# Ei dosing, calcium and magnesium



## Puntius (11 Sep 2017)

Good day all.

I want to know is it needed to dose calcium and magnesium. I have only been dosing Npk and micros Plantex csm-b.

Please advise if it is needed.

Ei dosing levels 
NITRATES =10-40ppm
Potassium = 5-40ppm
Phosphate = 1-3ppm

Calcium =20-30ppm
Magnesium = 5-10ppm
Iron FE Plantex csm-b 0.3-0.5ppm

I heard from ceg4048 (Clive) that it is always best to dose highest range on all ferts. 


Thanks. 

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## Puntius (11 Sep 2017)

Anyone want to share their input 

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## dw1305 (11 Sep 2017)

Hi all,





Puntius said:


> I want to know is it needed to dose calcium and magnesium.


Can you get water parameters from your water supplier? if you have hard water you won't need calcium. 

Most tap water in the UK is low in magnesium (Mg), for geological reasons, but in the  <"USA, hard water"> often supplies appreciable levels of Mg.

cheers Darrel


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## HiNtZ (14 Sep 2017)

To be honest, your magnesium seems spot on at least. Where are you geographically as for me in London there's only 0-2ppm. Either way, regardless of test kit reliability mine often shows nothing rather than something so I dose 1/2 tsp a week in my 155L. Tom Barr once said that a little magnesium goes a long way, and it certainly does. In my experience too much plays havok with my iron uptake. It's like the iron is still there but the plants don't use it.

As for the calcium - that seems within the requirements for plants which is "not a lot".


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## three-fingers (16 Sep 2017)

Are you seeing any magnesium or calcium deficiencies? If not, then no need to add anything else.  Adding more will give you no improvements.

Not sure?  Then adding a little extra can't hurt, at worst it will just be a waste of time.  The whole point of EI is to keep things easy by dosing more than is needed and not having to rely on inaccurate hobby-grade test kits.

Like Darrel says, if you are worried about the levels of Mg or Ca, check them with your water supplier .


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## dw1305 (16 Sep 2017)

Hi all,





three-fingers said:


> Like Darrel says, if you are worried about the levels of Mg or Ca, check them with your water supplier


Unfortunately you can't get separate values for magnesium and calcium in the UK (they are lumped under General Hardness), but if you have water with any appreciable dKH or dGH in the UK, it is likely to be calcium rich.

As the others have said you don'y need much magnesium, so I would just add a little.

cheers Darrel


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## ceg4048 (18 Sep 2017)

I agree with all the posters here on this subject, and to be absolutely clear, I have not stated that it is always best to dose the highest range of nutrients.
What I have stated is that one _CAN _dose the highest values without fear of toxicity to fauna or fear of triggering algae.

In context, that statement and experiments were always aimed at those NO3 and PO4 haters who constantly try to flood the world with ideas about Nitrate sponges and Phospho-guard and other associated time wasting, energy sapping illusions created by The Matrix to blind everyone from the truth. 

When it comes to micro nutrients, just read what is in your water report and get on with it - because one only needs "microscopic" amounts - that's...why...they are called micro-nutrients... 

As Darrel mentions, since it's difficult to determine Mg levels, it never hurts to add a little Epsom Salt just to see if there is an improvement. If there is no improvement after a few weeks than stop the addition and save your money.

EI dosing concept has an economic imperative, which, if you read the EI tutorial is actually the very first imperative that I mention in the article. So dosing at the high end defeats this imperative. So if you need to dose high due to some anomaly then do so, but if there is no need then again, save your money.

Cheers,


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