Mineral Supliments

[sdlra]

I do a 50% water change with Ro water and use TMC Supliments.My question is if I am using the EI method for my Plants do I need to use mineral suppliments ?

 

[hotweldfire]

Good question. I do more or less the same (although I cut my RO with 1/3 tap) and wonder if I'm wasting my money.

I think part of the issue is what plants don't get from RO and part is what fish don't get. I've been told by many LFS that fish (and more so, shrimp) need what's in tap to survive ( ). I'm sure what we add by using EI means we don't need to add anything for the sake of the plants.

 

[sdlra]

That's what I thought

 

[Alastair]

Tap water contains amongst other things calcium which shrimp need to shed. Depending on where you live some areas have quite alot of both calcium and magnesium. Doesn't using ro remove almost all of this? I use plain old tap water in my tank but add a little extra calcium as I live in a very soft water area

 

[hotweldfire]

Is there calcium in an average EI mix?

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[Alastair]

Is there calcium in an average EI mix?

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Just magnesium

 

[hotweldfire]

Hmm. But shrimp specific food will have calcium in it, right?

 

[Alastair]

Yeah course. And there's calcium in tap water too. More so the further down you live hence a higher water hardness. I only add the calcium purely to see if it helps my plants in any way

 

[plantbrain]

Simply cut the RO with Tap water, then you get some GH/KH, otherwise you are just wasting a lot more RO than you need to for a water change.

I only would use RO for fish, plants do not care in 97% of the cases.

So say 50% RO, 50% tap etc.

If you insist on 100% RO, then baking soda + GH booster is a good idea after each water change.