Reddit reviews Norpro Mini Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons, Set of 5 (tad, dash, pinch, smidgen and drop)

Uh, Amazon... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009X1P9S/

I LOVE the L-Ascorbic acid powder. Once you learn how to use it, it's a versatile, stable product that will last a long time. I'm currently mixing it with Hada Labo Premium. Here is how I measure for precision:

The scoop it comes with is far too large, so I bought these tiny measuring spoons: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009X1P9S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The smallest spoon is called "Drop" and it is equivalent to 1/64th of a teaspoon. I measure one level spoon of this and tap it into the palm of my hand. Next, I mix 4 drops of Hada Labo into the palm of my hand (**handy trick--one drop carefully dispersed from the bottle is equivalent to the "drop" measuring spoon). Use the spoon to mix it all up. The powder dissolves completely so there is no grittiness, leaving a perfect 20% strength, 3.0 PH Vitamin C serum in your hand. I test with these strips: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DTH14XZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This works out to be enough for my face, neck, décolletage, and the backs of my hands. Voila!

I don't think anyone should include microscoops. It promotes the idea that volumetric dosing is accurate, which cannot be further from the case. A milligram scale is ALWAYS needed to accurately measure lower dosages. Not to mention all the plastic waste is causes. The only things I use scoops on are products that need larger dosages, have a low side effect profile, and that I have already calibrated using an accurate scale. So things like creatine or mushroom powder extracts I will use one of my stainless steel scoops to dose my powder, as I have already determined which scoops deliver a specific weight for that batch powder, and I know a little variability in the dosage is not going to cause any issues for me. I can wash the stainless steel scoops, and make sure they are sterilized. Plus, they can be used forever, instead of me wasting tons of them by throwing them out. Even with the stainless steel ones, I do not use them for things that need small dosages, like Noopept or Tianeptine. Those ALWAYS get weighed on an accurate milligram scale every time. Accuracy matters. The Gemini-20 is an inexpensive scale that you can get for like $20 on Amazon. There is no reason to not get one.

These are the stainless steel scoops I use: https://www.amazon.com/Norpro-3080-Stainless-Measuring-smidgen/dp/B0009X1P9S/

Here is the Gemini-20: https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-GEMINI-20-Portable-MilliGram/dp/B0012TDNAM/

you're welcome

It would most likely be okay, but it would be more expensive. That is the main reason that people suggest dry dosing or preparing your own liquid fert stocks.

The easiest way for you to dose a full nitrate, phosphate, potassium (NPK) and trace routine is NiloCG Thrive. This solution has everything that plants would need and you can just follow the instructions on the bottle. For this option you just buy the Thrive, put one or two pumps worth in your tank (start with one and if plants aren't growing well go to two) each week, and then do a 20-30% weekly water change. Easy! You absolutely need to do water changes weekly if you continue adding ferts otherwise the ferts will build up in the water and cause algae or hurt your animal friends.

EI and PPS-pro are more complicated to get going, but once you start they are just as easy as Thrive. I don't know a ton about PPS-pro so I'll focus on EI. Maybe someone else will come in and explain PPS-pro. The general theoretical idea of EI is that you dose nutrients each week so you have more nutrients in the water than your plants could possibly use, but not enough to cause algae. You "reset" nutrient levels each week by doing a 50% water change. The issue with this method is they assume you are running high light and CO2 with fast growing stems that will use lots and lots of nutrients. If this isn't your situation and you follow EI with the instructions that they lay out here you'll end up with too much nutrient in the water relative to what your plants use. This is a recipe for algae. For a true EI dosing routine you dose each nutrient three times each week.

To do the actual dosing you will need this fert package(or an equivalent) and a small set of teaspoons similar to this. These teaspoons are useful because they allow you to measure 1/64 teaspoons, 1/32 teaspoons, 1/16 teaspoons, 1/8 teaspoons, and 1/4 teaspoons, which is right within the range most people need for a single dose. Now we go into this site and look at the table labeled "EI Method Dosing without GH Booster." Find your tank size and it tells you how much of each fertilizer, in teaspoons, you need to add for each dose. For a 10-20 gallon high tech tank that would be 1/8 teaspoon KNO3 (the nitrate source,N), 1/32 teaspoon KH2PO4 (the phosphate source,P), 1/32 teaspoon K2SO4 (an extra source of potassium,K), and 1/32 teaspoon Plantex CSM+B (the trace metal source). Since your tank is low tech I would use 1/4 of these doses. That would mean 1/32 teaspoon KNO3, 1/128 teaspoon KH2PO4, 1/128 teaspoon K2SO4, and 1/128 teaspoon Plantex CSM+B. Add the powders directly to the water one or two times each week and end the week with a 50% water change. I would suggest starting with one dose each week and seeing how your plants look/grow. If they're growing slowly add another dose during the week. If you're unsure if you need additional doses you can measure the nitrate/phosphate levels of your tank at the
"beginning" of the week after you water change, follow regular dosing, and measure at the "end" of the week before you water change. This will give you an idea of how much nutrient is being used on a weekly basis. If its everything you're putting in then your doses are too small or you aren't dosing frequently enough. If you're getting way too much nutrient buildup or you're starting to see algae you should cut down on dosing. At this point you are no longer doing EI, but following your own fertilizer dosing routine that works for your specific tank and conditions. Good job!

One final note is that EI suggests alternating dosing the NPK nutrients on one day and the trace nutrients on the next. This is because the trace nutrients contain iron that can interact with phosphate to form an insoluble precipitate that is unusable by plants. If you're lazy and want to dose on a single day you can do that, but be sure to give the phosphate or traces a few minutes to dissolve in your water before adding the next. One other final note is that once you start modifying EI you should try to decrease the frequency of water changes. Water changes introduce CO2 into your water and fluctuations in CO2 may cause algae. This hasn't been my experience, but others, including the creator of EI dosing, warn against this. I don't know if this is a good enough explanation, but feel free to ask me any questions.

Measuring spoons like these. They go as small as 1/64 of a teaspoon, which should cover you, I think. I use the 1/4 tsp for my 55g.

I ordered these from amazon and they work great for various vapes

These are mine (read the comments. Pure gold.)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0009X1P9S/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484829339&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=tiny+spoons+stainless+steel&dpPl=1&dpID=31azPto8XVL&ref=plSrch

I usually use the "Dash" and "Smidgeon" size for my scooping needs

https://www.amazon.com/Norpro-3080-Stainless-Measuring-smidgen/dp/B0009X1P9S

I directly dry dose my 5.2 gallon with these.

• Creatine can be taken any time, 5g everyday, even on days you don't lift. Some folks get a bloated feeling, so I wouldn't take it before working out. I usually take mine after I work out in the morning. Then I have the whole rest of the day to stay hydrated, you have to drink a lot of water with creatine, so I'd also expect the scale to go up a few lbs just from water weight retention. Creatine sucks up water into the muscles as it's trying to pull as much into the muscles as possible. Lots of scientific data about this increasing one last rep.
  
  
• I used to use a ton of preworkouts, now I just buy bulksupplements and a weigh scale that can measure up to hundredths, and really small micro measuring spoons so it's easier to get out of the bag. I just use caffeine and beta alanine for the fire ants feel before the workout. BE SURE OF MEASUREMENTS, you'd be in a world of hurt if you go over 600mg of caffeine (200mg is like a cup of black coffee at starbucks). I've only ever gone up to 400mg, and usually it's more like 200-350mg
  
  
• Weigh Scale I use: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012LOQUQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  
• Measuring Spoons: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009X1P9S/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  
• Creatine any time, don't need it before the workout, only thing you need if you want is caffeine. I highly recommend 1000mg salt and 300mg potassium (from no salt/lite salt). You can use MCT oil, but i would wait on that until later.
  
  
• If you're just endurance training (running/cardio) I wouldn't use creatine. Creatine is made for the weight lifting and contractions to get bigger muscles. Now if you're weight training (anywhere inside 1rep-15reps) for bigger muscles, then I'd just take creatine everyday.
  
  
• BCAAs is recovery, not really necessary during a workout, but some people swear to them. It's a waste of money, you can just get it in a whey protein shake after the workout. I usually take one after I workout (just regular whey protein) as it already has some BCAAs in them. I wouldn't take it for endurance cardio runs; many people on here have documented their endurance is through the roof once keto adaptation takes place. They only need water and just destroy marathons or cycling runs or longer runs in general.

Slurpee straw bro. That easy.

Or if you want to get exact, which you should:

Get a mg scale from Amazon for $20. http://www.amazon.com/Smart-Weigh-GEM20-Precision-Milligram/dp/B00ESHDGOI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414190633&sr=8-1&keywords=milligram+scale

http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-3080-Stainless-Measuring-smidgen/dp/B0009X1P9S/ref=pd_bxgy_k_img_y

Edit: dafuq did I get down voted for?

so, the dosing is tricky but it doesn't have to be perfect. 60-100mg is ideal depending on body weight, stim sensitivity, etc.

these little guys are perfect.

Try out a smidge sitting around the house and see how you feel. Adjust accordingly. Add a second smidge for gym time or if you're feeling ballsy, toss a pinch into your preworkout concoction. 1-2 200mg caffeine tablets to finish it off and prepare to leap buildings. If you like the tingle from Jack3d, you can get some Beta Alinine, but I don't find it purposeful beyond that neat little tingle feeling. Citruline Malate can be added for enhanced "pump", but again I don't find it necessary, when preloading on carbs can have the same effect.

Just in case you guys don't know, they have measuring spoons to help you decipher your great-grandma's handwritten recipe that uses measurements such as "pinch," or "dash."

https://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Stainless-Measuring-Spoons-smidgen/dp/B0009X1P9S

http://greenleafaquariums.com/aquarium-fertilizers-supplements/micro-macro

And

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009X1P9S

splenda and stevia products that measure the same as sugar are bulked up with maltodextrin, pure starch. a serving size is 1/2 a gram which means it can be rounded down to 0. That means a cup of splenda or stevia with maltodextrin in it has 24 carbs. for someone using a teaspoon here and there thats probably not a big deal, a teaspoon will have 1/2 a gram of carbs. I started drinking lemonade and tea by the gallon making it with splenda and that added up real fast, so I bought some pure sucralose. Sucralose is the actual sweetener in splenda without the maltodextrin, so instead of a cup of splenda with 24 carbs you use about 1/12 of a teaspoon to sweeten a gallon of lemonade. I bought this I got the 250 gram pack, its only about a cup, but its 600 times sweeter than sugar so its equivalent to about 330 lbs of sugar/splenda, so even a smaller package should last quite a while. it pairs well with these spoons its a set of tiny measuring spoons. drop= 1/64th tsp, smidgen= 1/32 tsp, pinch= 1/16 tsp, dash= 1/12 tsp, tad= 1/4 tsp, which works out roughly to the equivalent of 1/5 cup, 2/5 cup, 4/5 cup, 1 cup, and 3 1/8 cup of sweetener. you can also get pure stevia extract powder which is generally around 300 times sweeter than sugar, so about half as strong as sucralose, but it has a bit of a licorice taste. the sucralose tastes the same as splenda because it is the same sweetener, just no bulking agent to add carbs. I spent $39 on this 250 gram bag, sounds like a lot, but being the equivalent of 330 lbs of sweetener it works out to about $0.60 per 5lbs worth of sweetener, which is how much is in a standard bag of splenda.

I use this set of spoons. The drop spoon fits perfectly in size 00 capsules. Also, the drop spoon is suitably named.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0009X1P9S/ref=pd_aw_sims_1?pi=SS115&simLd=1

I bought mine here. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009X1P9S/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

First thing - make sure you chill it before drinking, that reduces a lot of the pancake-y flavor.

Some things you can easily add for flavoring it as a drink:

1. cinnamon
   
2. instant coffee
   
3. chocolate baking powder
   
4. matcha green tea powder
   
5. PB2 powdered peanut butter
   
   You will probably want to add sweetener. To keep from adding extra calories try ez-sweetz sucralose. If you find yourself adding sweetener regularly, try one of the bulk sucralose or ace-k powders, they are a lot cheaper. But you will probably need a teeny-tiny measuring spoon too.
   
   Mio and Folgers both have "iced coffee" flavorings that are pre-sweetened and much more expensive per serving.

Yeah and find what size scoop is gonna get you the weight you want these are what I got and they work ok. Obviously not the most precise way to go but should get you within 5 mg or so.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009X1P9S/

I bought this small set of scoops years ago and it's completely changed my weed usage, amazingly convenient. It's so easy to work out a daily dose and then repeat it; works especially for vaporizers, where you would (hopefully) be using a finer grind.

You just use the key as a kind of scoop from a bag so it is about how much would end up on the end.

If you are really intent on eyeballing your doses, you could get little spoons like this. Just measure how much is in the spoon when it's leveled off, then you will know how much (of that material) that spoon holds for future uses. One of the problems with eyeballing is that different materials (and different batches) will have different densities, so it really is safer to use a scale...

I recently posted asking purple the same thing and he said up to a year if stored correctly (airtight container in freezer). Yep, that's exactly what I do. I purchased a set of these mini measuring spoons: https://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Stainless-Measuring-Spoons-smidgen/dp/B0009X1P9S/ and determine which spoon size matches the desired dose for each compound (weigh it out a couple times). Measure out a dose using said spoon and throw it back with some water in my mouth. Works great.

I can see how that is a problem. If it isn't a good topic for conversation, you can try being discreet about it. I put my vape and some mini test-tubes filled with ground CBD flower into a portable cigar case. (I have a couple of these from when I smoked cigars more often.)

When I don't want to explain to someone (like my kids) that I'm treating arthritis and workout pain rather than getting high, I'll just carry it with me to the bathroom and vape a little bit in there. I find that a bathroom fan is enough to get right of the smell as long as I'm relatively speedy about loading the vape. I also learned that I need to grind the flower in advance somewhere that smell isn't a problem. Grinding it up produces a strong weed smell, so I do that in the garage when the kids aren't home. (My dosage needs are so low that I only have to do it once per month or so.)

If that really isn't an option, you might want to try small amounts of oil from a couple of different vendors to see if one is more consistent for you. You can also try an e-juice version of the oil and a vape, which is a bit more discreet than a dry-herb vape.

​

Edit:

I almost forgot - I dose it out using the "smidgen" spoon from this set.

Here you go

Sometimes those little clip on LEDs don't cut it, I'd suggest going to Home depot and getting a pack of their Daylight CFLS and a metal clamp light fixture for it, you could use one or two depending on the length of the tank. Also if you want to go another cheap route get Osmocote+ plant fertilizer. They look like little yellow balls and just stick them in the substrate, good for root feeders like swords. But if you have a lot of stem plants that are column feeders (Lugwidia repens, cabomba, ect.) I'd suggest going the EI route and getting dry fertilizers. They're much cheaper in the long run compared to liquid ferts. You mix them yourself with these There is measuring conversion in the comments section.

I have a full bag of purigen IN my filter Used this one, then I had an old bag, cut it open, and dumped out its contents, and used THAT bag for the filtering through the pump. However, there would be no problems if you got a full bag, cut it open, and then had it go through the mesh and purigen media, just make sure to put a chip clip on it so it doesn't spill everywhere between water changes, and store it in your buckets.

I haven't had a problem with the PH bouncing up and down like PH down will do. The peat actually softens the water through the tannic acid it releases, and it stays there. And yes, I reuse the tights.

Edit: Added links

Edit2: I've hardly ever had luck with any vals, might I recommend Hygrophila Angustifolia? It grows like a weed in my tank!

I'm a baker by avocation. To bake, you must be precise. You can't just wing it and expect to get something edible. These days I weigh ingredients instead of measuring.

For all the precision of cocktails, it bothers me that we still use something as imprecise as a dash. Most of the recommendations I find online say a dash is 1/8 teaspoon (though there are a few who say it's 1/6 teaspoon). And for drops, I find anything from 3 to 8 drops.

Since I only mix drinks for myself and occasionally for a roommate who likes her gin and tonics, I'll just continue to mix the way I like them.

For the anal retentive there's always this.

You actually don't want nearly as much forskolin as is in one of those. I emptied all the pills into the bottle and measure out about 80mg at a time, which is around 3.5mg forskolin. I make gelcaps out of it, but you can also put it in a small piece of toilet paper, put it in your mouth, and chug some water. It's called 'parachuting'. The artichoke, tyrosine, and theanine are all pretty small.

Some potentially helpful equipment:

American Weigh Gemini-20 Portable Milligram Scale, 20 by 0.001 G

Norpro 3080 Mini Measuring Spoons, 5 Piece Set

Cap-M-Quik capsule filler