# Dosing EI



## mzm (16 Feb 2010)

Hi, can anyone help me with as to how I should mix my ferts? I simply am not convinced that my current dosing is right.

I have a 350l tank, with 146W T5 Tubes on for 5hrs a day. I inject CO2 with an Aquatic Magic Tornado reactor. CO2 starts 3hrs before lights on and stops 1hr before lights out.

I have made up a 1l solution which has 206g Potassium Nitrate and 44g Mono Potassium Phosphate in it. I dose this mixture at 40ml three times a week.

I have made up another 1l solution with Plantex CSM+B of which I have added 12 tea spoons and I dose 30ml of this mixture three times a week.

Can anyone please confirm that I am dosing the right amounts?

Kind regards,
Michael


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## zig (16 Feb 2010)

You are dosing 14.4ppm nitrate per 40ml solution and 3.6ppm phosphate per 40ml dose, so you are probably overdoing it especially with the PO4. Nitrate dosage is probably ok if a bit on the high side but the PO4 dosage is high, I usually aim for 3-4 ppm per week with EI method. Cant comment on the plantex I havent used that for a while so not sure on the correct dosage. Light period is short as well at 5 hours per day minimum 8 hours would be recommended.


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## mzm (16 Feb 2010)

Thanks Peter. So in other words if I wanted to keep the 5 hour light period you would recommend me to reduce the ferts?

What amount in grams would you recommend I add for a 1l solution of Macros and is there anything else you would add to the solution besides the nitrate and the phosphate?

Regards,
Michael


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## mzm (16 Feb 2010)

Don't suppose Tom Barr could give us a hand here.....


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## zig (16 Feb 2010)

A 5 hour light period is really too little, this is only a low medium light tank so 8 hours minimum.

Download Chuck's Planted Aquarium Calculator and work out the dosages for your size tank, just punch the numbers into the calculator. You might get away with half EI dosage for a low light tank like this. Heres the link, you will have to look else where for the plantex though as it only  works out macro doses.

http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_aquacalc.htm


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## mzm (17 Feb 2010)

Thank you for your reply and the link.

I am confused though since others in the algae section where I have posted an algae problem have posted that the light is high whilst you say the light is low to medium....

Regards,
Michael


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## Dolly Sprint 16v (17 Feb 2010)

mzm said:
			
		

> Thank you for your reply and the link.
> 
> I am confused though since others in the algae section where I have posted an algae problem have posted that the light is high whilst you say the light is low to medium....
> 
> ...



Michael

I have a 200 litre tank and I was using 4 x 39 T5 tubes which gave me no end of problems with algae so I have reduced the lights down to 2 x T5 tubes which dramatically helped with the algae growth. High light is good for plants but everything else fertz / co2 etc has to be high as well. It all about get the right balance - "The golden triangle".

Regards
Paul.


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## zig (17 Feb 2010)

mzm said:
			
		

> Thank you for your reply and the link.
> 
> I am confused though since others in the algae section where I have posted an algae problem have posted that the light is high whilst you say the light is low to medium....
> 
> ...



You have medium light tank I was 'guesstimating' last night with my reply   The size of the tank is 350l tank so on a basic metric 350l = 92 US gallons approx, so 146 watts divided by 92 gallons = 1.6 watts per gallon approx so you have a medium light tank by that measurement. 

Flyfishermans lighting was approximatly 3 Watts Per Gallon before he reduced it in half so that would have counted as a highlight tank before he changed it.

1.6 WPG is a good lighting level for any tank if you dont want to have to many problems and you should grow most plants with no problem, although you will still need to have the lights on for a minimum 8 hours for a healthy tank along with good CO2 levels and a proper fert regime for it to succeed, if it were me I would concentrate on your CO2 levels thats where most run into problems initially when they start to use it.


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## mzm (19 Feb 2010)

Thank you for your input Peter. Will up the light period and co2. can you recommend a good fertilising regime? I am hopeless with these ferts calculators....

Regards,
Michael


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