Introduction

Welcome to the official documentation for Hydro-Calc, a powerful tool for hydroponic nutrient management. Whether you are a hobbyist grower or a commercial farmer, Hydro-Calc is designed to help you create, manage, and optimize your fertilizer mixtures with precision and ease.

What is Hydro-Calc?

Hydro-Calc is a web-based application that takes the guesswork out of hydroponic nutrient formulation. It allows you to:

• Manage a personal library of substances: Keep track of the fertilizers and chemicals you have on hand.
• Define precise nutrient targets: Specify the exact nutrient concentrations (in ppm) you want to achieve.
• Create and save complex mixtures: Formulate recipes using your substances to hit your nutrient targets.
• Run optimizations: Let the Hydro-Calc engine calculate the optimal amounts of each substance to use.
• Track nutrient ratios: Monitor the relationships between key nutrients to ensure optimal plant health.
• Account for water quality: Factor in the nutrients already present in your source water.

No Account? No Problem! You can use Hydro-Calc anonymously to test our optimization engine and build recipes today.

WARNING

Anonymous sessions are temporary and data is deleted after 24 hours. Register to save your work permanently.

Installation

Hydro-Calc is a Progressive Web App (PWA), meaning you can install it directly to your device for a native-like experience with faster load times and more screen space.

• Desktop (Chrome/Edge): Look for the install icon (usually a computer screen with a downward arrow) in the right side of your address bar.
• Mobile (Android/iOS): Open your browser menu and tap "Add to Home Screen" or "Install App".

Getting Started

The best way to learn Hydro-Calc is by doing. You can start building mixtures immediately without an account, or follow our step-by-step guide to Creating Your First Mixture to quickly get up to speed with the core workflow of the application.

Using Without an Account

Hydro-Calc allows you to explore the application and run calculations using Global Substances and Nutrient Targets without signing in.

1. Calculate Mixtures: Access the Mixtures page and run the optimizer.
2. Library Access: Browse the global database of chemical substances.
3. Upgrade Later: If you decide to register, your temporary work will be seamlessly transferred to your new permanent account.

How to Use This Documentation

This documentation is designed to be a comprehensive resource for all Hydro-Calc users. You can browse the topics in the sidebar to learn about specific features, such as:

• Substances: Learn about the difference between global and user-owned substances.
• Mixtures: Understand the core concepts of creating and managing mixtures.
• Nutrient Targets: See how to define your desired nutrient profiles.
• Ratios: Learn how to track and maintain important nutrient ratios.
• Feed Schedules: Discover how to plan your entire grow cycle.

Ready to dive in? Let's get started!