[quark]

does anyone have had experience with a M-F dosing schedule? I want to figure out a dosing schedule based on EI or PPS for a tank in my office. However, I only intend to attend to my tank M-F, don't want to come in the weekend, or get an automatic dosing system.....yet . CO2 and lights can run on a timer for the weekend, or they could possibly be completely turned off. Tank will be a small 3gal iwagumi, with HC, pressurized CO2 and high light. Total water volume will be in the 4-5 gallon range due to large filter and rexgriggs Co2 reactor.

Either case, has anyone done anything like this before? your help would greatly be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[quark]

Darn it, guess I'm going to have to figure this one out myself by some trial and error. Most seem to just dose the extra amount for the days that you won't be able to dose. cheers and good luck to me.

 

[Monster Fish]

I don't see why you can't dose macros three days of the week and micros only twice a week.

 

[aja31]

My EI dosing schedule is M-Saturday but it can easily be made M-F.

MWF = macro dosing
TR = micro dosing
You can probably do the final micro dosing at the end of the day Friday if you do the macros in the morning, or just skip it.

50% water change on Monday before dosing. Adjust as needed depending on the plants.

 

[quark]

Yeah, that was my thoughts, but wanted to see if anyone has done it. My first reaction or thinking was that the plants would be starving by the time Monday comes around.

You think it would be better to not dose normally and skip saturday and sunday? or dose extra on Friday? Granted this also mean that a WC wont happen till sometime in the middle of the week.

Maybe something like this:
M-Macro
T-Micro in the AM. WC in PM, lights out.
W-Macro in AM
Th-Micro
F-Macro and Micro

Tuesday's water change works in favor of my work schedule.

 

[Monster Fish]

The plants won't starve if you up your macro/micro dose on Friday. Though I'd make the weekly water change before you dose the ferts.

 

[plantbrain]

I dose 2x a week for ferts except traces and I will dose those more frequently. This works even with the highest lighting values.

 

[quark]

I've never done EI dosing before, so this is all new. Thanks for the responses, and it does seem that there is quite a bit of room to play with. I'd like to plan the dosing schedule around a Tuesday afternoon water change. I didn't account for adding ferts after that water change since the lights will be off after the water change, so felt it wasn't necessary. Ideally, that Tuesday photoperiod will utilize the ferts that was added on Monday and Tuesday morning, and add extra ferts on Friday to last through the weekend.

Of course this is all in theory and I do hope I don't end up with a tank full of algae on Mondays. that would really put a whole new meaning to having the "Mondays", and probably a good laugh at it too.

 

[plantbrain]

Fert dosing becomes pretty boring after about 2-3 weeks:wink:

Folks seem enamored with it and look to it for all that they believe matters and is the root of all their evils. It's a rather basic thing, you add it 2-3x week, or you can fuss and do it daily, you can monkey around and try tight controlled tolerances, or you can add 2x a week etc and not worry about it.


This is my tank this week:




I spend my time fussing over selling the plants I trim and gardening, not worrying about ferts being +/- a ppm here or there. If you do a water change once a week, you'll be fine. That's the point of EI, you dose enough, then the water change takes care of any errors or any build up.

Simple.

 

[mightymizz]

Tom,

That is a sweet tank!