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Dosing regime help please (limited water changes)

BigTom

Member
Joined
1 May 2009
Messages
2,281
Location
Edinburgh
Hi, I'm currently running a 90L setup with 2x 24w T5s and Nutrafin fermentation CO2. I've recently got the whole thing set up and planted after moving into a new flat, and could use some help deciding on a fertiliser regime.

I had thought to go with EI, but I will soon be doing substantial amounts of fieldwork for my PhD, and so my flatmate will have to look after the tank for a month or so at a time. I don't really think I can talk her into 50% weekly water changes... if I ask her to do 20% or so she's more likely to keep up with it.

Ideally I'd like something I can just mix up a batch of before I leave and tell her to add a fixed amount daily. I'm pretty new to planted setups myself so any advice greatly appreciated!

Cheers, Tom
 
Hi,
A 50% water change is not a hard fast rule. 70% is better than 50% which is better than 20%. If you want to do less water change then just lower the EI dosing levels, say, by half. This produces less growth and less organic waste so there is less water to replace.

Cheers,
 
No, a constant regime is better. I reckon you need to find out what works for you and your tank. Implement your reduced dosing strategy immediately and find out over the next few weeks whether it produces nutrient deficiencies or not. If it works then you can be confident that the flatmate will be OK. But lets imagine that the reduced dosing generates a bit of BGA. Well, then you'll need to fine tune it to add a bit more KNO3, for example. It's really impossible for anyone to say exactly what levels will work ahead of time because there are so many variables we cannot see from our armchairs. How is your lighting for example? I'd probably try to keep it on the slightly dimmer side because that's what causes all the trouble in the first place. How is CO2? Will flatmate even have a clue how to determine if this is in good shape at a glance? There's a lot more things to worry about than water changes, that's for sure. :wideyed: Might be worthwhile having her browse the forum :idea:

PS. What will your PhD be in? Are you like Harrison Ford where the field assignments involve whacking bad guys in places like Egypt, or The Himalayas, and looking for hidden treasure? That would be Major Coolness! :D

Cheers,
 
Thanks ceg, will crack on with the reduced ferts. I don't think the lighting will be too strong, at the moment only those plants nearer the surface will pearl, the same plants close to the substrate don't as it's quite a deep tank. The CO2 is a bit variable anyway due to it being fermentation... it doesn't seem to slow down too much over the course of a week, so I'm hoping if she changes the junk once a week at water change time it should be OK. I might change to pressurised at some point, but can't really afford it til September when my funding comes through.

PhD wise, I'm doing an ecological and genetic survey on a species of fieldmouse that has evolved on St Kilda, a tiny archipelago off the west coast of Scotland... so probably not whacking anything except midges :lol:

More info here if you're really bored! - http://www.findaphd.com/search/showproj ... ectid=8058
 
BigTom said:
...PhD wise, I'm doing an ecological and genetic survey on a species of fieldmouse that has evolved on St Kilda, a tiny archipelago off the west coast of Scotland... so probably not whacking anything except midges :lol:

More info here if you're really bored! - http://www.findaphd.com/search/showproj ... ectid=8058
Oh well, not quite as exciting as my main man Indiana Jones but fascinating nevertheless. I'm not really a mouse guy (I don't even like Mickey Mouse) but the research techniques always intrigue me. Could you elaborate a bit on microsatellite DNA profiling?

Cheers,
 
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