solution are separate facts. This is not a fertilizer or dosing recommendation. Confirm whether your injector ratio applies per channel or in total, and whether it refers to final volume.
What do target, calculated amount and difference mean?
The target is the elemental amount requested by the chosen profile or your expert. The supplied amount is the calculated combined contribution of water and fertilizers. The difference is the deficit or excess relative to that target.
Illustrative example only: a Ca target of 190 mg/L and a calculated amount of 223 mg/L mean an excess of 33 mg/L. Fertilizers supply several elements in fixed ratios, so all targets may not be met simultaneously. A close numerical match alone does not establish stock solubility or suitability on your farm.
EC and pH: separate calculation from measurement
EC relates to overall salinity; pH describes acidity. One EC reading does not prove that each individual element is adequate. After calculation, measured EC and pH can be recorded from the diluted irrigation solution.
This version does not estimate calculated EC or provide acid/pH correction doses. A source profile’s EC or pH range is not a measurement. Do not derive acid quantities yourself from a pH difference; consult an expert.
Calculation basis and current limits
The default calculation path adapts the nutrient-balancing workflow in HydroBuddy source code. Numerical comparisons against the original Pascal reference have been performed; this does not mean every desktop application screen was tested end to end. The alternative balancing option uses a different method and may give different results.
No account is required and calculation inputs are not sent to a server. Saving downloads an input file to your device. Complete stock solubility, all product compatibility checks and cultivar/climate field validation remain unfinished. Results are trial calculations for review with an advisor.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the program without an account or payment?
This local development version has no account or payment step. Open the calculator and explore it with example data.
Can I prepare an A/B recipe without water analysis?
A personalized production mixture requires knowledge of the starting water. Example data or an explicitly selected missing-value assumption is for trials only; neither replaces a real water analysis.
Can strawberry rooting and fruiting use different calculations?
Yes, when the selected source supplies different targets for those stages. Otherwise the tool identifies a shared or partial profile rather than pretending to create different recipes.
Are blackberry and blueberry supported?
Yes, both are listed. Complete profiles may not exist for every stage and medium. The current blackberry research profile is partial and must not be used as a complete production recipe.
Can A and B tanks have different volumes?
The tool accepts separate volumes and dosing for both tanks. One may run out first when volumes or doses differ; interpret the shared irrigation volume accordingly.
Does it automatically adjust pH or calculate acid doses?
No. The current version records measured water and final-solution EC/pH; it does not calculate acid doses or automatic pH correction.
Can I mix the result directly in my tanks?
No. This version does not approve preparation. Labels, solubility, tank compatibility, water analysis and growing conditions must be checked by an expert before application.
Which languages are available?
Turkish, English and Arabic. Arabic uses a right-to-left layout; calculation inputs are preserved when changing languages.
Have your water report and fertilizer labels ready?
Open the calculator and follow the examples at each step. Do not guess unknown values.