Another EI Newbie Question!

[Notator]

I've just taken delivery of my EI chemicals from aquariumplantfood.co.uk...
The instructions say to mix with boiled & cooled water - but I've also seen on other threads that you should mix them with RO, De-Ionised or Distilled water...
Any advice please???

 

[linkinruss]

I'm no expert but I mix 50/50 cold-boiled water.
Plants have shown positive signs of growth and look real healthy.
I also increased my mix per powder.
But take your and observe.

 

[anttthony]

I always use boiled water when its warm for the macro mix as I think it helps it dissolve quicker, and I always only half fill it so I can give it abit of a shake for a day then I fill it right up to try and make sure its fully dissolved. Someone might know better than me though

ant

 

[John S]

I use de-ionised water. I found that cooled boiled tap water with my trace mix caused the tank to cloud when dosing, de-ionised solved the problem.

 

[Ady34]

I read a recent thread from Darrel which suggested when using cooled boiled water it's best to boil the water then cool in a separate container so that the minerals do not re-dissolve back into the water which could lead to precipitation within the mix.....maybe Darrel could confirm the theory to ensure I'm not talking gobbledygook! But a quick google search revealed this from Wikipedia:

"Temporary hardness
Temporary hardness is a type of water hardness caused by the presence of dissolved bicarbonate minerals (calcium bicarbonate and magnesium bicarbonate). When dissolved these minerals yield calcium and magnesium cations (Ca2+, Mg2+) and carbonate and bicarbonate anions (CO32-, HCO3-). The presence of the metal cations makes the water hard. However, unlike the permanent hardness caused by sulfate and chloride compounds, this "temporary" hardness can be reduced either by boiling the water, or by the addition of lime (calcium hydroxide) through the softening process of lime softening.[4] Boiling promotes the formation of carbonate from the bicarbonate and precipitates calcium carbonate out of solution, leaving water that is softer upon cooling."

I now always boil then cool in the fert mixing bottle to reduce the possibility of reintroduction after Darrels comments.
However there is nice thread on it here which contains Darrels information but also offers different viewpoints:
Which water to dissolve salts with? | UK Aquatic Plant Society

Cheerio,
Ady.

 

[Notator]

Thanks all - from the answers and the links I've got enough to choose now!
I think the summary would be...
If you are making large batches then perhaps the boiled/cooled cooled water option may cause issues due to impurities,spores etc
But probably not.

And CEG says it's ok to use anything and he understands the matrix and everything

 

[ceg4048]

Jerry,
It is a complete waste of time and energy to use anything other than tap water. You are not gaining anything, and certainly, I see no reason whatsoever to go through the trouble of boiling water. This was designed to be a very simple procedure, but it looks like some bureaucrat or lawyer has taken over and is holding us hostage.

I don't know where this fad came from but undoubtedly it is a remnant fear from The Matrix. The small amounts of liquid that you are adding to the tank are insignificant and pose no threat to the chemistry of your tank. People think of all kinds of reasons to make their lives more complicated than necessary, imagining bogie men behind every shadow. It is a Barr truism that the more complicated a procedure is, the less likely you are to continue doing it and the greater the chance for error.

Just dump the powders in a jug of tap water and get on with it man! See EI Mix with Tap Water | UK Aquatic Plant Society

Cheers,

 

[ian_m]

Advantages of cooled boiled water is it will be dechlorinated and dissolves the salts easier. Though if using unbolied water I suspect there will be a reaction between the phosphate and chlorine, which will neutralise the chlorine.

 

[gmartins]

I've used tap water with my salts and no problems (no boiling no nothing). Been using this for over 2 years... I have a 10L tank so that my batches last for 1 year. I can see a little deposit forming as the batch ages, but who cares. I just use as is. No nutrient deficiency of any kind. Sometimes a little bit of salt goes with the dose (a bonus).

 

[ceg4048]

That's right. No one using tap water has ever reported any problem whatsoever as a result of using tap water. And if there is any one with a concern about chlorine, well, I mean Hello! That's why God created Sodium Thiosulfate, which presumably people use to dechlorinate their tanks in the first place, right? If you have trouble dissolving the salts then use warm tap water, or just use more water. How easy was that? Honestly people, can we keep it real? If you're that concerned then why not just dose the dry powders directly into the tank? There are so many easy options it boggles the mind to try and figure out why folks continue to complicate even the simplest of ideas.

Newbies read these mad schemes and immediately conclude that Ei is complicated. No wonder.

Cheers,

 

[fish fodder]

Newbies read these mad schemes and immediately conclude that Ei is complicated. No wonder.

Cheers,

Including me! I'm new to all of this but it really does seem to be quite easy... From what I'm reading is it a case of buying a complete mix and dissolving it in water and dosing every day per instructions and doing weekly water changes? Or is there more to it?

 

[Martin cape]

I use tap water. It's awesome! Plus it dechlorinates by itself over time anyway.

 

[Tim Harrison]

I've lived in extremely hard water areas all my life and probably have had the hardest water in the world at one time or another...all those dissolved salts have made no difference whatsoever - I've successfully grown a range of plants that supposedly require soft acidic water such as Aponogeton madagascariensis The only time it should ever be a concern is if you want to see species with exacting environmental requirements at their best, such as Sphaerichthys osphromenoides.

As for chlorine, to expend on Clive's theological reflection on Sodium Thiosulfate...the World Health Organisation's Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality are pretty stringent, and I seem to recall that the UK's are stricter still. So if it's safe enough for human consumption it usually means that it will be fine for our aquatic critters too. So don't waste time or money on unnecessary water treatment...life's complicated enough.