EI dosing,

[tovtm]

i have just started using co2 and wanted to know if i should use something like this http://www.aquariumplantfood.co.uk/spec ... 250ml.html

or should i do this EI daily method? the only reason i ask is i am a beginner and reading the first page or so i don't really understand the ingredients or where to get them etc where as the fertilizers i listed above is already made and cant really go wrong, but i want the best option and obviously value for money.

i have a 125ltr tank
2 x 40w 4' t8 tubes 7hrs a day
co2 running through a atomizer on my fluval 205 external
28 degrees
sand substrate with plant tabs

now i have a breeding pair of discus so cant have any form of dosing effecting these.

 

[tovtm]

can anyone shed some light on this for me?

 

[CeeJay]

Hi tovtm

The link is broken at the moment.
Is this fertiliser in liquid form or dry powder?

but i want the best option and obviously value for money.

EI is probably the best option for two reasons. First of all you will be supplying all of your plants needs. Secondly, that's about as cheap as you can dose a tank
If you decided to 'mix your own', you will need KNO3, KH2PO4, MgSO4 and Trace elements. That's it
It is entirely possible that you will not need the MgSO4 if you are in a hard water area, but it would be best to start with it and reduce the dose over a few months. If you see no change in your plants then all is good and you can leave it out.
The only thing I don't know is if this dosing will affect a breeding pair of Discus, as the TDS will change and I don't know if this will have any effect :?
It certainly doesn't affect the health of fish and shrimp

 

[tovtm]

thanks for your reply chris, will it put the tds up or down? to be honest it shouldn't matter as I mix my own ro water so can make the tds what I want within reason and I was just more worried about it affecting there health as there not a £10 fish lol

the link I supplied was a liquid not dry powder. if I am to go EI where can I get these ingredients from? I'm just worried about mixing wrong amounts or adding too much for what the tank needs,

do you know how long it keeps once mixed?

tom

 

[CeeJay]

Hi Tom
The TDS would go up.

and I was just more worried about it affecting there health as there not a £10 fish lol

You certainly won't affect their health that's for sure. To put your mind at ease, on one occasion I was about to rip down a tank and thought I'd try an experiment before I did. I doubled the EI dose and cranked the CO2 to the max. Fish and shrimp were fine, but the plant growth went nuts, so I let it run for another 6 months . That has proved to me beyond all reasonable doubt that EI dosing does not affect the health of the fish and it certainly doesn't induce algae .
I've now seen it with my own eyes
In fact I still have the same fish, and that experiment came to an end last November . So a slight overdose will certainly do no harm

if I am to go EI where can I get these ingredients from?

Our site sponsors are a good place to start.
Fluidsensor Online or Aquarium Plant Food UK both sell all the bits you need.

I'm just worried about mixing wrong amounts or adding too much for what the tank needs,

No need to stress, just use this EI Calculator. It works it out in either grams or teaspoons. A great addition to their site IMO

do you know how long it keeps once mixed?

A common EI practice is to multiply the weekly amount by 4 so you get 4 weeks out of one batch. Never had a problem when doing it this way, as the batch is never older than 4 weeks. Just remember to keep the Trace in it's own bottle otherwise it reacts with the Phosphate. The other 3 ingredients all go into one bottle

 

[tovtm]

on the EI sticky at top of page it gives you the measurements needed but no info on how you mix it, if you didn't tell me to keep the trace separate then I would have just mixed it all in lol is it ok to keep this stuff in a drinks bottle or lock tight container maybe? I'm guessing its more of a dry mixture once mixed

 

[CeeJay]

Hi tovtm

As you need 12 doses (dosed 3 times a week) for a 4 week supply, mix it up with any amount of water that is nicely divisible by 12. 600ml works well for the Macros, as that works out to 50ml per dose .
As you only need 8 doses of the Trace (dosed twice a week), any amount divisible by 8 works well. 200ml is good because that works out to 25ml per dose .

is it ok to keep this stuff in a drinks bottle or lock tight container maybe?

You can keep it in anything you like. When I first stated I was using washing up bottles , until I eventually placed an order with one of our sponsors for a few bits and pieces and then I got some decent dosing bottles like this Dosing bottles

I'm guessing its more of a dry mixture once mixed

It will be very wet actually