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Is my EI dosing method effective/working?

7K views 30 replies 6 participants last post by  Jafooli 
#1 ·
Amateur question here from someone who likes to keep it simple, as just started out. I am having algae problem on the algea thread, but I have pinholes in one of my stem plants and a crypt.

Can someone look over my dosing for me and see if it should be working/effective or am I wasting my time each morning/doing it wrong.

Tank Size: 20G, 90 Litres.

"These are what I purchased in a starter kit.
2 x 500ml Dosing Bottles
1 x 500g Potassium Nitrate
1 x 250g Potassium Phosphate
1 x 500g Magnesium Sulphate
1 x 250g Chelated Trace Elements

Standard Ei Dosing [This is a guideline only]

Macro Solution
Mix, Shake & Leave to Dissolve Overnight:
4tsp Potassium Nitrate < I avoided this as my Nitrate is always 40ppm does not matter what I do or how many plants I get its always 40ppm :S So wierd.
1tsp Potassium Phosphate
6tsp Magnesium Sulphate
500ml Water

Micro Solution
Mix, Shake & Leave to Dissolve Overnight:
1tsp Chelated Trace Elements
500ml Water

Dosing
Macro 3x a week. (10ml per 50ltr of Aquarium water)
Micro 3x a week. (10ml per 50ltr of Aquarium water)
20-50% weekly water change."

Video "http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5GgS4jAF9Lk"

This is how I dose it what I was recommended:

Sunday - 50% w/c then dose 18ml Macro
Mon - 18ml Micro
Tue - 18ml Macro
Wed - 18ml Micro
Thu - 18ml Macro
Fri - 18ml Micro
Sat - Rest Day

I did have a look around and I see a lot of people recommend calculators I could not find one that had mine listed as its a kit, and did not understand how to do it all separately. Thanks for any help on this, if I do have to change my dosing, can someone recommend or tell me a good pre mixed liquid solution I can make and how to dose etc, or hopefully touch wood the dosing I use now is good enough for my plants.

Thanks:)
 
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#2 ·
You can use this calculator, http://calc.petalphile.com/. The fertilizers are listed as molecular formulas ie. Potassium Nitrate is listed as KNO3 and Potassium Phosphate as KH2PO4. The magnesium you have is most likely MgSO4.7H20. I watched the video and it did not appear to be anhydrous magnesium which looks more like a powder. What he used appeared to be granular like MgSO4.7H2O, btw that's epsom salt.
 
The doses recommended looks pretty good. When you use the calculator select the solution radio button and it will display a container size and dosing size for mixing. As far as magnesium, remember you may have some in your water supply. It may not be necessary to dose at full strength.
 
Not dosing the potassium nitrate may leave you potassium deficient. Typically with EI dosing, the potassium comes from the KNO3 and KH2PO4. When you use the calculator look on the right side. It breaks down each fertilizer dosed into individual nutrients.
 
Having a nitrate of 40ppm regardless of water changes tells me your test kit is not accurate. If you have a nitrate of 40ppm before a water change it should go down after the change. Check out this thread, http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=83545 for calibrating your test kit. This will tell you if it is your test kit or not. Besides it's a good idea to calibrate them anyway.

Once you determine why you have nitrates so high and eliminate it you can start dosing the KNO3 which will supply the necessary potassium.

As far as the micro mix I have no idea what they are using. From the suggestions they made for the others I would presume the dosage for the micros is accurate.
 
#3 ·
Hey Zorfox I really appreciate your time to answer that for me.

I had to read it a couple of times, to make sure I understood it all, the "molecular formulas" are what always throw me off, where ever I read about fertilizers on here or Google, everyone says the molecular formulas lol, I guess I will just have to learn them to make life easier. But thanks for giving such a good answer that I could understand, I am still confused about the correct dosages etc, but if you reckon it sounds good I will stick to what they said.

I looked at the calculator and found the solution part, I still don't understand 100% what ppm I am aiming for, I presume the calculator has this set to the correct limit, for example KNO3 its telling me how to dose for 7.5ppm, it also lists the measurements of how much to add to a 500ml solution, I presume I just measure them against what the website recommend.

So in this case I would measure 4tsp of Potassium Nitrate and measure to see if it comes to around 30.572g.

Also you said "Not dosing the potassium nitrate may leave you potassium deficiency" thanks for telling me that, at least I now know what could be going on with the pinholes in my plants, I use the API nitrate test kit from the master kit, my pond, tap water, tank, is always 40ppm... I also know my tap water has 40ppm nitrate I believe as I looked at my water report, but like you say it should go down, which is why I always am mind boggled, because they never do! So I will be sure to read that link you posted about calibrating the test kit.

I also have no idea why they would give me epsom salt, is there a way I can test to see if it salt, I don't see why they would give me that lol... are you sure I've been ripped off? if I have I better look at getting the magnesium elsewhere.
 
#4 ·
This is a bit more complicated than it should be.

London's tap water tends to be fairly high in NO3, so many opt that out and add some K2SO4 to replace.

So for a 90 liter tank:

2-3x a week:

1/4 tsp K2SO4
1/16th KH2PO4

I'd add the MgSO4 to the trace mix and make a solution using about 4 tsp of CMS+B and 2 tsp of MgSO4, then dose this at about 5mls 3-4x a week.

That is it.

Feed fish, add algae eaters, do water changes and really focus on good CO2.
 
#6 ·
Thanks Zorfox.

I will have to get memorizing the molecular formulas shouldn't take to long, but yet again there all kind of similar lol.

Thanks for listing the ppm ranges, I presume them ranges are what I need to keep between during the week.

I will spend some time tomorrow morning and get more familiar with the calculator, from what your saying though, it sounds like my EI kit, is pretty close to those measurements, so hopefully what I am dosing is actually working, I was just paranoid I was dosing for no reason, aka the whole regime was inaccurate.

With the Epsom salt, are you saying that can be used as magnesium then? so I don't need to go out and buy anything else, and can keep what they provided even though its not "Magnesium Sulphate" ?

I also think the main concern/worry we found here is my nitrate test kits, and having to calibrate them... if I can get a accurate reading, hopefully a low one, then I can add Potassium Nitrate into my dosing, and hopefully see my pinholes fade away and get healthier leafs :D
 
#7 ·
You can certainly use the Mag sulfate you have. Epsom salt is another form and may be what you have. As far as your nitrates did you see what plantbrain said? I can count on one hand the people I would blindly follow advise from. He's on that list! He devised the EI system. He happens to be one of the most knowledgeable people on earth when it comes to planted tanks. Did you understand what he meant by using K2SO4 (potassium sulfate)?
 
#8 ·
Hey Zorfox really appreciate your help on this and the informative links you sent.

When you say plantbrain lol do you mean Tom Barr?

Also are you referring to " If the tap has consistently high NO3, say 30ppm, then you do not add KNO3, instead, use K2SO4 etc."

So in my case if I do have high nitrates, I can just buy some K2SO4 work out how much I need to add to my 500ml solution, then carry on my EI and hopefully the plants will be getting there potassium.

If this is the case do I have to worry about any fish/shrimp coming to harm with K2SO4? I will do some research on it as-well.

I also forgot to ask you yesterday, I looked at the calibrating thread you linked, and for example my tank always shows 40-80ppm Nitrate its so red I cant tell which ppm it is but 80ppm sounds way to high for tap water, but if I calibrated it and tested a cup with 25ppm and the test kit shows red, its still going to be hard to determine my reading, as in theory if I tested a cup with 10ppm nitrate I could possible still get a red reading, I will certainly give it a try though and see what happens.

I don't know if you can recommend me any good test kits ? that are more accurate? I did some research on how accurate API nitrate kits are and a lot of people seemed happy to say they was accurate, and other's not so pleased.. are some api nitrates kits bad while another one would give me a better reading aka pot luck?

I still believe my Nitrate readings are not correct, so if I get a accurate reading then I can just dose the KNO3 for potassium, if not I'l have to find a place that sell's K2SO4.

MY water report says: Nitrate 50 mg NO3/I

"http://www.southeastwater.co.uk/media/116347/Water_Quality_Explained_SEW.pdf"
 
#9 ·
When you say plantbrain lol do you mean Tom Barr?
Yes. I try not to use full names online with all the security issues now. Although, his signature does have his name so...

Also are you referring to " If the tap has consistently high NO3, say 30ppm, then you do not add KNO3, instead, use K2SO4 etc."
Exactly. KNO3 is used for nitrates (nitrogen) and part of the K+ (potassium). If nitrates in your water are already in range no need to dose it.

So in my case if I do have high nitrates, I can just buy some K2SO4 work out how much I need to add to my 500ml solution, then carry on my EI and hopefully the plants will be getting there potassium.
That's correct

If this is the case do I have to worry about any fish/shrimp coming to harm with K2SO4?
Not at all.

I also forgot to ask you yesterday, I looked at the calibrating thread you linked, and for example my tank always shows 40-80ppm Nitrate its so red I cant tell which ppm it is but 80ppm sounds way to high for tap water, but if I calibrated it and tested a cup with 25ppm and the test kit shows red, its still going to be hard to determine my reading, as in theory if I tested a cup with 10ppm nitrate I could possible still get a red reading, I will certainly give it a try though and see what happens.
With API kit below 20ppm should be a brown color. If you know the water is set to 10ppm and your'e seeing red, replace the nitrate reagent. I suspect your problem is the high nitrates in your water. When the nitrates get up to 40ppm I can't tell the difference anymore. It all just seems red to me. You can "cut" the sample with 50% distilled water and double the result if it's too high to read.

I don't know if you can recommend me any good test kits ?
I use API master kit and a few other single ones. For an accurate KH I use Salifert which has a very narrow range. Other than that I just use the inexpensive API tests. Sure you can get a bad reagent at times. That can happen with any brand.

Once you get things dialed in you really shouldn't need to test much anymore. So I wouldn't bother spending any money on expensive test kits.


MY water report says: Nitrate 50 mg NO3/I
That's the reason all your results are red lol. As plantbrain said. Keep it simple and use K2SO4 (potassium sulfate) in lieu of the KNO3 (potassium nitrate).
 
#10 ·
Thanks for clearing that all up, and I got confused because Tom Barr seems to be registered here and everywhere lol, shame I do not have his knowledge & yours :(

Cheers for the tip about 50% distilled water and double the result if it's too high to read, will give that a whirl.

One last question to make sure problem solved, when I purchase the K2SO4, I was planning on making a new Macro batch 500ml "below"

Macro Solution
Mix, Shake & Leave to Dissolve Overnight:
4tsp Potassium Nitrate - Replacing with K2SO4 below
41.784g K2SO4 I believe
1tsp Potassium Phosphate
6tsp Magnesium Sulphate
500ml Water

Can the K2SO4 be mixed with the above? I read some fertilizers cancel each other out? So what's the best route? get another 500ml bottle and dose it separate or will it be ok mixed with them.

Also my EI is not 100% daily, as I do Macro one day then Micro Next, so when working out how much K2SO4 to add to 500ml, do I need be calculating for The Estimative Index rather than daily?

This is what the calc says: for 90 lites.

"To reach your target of 7.5 ppm K you will need to add 41.784 g K2SO4 to your 500.0 mL dosing container. Add 18.0 mL of that mix to your 90.0 L aquarium to yield"

Element ppm/degree
K 7.50
S 3.08

Dose these levels 2-4 times a week for EI

I would be dosing it 3 times a week so that method would be correct?

I am so sorry lol, if I sound dumb, I am getting it much more though than I did 24 hours ago.

Just if I choose the option EI daily it tells me to use 17.828 g over 500ml but then I would need to dose that daily. Either way which ever option I go for, when I dose this with the Macro/Micro mix, they wont cancel each other out?

Thanks again to you and plantbrain for your help, hopefully I didn't take to much of your time up lol, just this last piece of info then I can get ordering :D
 
#11 ·
Can the K2SO4 be mixed with the above?
Yes it can. Just don't mix the micro nutrients with macros.

Also my EI is not 100% daily, as I do Macro one day then Micro Next, so when working out how much K2SO4 to add to 500ml, do I need be calculating for The Estimative Index rather than daily?
Honestly, as long as your'e staying within the ranges I listed your'e good. So you could do either. That's one of the beauties of the EI method. There is a lot of wiggle room. Often I see people trying to calculate this to death. Just get in the range and your'e all set.


"To reach your target of 7.5 ppm K you will need to add 41.784 g K2SO4 to your 500.0 mL dosing container. Add 18.0 mL of that mix to your 90.0 L aquarium to yield"

Element ppm/degree
K 7.50
S 3.08

I would be dosing it 3 times a week so that method would be correct?
Yes it's fine 3 x 7.5 = 22.5ppm in a week. The range is 10-30ppm. See the wiggle room? lol

Either way which ever option I go for, when I dose this with the Macro/Micro mix, they wont cancel each other out?
Just mix the macro and micro seperate. Dose on alternating days. Technically mixing the two can cause precipitation. I've never seen that happen and I dose both on the same day. I just make sure each is mixed into the water well before I dose the next.
 
#12 ·
Thats great news, I think this thread is pretty much done now then, this is now my online free guide lol, and I can read it over and over to make sure I suck in all the information then venture out and learn more about EI, and maybe when I learn more I can give plantbrain's recommendation a try, or even experiment my self and gain more experience.

Plantbrain said:

"So for a 90 liter tank:

2-3x a week:

1/4 tsp K2SO4
1/16th KH2PO4

I'd add the MgSO4 to the trace mix and make a solution using about 4 tsp of CMS+B and 2 tsp of MgSO4, then dose this at about 5mls 3-4x a week."

I presume the K2SO4 and KH2PO4 he is giving me are dry dosing instructions, and then I think my Chelated Trace is not identical to CMS+B which I found on aquariumfertilizer.com, so maybe when I look into ordering my K2SO4 I can order the CMS+B and then give his suggestion a try and use my "Potassium Phosphate" which is the same as KH2PO4 "Monopotassium phosphate" I presume.

I'm not the best at equations and measurements but I presume to find 1/4 I just divide a teaspoon into 4 and with the 1/16 I divide the fertilizer in to 16 parts and just throw 1 part into the tank etc giving me the 1/16th.

Also I could not find where you found the teaspoon weights, I looked all on the calculator but had no luck.

Thanks again and cheers for your help Zorfox :D
 
#14 ·
Thanks plantbrain for that info,

I was actually wondering where Zorfox got this information and how I can find it:

Potassium Nitrate (KNO3) 1 teaspoon = 5,200mg
Potassium Phosphate (KH2PO4) 1 teaspoon = 5,800mg
Magnesium Sulfate (MgSO4.7H2O) 1 teaspoon = 5,100mg

So then I can match it against my starter kit, and see if my dosing is with in the recommended ppm levels, I also want to order some K2SO4 I am not sure if aquariumfertilizer.com dispatches to the UK, I will have to ask, but do you know any UK sites that may have this? as I need it to replace my KNO3.

Also when you recommended my tank its dosages of:

1/4 tsp K2SO4
1/16th KH2PO4

How do I find 1/16, are there measuring spoons for this? and I would rather dose liquid if possible, so can I just follow http://calc.petalphile.com/ and make my own macro?... I will be mixing all these three together into a 500ml solution.

Potassium Phosphate
Magnesium Sulphate
Potassium sulfate

That shouldn't cause no complications?

I will stick with my chelated trace for now I think, and maybe if aquariumfertilizer ship to uk I will purchase some CSM + B and then add the Magnesium to the trace mix if in your opinion that would work better?

I also am a bit disheartened as my tank has hair algae and diatoms, pics in the algae thread, and from what other members have told me, its most likely my CO2, I am only using DIY for now, and I'm thinking maybe I should just stop the CO2 but then the plants won't use the ferts? and its so annoying, I been trying to remove this algae since I got my first ever tank a year ago and it didn't even have plants, co2, back then it was just a ornament tank.

This algae is staying strong in my tank and new growth gets covered in around 2-3 days.. I am focusing on growing healthy and strong plants, but I cant beat it =\ , and if anything I am heavily planted. I believe it to be hair algae and diatoms.

I hope someone can answer or just confirm for me I am on the right track with the Macro Mix, as long as http://calc.petalphile.com/ is accurate then I should have no problems making my own EI, just worried what can't be mixed together.
 
#15 ·
How do I find 1/16, are there measuring spoons for this? and I would rather dose liquid if possible, so can I just follow http://calc.petalphile.com/ and make my own macro?... I will be mixing all these three together into a 500ml solution.
Yes, there are small measuring spoons. They are sometimes called "dash, pinch and smidgen" measuring spoons.

Potassium Phosphate
Magnesium Sulphate
Potassium sulfate

That shouldn't cause no (sic) complications?
This will be fine.

I will stick with my chelated trace for now I think, and maybe if aquariumfertilizer ship to uk I will purchase some CSM + B and then add the Magnesium to the trace mix if in your opinion that would work better?
I would just keep the magnesium (sulfate) separate from the trace mix altogether. Just keep it with your macronutrients.

and I'm thinking maybe I should just stop the CO2 but then the plants won't use the ferts?
This could worsen your problems: fluctuating CO2 levels can often lead to additional algal problems.
 
#16 ·
Thanks Darkblade48,

Now I just need to order some Potassium sulfate :)

I don't think I will be needing the measuring spoons if I am going to be measuring grams from the calculator to make my own 500ml macro solution, but I will still try to purchase some so I have them on hand if ever I need them, at least then I can work out 1/16 lol.

Most importantly thanks again for confirming that the Macro mix will be fine, puts my mind at rest, cant wait to make a new Macro batch once I get some K2SO4 , and then keep an eye on my stem and crypt plant's, and hopefully solve my potassium deficiency, next hard part will be measuring the correct grams as I don't want to kill any of my fish but if the calculator is correct it should be simple.

Thanks to everyone for your time and patience with me, I've posted in the DIY CO2 section to try and solve my algae problem, as I presume it has to be the route of the cause.

Thanks again.
 
#18 ·
Thanks Zorfox

I will use my measuring scale when I make my new Macro Mix which does grams.

I just wanted to know the teaspoon weights to get a idea of how much I am currently dosing as the shop I purchased from just told me to add 1tsp then 4tsp etc.

When I make my new Macro Mix following the calculator I will be able to see how much more/less I am adding which will be interesting.

Also thanks to the calculator I can see where I am in the weekly ppm ranges. I guess it don't matter if I'm on the low end or high end. but hopefully the calculator recommended ppm's will put me in the right direction.

Thanks for all your help.
 
#20 ·
As far as the conversions you list. Technically speaking each salt will weigh different based on it's bulk density. Example a teaspoon of lead will weigh more than a teaspoon of feathers.

So, to take care of this issue I normalized it. I said in general if a solid oz weighs 28.35g and then convert that into tbls & tsp. See below:

g / 1 tblsg / 1 tsp14.184.731 solid oz (28.35g) is equivalent to 2 tablespoons (or 1 tablespoon is 14.18g)1 solid oz (28.35g) is equivalent to 6 teaspoons (or 1 teaspoon is 4.73g)1 teaspoon is 1/3 of a tablespoon or 3 teaspoons per tablespoon


So therefore according to EI dosing I converted the following:
100-125gal Dose 3x per WeekWt (tsp)Wt (g)KNO31.507.10KH2PO40.502.37K2SO40.502.37Plantex CSM+B0.502.37

Keep in mind a solid oz is not a fluid oz which would have to take into account the density or specific gravity.
 
#22 · (Edited)
Just a update on this thread as I need some last advice please, as yesterday I purchased some K2SO4, so am now working out how much I will be needing to add to my 500ml solutuion at 18ml a dose 3x a week. The K2SO4 will be added to my Macro Solution. Sorry if this turns into a confusing/complicated essay but you can skip it all if you read my main question below and just answer that for me :D ( I also am not dosing KNO3 as you know but have used it below just for examples)

Anyway my MAIN question, on http://calc.petalphile.com/ do I need to follow the grams for EI Daily or The Estimative Index, I have seen this question asked by some people on here and no one replied to them so am I right in saying EI daily would be you add KNO3 each day at the grams it provides "18ml a day in my scenario", and the The Estimative Index provides the grams for 2-4x week which I will be doing 3x 18ml. I know me and Zorfox spoke about it, and I think we talked about EI daily but I am getting massive gram differences between the two which in is putting me out of the PPM ranges, a good example is MGSO4.

Here is an example of what I mean:

My Measurements recommended from where I purchased and what I'm dosing now minus the KNO3

KNO3 - 4tsp = 29grams = 7.11ppm per dose, (21.33ppm week)
KH2PO4 - 1sp = 9grams = 2.51ppm per dose = (7.53ppm week) Way To Much?
MGSO4.7H2O - 6tsp = 31grams = 1.22ppm per dose (3.66ppm week) Way To Low?

The Estimative Index From Calculator Below:

KNO3 Nitrate 30g 7.50ppm each dose (22.5ppm week)
KH2PO4 Potassium Phosphate 4.6g 1.30ppm each dose (3.9ppm week)
MGSO4.7H20 Magnesium Sulphate 126g 5ppm each dose (15ppm week)


EI Daily From Calculator Below:

KNO3 Nitrate 13.044g 3.20ppm each dose (9.6ppm week)
KH2PO4 Potassium Phosphate 2.1g 0.60ppm each dose (1.8ppm week)
MGSO4.7H20 Magnesium Sulphate 50g 2ppm each dose (6ppm week)

So EI daily would hardly get me in the ppm ranges at 3x a week, and The Estimative Index would get me in the ranges from the first dose, and keep me in the ranges roughly all week.

For some reason my starter kit has low MGSO4 even compared to EI daily, and MGSO4.7H2O The Estimative Index recommends 126g, I am only using 31g, so this what I mean by its quite scary for someone who is inexperienced, and I know I am making this more complicated, way more complicated, but do I go with EI daily or The Estimative Index.

If my Macro mix sounded right I could of just added 1/4 tsp K2SO4 to my tank 3x a week but I want my macro's all together in a solution, I guess this is why its become a little complicated and the way I have presented all this.

Also to try and answer my own question about the K2SO4, plantbrain recommended K2SO4 at 1/4tsp 3x a week, that's 7.98ppm a dose, (23ppm week) and my 18ml would be 41g into 500ml, 18ml 3x a week gives me 22.5ppm. So all in all am I right in saying The Estimative Index is correct for 3x a week.

PPM Ranges:

KNO3 - 5ppm-33ppm
KH2PO4 - 1-3ppm
MGSO4 - 5-11ppm
K2SO4 - 9-33ppm

My Tank

90 litres - 20G

Think there correct from the "Yet Another Nutrient Calculator"


Also thanks jfynyson thanks for your input, I only really needed to know the estimated teaspoon weight just to see how much grams I was dosing so http://calc.petalphile.com/ could tell my ppm each dose, the link zorfox provided is quite close with teaspoon weights but as I learned on my scales each teaspoon can fluctuate a gram or two or my scales are busted lol.
 
#23 ·
You seem to be over thinking it. I'm guilty of this myself most of the time. The basics of the system are to keep the nutrients around the levels listed previously (even higher is okay). It also is to simplify the dosing regime and provide more than enough room for error. So take KH2PO4 for example...

According to the calculator for EI daily add 2.149g to your 500ml container. Each 18ml dose will bring PO4 up to 0.60ppm. Dosing on alternating days (3x/week) will give a level of 1.8ppm. The range is 1-3ppm or even higher. That's within range. Even if you use EI weekly the dose will not be too much. You can use either. The theory is to provide excess and reset each week with large water changes. Just go with the daily dose and add more if the plants need it.
 
So to mix your Macro bottle add the following,
KH2PO4 approximately 3G
K2SO4 approximately 18G
MgSO4 add the dose recommended by the seller since we don't know which form they used. Remember you may have magnesium in your water as well.

Dose 18ml of this every other day. The reason the doses aren't exactly as the calculator listed, ie 2.149g for KH2PO4, are because EI is not an exact dosing regime. The doses listed will be fine for your needs. No need to calculate things to death. All of the amounts you listed will work.
 
#24 ·
Thanks Zorfox for your advice.

I guess I am over thinking it as I kind of like to understand everything 100% lol, that's why I try to follow everything I read or see, and the calculator was giving them measurements so I wanted to be sure on which one to follow before I make a new batch and find all my fish dead :( that was my main concern/worry

The reason EI daily confused me is because like you said, each dose of KH2PO4 will give me 0.60ppm so for the first dose I won't even be in the ppm range if that makes sense, and the time I get in the ppm ranges I will be removing 50% of the water.

So for me to understand this, as long as at the end of the week, my dosing is with in the ppm ranges, even if the first dose don't get me in range, it will still be giving the plants what they need as long as I reach the ppm ranges by the end of the week or come close, or even more.

Also just to add you said all the above dosing methods would work, is it possible that The Estimative Index calculations being the highest would harm/kill fish, or does EI have to be dosed really excessively to harm fish aka accident overdose etc.

I will probably make the batch you recommended or do what I'm doing now as I know my plants are happy apart from the potassium deficiency and then I'll just add the 18g K2SO4 like you said :D
 
#25 ·
You would have to be very excessive to harm your fish. Many people far exceed the levels I posted without any problems. As far as your mixture, I would just add the potassium to what you are currently using. No need to waste what you have. If you want to play around with projected nutrient levels try, http://rota.la/ei/, to see what they will be based on plant uptake, water changes, dosing etc. For me at least it was the aha moment when I saw it graphically, then it all made sense.
 
#26 ·
Thanks Zorfox I will just stick to what I dose now then and add the K2SO4.

I took a look at http://rota.la/ei/ and it looks to confusing for me to understand :( I don't even know where to begin on there which is a shame as I enjoy learning all this, but hopefully you have put me in the right direction and as long as my plants are getting the food they need I'm happy.

Hopefully my potassium deficiency will be fixed and then I can keep an eye on my plants and see what they tell me next. :smile:

Thanks for your help, once again.
 
#27 ·
Just to add my K2SO4 arrived today some of it was clumped like a sugar cube, is this the texture of K2SO4?, I will be making my new batch tomorrow as my bottle now is near the end anyway, or I could just add 1/4 till I run out of my 500ml macro bottle.

Can I just ask as I was thinking, why would people dose higher in there tanks than needed, for example you said all the above measurements would work in my tank, Its strange how EI has such a big margin for error etc and you can dose little or lots more.

My tank has a lot of plants, so would my dose now compared to the larger doses still give me the same growth rates? I could not understand http://rota.la/ei/ as when I put in my ppm of stuff and w/c etc, it always says 90% uptake to begin with, if I added 20ppm of stuff for example there is no way it would be 90% uptake, I will keep messing around with it and try to understand, I could not find no where which explains it properly.

Also a pic of my tank if it helps.

Plant Pet supply Terrestrial plant Organism Aquatic plant


I will still stick with what we said regarding the measurments, but just kind of trying to figure how come there is such differences in measurements, and as I have so many plants I thought maybe my uptake would be more, so larger ppm per dose may improve my growth rates? or is even the lowest dose enough for all the plants?
 
#28 ·
The K2SO4 you received was probably exposed to moisture. It shouldn't hurt anything. Just keep it in a dry area.

EI is a non limiting way to dose nutrients. A limiting factor is something that limits the growth of our plants. If we add more fertilizers than the plants need, nutrients will never be the limiting factor. The good thing about the fertilizers we use is that marginal excess doesn't cause problems with fauna or algae. We would have to dose many times higher than the recommended ranges before we see problems. So essentially as long as we are providing the low end of that range up to 3-4 times the top end it's all good. As I said EI is not an exact method. It was never intended to be. This is one of the reasons it confuses so many people. Forget about calculating exact ranges, deciphering uptake ratios, worrying if a teaspoon weighs 10% more than it should etc. Just get the range of each nutrient near the target and then worry more about the difficult things such as getting CO2 levels where they should be.
 
#29 ·
Cheerz for explaining that all to me Zorfox, sorry if it feels like your repeating your self, just wanted to make sure that the lower end of EI is still sufficient enough for my tank as I am well planted, its good to know my plants wont be limited of nutrients I hope that to be the case once I get adding the K2SO4.

I have hopefully amended my CO2 issue as-well, which is on the DIY section, I have been keeping a close eye on my bubble count and my new mix is keeping it nice and stable at 2bps, I'm not sure how long it will take to see if its made a difference, not sure how quick algae dies off with correct CO2, but I will keep learning and gaining experience I hope from this forum :proud:
 
#31 ·
Cheers I will try to get my CO2 working better, its stressful when I don't understand something 100% but as Zorfox mentioned about EI giving the plants a limited amount of nutrients, I guess in my mind plants used more nutrients than they actually do, but I will get back to my EI dosing and focus on CO2 and if I notice any deficiency signs i'll be back here lol. Thanks again.
 
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