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Using EI with liquid carbon? Same dosages?

nry

nry

Member
Joined
23 Oct 2007
Messages
1,225
Location
Cumbria, UK
I'm debating switching to using liquid carbon instead of pressurised CO2. My regulator seal has gone and a replacement is likely going to be costly (still researching new seal washers). I'm running 2wpg via T8's over a 54litre/15 US gallon tank.

If I use liquid carbon (currently have an almost full bottle of EasyCarbo from a year or so back) should I continue with the usual full EI doses for my tank or should I be reducing them?

All but the r.wallichii and HC are slower growers, crypts, ferns, anubias and moss.
 
Hi,
No one yet has developed an equation that relates X ppm of Excel to Y ppm of CO2 but we do know that at suggested bottle dosing liquid carbon products generate much less CO2 than injection. Naturally, that depends on how much CO2 gas was being injected in the first place.

Over time, the cost of the liquid carbon will undoubtedly catch up to a regulator replacement cost, however on that size tank you're likely to be able to stretch that out for a while. It's easy to do a cost comparison based on how much you'll dose, i.e. per bottle, or 2X or 3X.

Since there is less CO2 the nutrient uptake rate will decline but it's unclear by how much. It might be wise to only lower dosing by say, 20% wait a few weeks and then continue to lower the dosage incrementally until any deficiency is noted.

Cheers,
 
The dosage for my tank is 1ml of EasyCarbo per day. At less than £10 for a 250ml bottle that gives me 250 days for £10 whereas I've never managed more than 3 months out of a £10 600gm CO2 cannister (buy them from the local Machine Mart) so it'd always be cheaper to use EasyCarbo than CO2...providing it works OK for my plants :) I still had noticeable pearling off my HC last night 5 days in to no pressurised CO2 and only using EasyCarbo...

We'll see, all depends how much a replacement regulator bit is from D-D if I can't get a replacement washer to work.
 
Try shopping around nry. I can get a 3kg bottle for £10 from a place that supplies pubs, welding shops etc.

Whether you can get away with just liquid carbon and the lighting you have....BBA and staghorn will let you know. That is the beauty of algae, it tells you so much more than any test kit.

Dave.
 
nry said:
If I use liquid carbon (currently have an almost full bottle of EasyCarbo from a year or so back) should I continue with the usual full EI doses for my tank or should I be reducing them?
Click to expand...

If it were me I'd keep them at 100% dosing rate. Why risk lowering them and affecting the plants? Dry ferts are cheap so I dont suppose you'll save money. And we all know that excess N and P aren't a problem. Why risk it would be my thoughts :)

Sam
 
When it was sealed my D-D regulator etc only had the connection for the 600gm cannisters, and my wife wouldn't appreciate a 2kg CO2 cannister sitting next to the tank, it'd look a bit out of place in the living room :)
 
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