I've never used the PPS PRO style of dosing so I can't help you there. I can however tell you that there's a very good chance that the Eco-Complete you have is soaking up the ferts you are dosing.
PPS Method: I screwed up big time!
This tank has been cycled about 3 months now and while I understand that algae is common in new tanks, I couldn't understand why I was getting so much so often. I was doing 50% W/C every week religiously using a 75/25 RO/Tap mix and I also had a cleanup crew of 11 Nerites, 2 Ottos, and some Amano Shrimp. They did a great job but no sooner would they clean an area that it would be back the next day. I was pulling my hair out.
Then I read over the PPS instructions again today and read something I had missed before. The dosing schedule is based on, "a heavily planted tank"! What?! So I continued reading about testing for NO3 and PO4. The instructions mentioned NO3 around 20PPM while mine yesterday was 80 PPM! I have just 8 clippings in my tank I bought from a fellow forum member. They total probably 30" linear. I'm so pissed at myself for not seeing this.
So my question is how do I determine what I actually need for my tank? Maybe cut it to 1/4 of the normal dose and then test until I'm around 20 ppm of NO3? Strangely, the PO4 is at zero. I did put some Purigen in the tank recently to remove come brown color from the driftwood. I'm wondering if it could also be removing other things.
Anyway, I thought I would mention this in case someone else runs into the same thing. It was driving me crazy and it was such a dumb mistake.
I tested again tonight and NO3 was just 10. I don't get it. The other problem I'm having is that according to API, my PO4 is at zero and has been every time I've tested it. Wth is going on?
Then I read over the PPS instructions again today and read something I had missed before. The dosing schedule is based on, "a heavily planted tank"! What?! So I continued reading about testing for NO3 and PO4. The instructions mentioned NO3 around 20PPM while mine yesterday was 80 PPM! I have just 8 clippings in my tank I bought from a fellow forum member. They total probably 30" linear. I'm so pissed at myself for not seeing this.
So my question is how do I determine what I actually need for my tank? Maybe cut it to 1/4 of the normal dose and then test until I'm around 20 ppm of NO3? Strangely, the PO4 is at zero. I did put some Purigen in the tank recently to remove come brown color from the driftwood. I'm wondering if it could also be removing other things.
Anyway, I thought I would mention this in case someone else runs into the same thing. It was driving me crazy and it was such a dumb mistake.
I tested again tonight and NO3 was just 10. I don't get it. The other problem I'm having is that according to API, my PO4 is at zero and has been every time I've tested it. Wth is going on?
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It's a pretty flaky dosing system, for sure. I've used a PPS Pro dosing mix for the last couple of years, and throttle it based off nitrate levels. On my extremely heavily planted 90 that works out to 3ml/solution every other day. I feed a fair amount of frozen food without draining it first too, which is going to be adding nitrates for sure. I still have BBA, so not a perfect system by any means (on my part).
I use pure RO for changes, which are no more than 10 gal a week on a 110 gal system (90 + 20 sump). Stocking is 9 brochis, couple dozen pygmy cories, 40+ otos, couple hundred shrimp and a farlowella.
I use pure RO for changes, which are no more than 10 gal a week on a 110 gal system (90 + 20 sump). Stocking is 9 brochis, couple dozen pygmy cories, 40+ otos, couple hundred shrimp and a farlowella.
Define "flaky" for me. Is PPS not a well adopted dosing regime? I mean, EI is of course the one I hear about the most but I thought a lot of people use PPS. Thanks for the thoughts on Eco-Complete though. I have read that it begins empty in a sense and absorbs everything around it but I would assume that at least some would stay in the water column. If I had to do it over again, I would have spared the expense for the ADA soil or equivalent.It's a pretty flaky dosing system, for sure.
EI is just a much easier system. You are essentially flooding the water column with a somewhat excess amount of ferts where the PPS system you trying almost to get the exact amount of ferts needed for your aquarium.
Not sure about that. The PPS-Pro doesn't try to get close at all. Same thing. Dose large amounts and do a 50% w/c each week. Maybe you are referring to the regular PPS Classic.EI is just a much easier system. You are essentially flooding the water column with a somewhat excess amount of ferts where the PPS system you trying almost to get the exact amount of ferts needed for your aquarium.
By flaky I mean I have no idea how people don't bomb their tanks using 1mL solution/10 gal/day. My nitrates would be off the charts if I did that, and I have extremely heavy submerged AND riparium growth. Lots of water changes I guess, but still..Define "flaky" for me. Is PPS not a well adopted dosing regime? I mean, EI is of course the one I hear about the most but I thought a lot of people use PPS. Thanks for the thoughts on Eco-Complete though. I have read that it begins empty in a sense and absorbs everything around it but I would assume that at least some would stay in the water column. If I had to do it over again, I would have spared the expense for the ADA soil or equivalent.
I should be fair though, it works for a lot of people.
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
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