[AquaDada]

Hello, I have a 90 gallon densely planted tank, injecting CO2, high light with Amazonia Aquasoil. Tank has been up 3 months now. Things have been doing well and the plants have been growing with the exception of a few. It's not that they are doing poorly, they are just growing very slowly and some of my red plants aren't has red like my rotala macrandra and nesa red. The rotala macrandra gets red at the top but not below the top. The nesa red just doesn't grow at all and is losing its red color. Everything else is doing really well. Indica grows very well and gets red and so does my blood stargrass. My HC is healthy and green but isn't spreading.

I have been dosing Macros 3 times a week and Micros 3 times a week with 50% water change on Sunday. I don't know if my solution is dialed in correctly and would like to dial it in so I can have the peace of mind of knowing I am in not under dosing. I was using the PPS-Pro method from GLA but would like to try EI. I am also wondering if I need to add GH Booster.

Here is my water parameters just before I did my water change which was week from the last water change.

Ammonia 0-0.25 (I only say that because it has a slight green tinge but mostly looks yellow. The Ammonia is probably leeching from the Aquasoil)

Nirate & Nitrates 0

KH 3/5 (54-90 ppm) (Color changes after 3 drops but 5 it is darker)

GH 6 (118 ppm)

TDS 326

I will be making a new stock solution in a week so was hoping to find some opinions on a better option. This is what I was going to go with. 500 mL container dosing 30 mL of each 3 times a week.

Macros

KNO3 - 30g
KH2PO4 - 5g
K2SO4 - 40g
MgSO4 -115g

Micros

Plantex CSM+B - 18g
DTPA Fe (11%) - 6g

Any recommendations and do I need to use a GH Booster and if so how much to make a stock solution?

 

[AquaDada]

I am kind of worried that my Nitrates are 0. This would be an indication that I am under dosing leaving plants competing for nutrients and maybe the cause why some are growing faster than others.

Would this be an adequate solution for EI with 500 mL container dosing 30 mL? It is to my understanding that EI is a method of overdosing so there is plenty of nutrients in the water column for when the plants need it and the 50% water change resets that. With that said though. Wouldn't the excess nutrients under high light cause an algae outbreak?

Macros

KNO3 - 30g
KH2PO4 - 5g
K2SO4 - 40g
MgSO4 -115g

Micros

Plantex CSM+B - 18g
DTPA Fe (11%) - 6g

And or using GH Booster? I have a GH Booster form GLA if I need to use it.

 

[AquaDada]

After figuring out which calculator I need to be using for alternating days using EI I have these numbers. Can someone tell me if these look right. Also based on the water parameters above should I being using GH Booster too? Any advice or suggestions would be very helpful.


Macros

KNO3 - 69g
KH2PO4 - 11g
K2SO4 - 95g
MgSO4 - ???

Micros

Plantex CSM+B - 44g
DTPA Fe (11%) - 10g

 

[Darkblade48]

After figuring out which calculator I need to be using for alternating days using EI I have these numbers. Can someone tell me if these look right. Also based on the water parameters above should I being using GH Booster too? Any advice or suggestions would be very helpful.


Macros

KNO3 - 69g
KH2PO4 - 11g
K2SO4 - 95g
MgSO4 - ???

Micros

Plantex CSM+B - 44g
DTPA Fe (11%) - 10g

Ratios seem a bit low to me.

Off the Barr Report, I grabbed these numbers:

60 – 80 Gallon Aquariums
+/- 3/4 tsp KN03 3x a week
+/- 3/16 tsp KH2P04 3x a week
+/- 1 tsp once a week (water change only)
+/- ¼ tsp (15ml) Trace 3x a week
50% weekly water change


100 - 125 Gallon Aquarium
+/- 1 1/2 tsp KN03 3x a week
+/- ½ tsp KH2P04 3x a week
+/- 1.25 tsp once a week(water change only)
+/- ½ tsp (30ml) Trace 3x a week
50% weekly water change

Your aquarium would fall in between those two.

You probably don't need GH booster (and thus, no need for magnesium sulfate).

 

[AquaDada]

Yes they seemed low to me as well. Those numbers were based off what I got from the calculator figuring for a stock solution in a 500 mL bottle at 30 mL. I think I may be under dosing and that is what I am afraid of.

The numbers off the Barr Report I believe is for dry dosing and not for a stock solution. I have had very little success with finding much information on stock solutions. Everything has been about dry dosing.

 

[Darkblade48]

Yes they seemed low to me as well. Those numbers were based off what I got from the calculator figuring for a stock solution in a 500 mL bottle at 30 mL. I think I may be under dosing and that is what I am afraid of.

The numbers off the Barr Report I believe is for dry dosing and not for a stock solution. I have had very little success with finding much information on stock solutions. Everything has been about dry dosing.

You can easily convert from dry dosing to liquid dosing. Just multiply the dry doses by the number of liquid doses.

For example, you want 30 mL doses, using a 500 mL container. This means there will be 16.67 doses in that container.

 

[Nathan.G]

I see this is an older thread. But I too have just started using the E.i method. And was contemplating making a liquid mix. But for ease and less hassles I stayed dry. And I make a premix of the dry and use a medical pill despencer for the days. I bought 8. So I have an eight week supply of the same mix. Haven't seen anyone else suggest idea yet but it works awesome. Flip the top dump into a little cup of water sir and pour

 

[FatherLandDescendant]

I see this is an older thread. But I too have just started using the E.i method. And was contemplating making a liquid mix. But for ease and less hassles I stayed dry. And I make a premix of the dry and use a medical pill despencer for the days. I bought 8. So I have an eight week supply of the same mix. Haven't seen anyone else suggest idea yet but it works awesome. Flip the top dump into a little cup of water sir and pour

Hang around a bit longer and you will see it suggested

This is where I got the same idea from:hihi:

 

[johnpfaff]

Have an 80 gallon high tech set-up for about five months now. 60-80 gallon EI dosing worked great for about four months, then half dozen plants began to show nitrogen deficiency. Went to 100-125 gallon dry dosing and burnt some plants. Now mix with a jar of tank water and pour it around the tank - problem solved.

 

[Nathan.G]

Yeah I always thought it was funny to see people say that they perfer to make solutions and add a little each day because they can't remember when they dosed last. Pill dispenser works awesome. I figured some would have thought of it.