# Ei stater kit question..



## 13r0wn7 (25 May 2014)

I was just wondering as I am getting a single auto dosage pump is that would I be able to combine mix one with mix 2?
So basically mix one with 2 tsp of chelated trace? 

I notice the dosage amounts are the same so I wondered why they where not already combined? Do they not mix together? 

Mix 1
500ml water
6 tsp Potassium Nitrate
3 tsp Potassium Phosphate
12tsp Magnessium Sulphate

Dose 20ml per 50ltr every other day

mix 2 is;
500ml water
2 tsp chelated trace

dose 20ml per 50ltr every other day.

Thanks 


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## Andy Thurston (25 May 2014)

I'm not sure which nutrients react with each other but they do and this is why they are dosed seperately, so im afraid no you cant mix them.
although i used to dose EI using TNC Complete so there must be something you can add to stop this reaction from happening, so perhaps an email to the supplier will help


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (25 May 2014)

Citric acid I think.


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## Andy Thurston (25 May 2014)

Nathaniel Whiteside said:


> Citric acid I think.


 I think your right but i dont know how much to use.
TNC sell citric acid and i'm sure nigel help you with the recipie


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## 13r0wn7 (25 May 2014)

I have just spoke to APF and basicly if you want to combine you have to get some Ascorbic Acid to stop it reacting with the potassium phosphate. 


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## Sacha (25 May 2014)

How come you added extra phosphate in your macro mix?


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## 13r0wn7 (25 May 2014)

That mix is what Aquarium plant food uses which I have just copied. 
All I wanted to do is combine mix one with chelated trace.


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## Andy Thurston (25 May 2014)

Sacha said:


> How come you added extra phosphate in your macro mix?


 extra everything heres the recepie that came with my apfuk ei kit


Macro:
500ml water
4tsp potassium nitrate
1tsp potassium phosphate
6tsp magnesium sulphate

Micro:
500ml water
1tsp chelated trace


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## Sacha (25 May 2014)

Yes and I do: 

8
2
12

2 


And then give a half dose each day. I'm just trying to work out how he calculated that he needs 1.5x nitrate, 3x phosphate, and 2x magnesium. I mean, how did he work out those multipliers?


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## Andy Thurston (25 May 2014)

Sacha said:


> Yes and I do:
> 
> 8
> 2
> ...


 
I'm trying to work out why he's adding 20ml every other day it will work out at 3x nitrate, 6x phosphate, 4x magnesium and 4x trace


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## 13r0wn7 (25 May 2014)

What would you do? Dose everyday at half that? So

3 tsp Potassium Nitrate
1.5 tsp Potassium Phosphate
6 tsp Magnessium Sulphate

And 1 tap chelated trace?

Dose 10ml per 50ltr every day


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## Andy Thurston (25 May 2014)

i've just been dosing standard eI as per these instructions



 I know dosing extra doesn't cause algae and the standard recepie is a starting point which can be adjusted up or down to suit each tanks needs but 6x 3x and 4x seems excessive. i've started dosing standard recipie and will change dosing if i see any shortfalls[DOUBLEPOST=1401018353][/DOUBLEPOST]or you can use this calculator
http://www.thenutrientcompany.com/aquarium/calculators/


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## Vivian Andrew (25 May 2014)

Hi, check the below link you will get good idea, if you use RO water then mix Magnesium Sulphate otherwise don't mix it and if you want more potassium you can mix potassium sulphate.



below is the site i used to measure the salts for my aquarium

http://www.theaquatools.com/fertilization-calculator

below pic is the mixture which i used to make my EI dosing solution for my tank i use digital scale to weigh the salts, has i have enough calcium and magnesium in my tap water i won't add magnesium sulphate.


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## ian_m (27 May 2014)

As stated above you cannot mix the macro and micro, they will react depositing the iron as insoluble iron phosphate which is of no use for plants. This is why you dose alternate days macro and micro.

However using the right type of chelated iron (and other metals) in the micro along with the correct pH control you can dose both macro and micro as an all in one.

This is an graph of the various chelating agents vs pH. taken from
http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/chelated-fe.31529/





However the whole idea of EI is KISS. Keep it simple stupid. So dose as EI directed and no issue. No issue of getting correct pH, no issue of components reacting, no issue of calculating dose for your "new mixture"...etc.


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## 13r0wn7 (8 Jun 2014)

I have bought a 5L container I was just thinking do you have to give it a stir every now and then? Or can I just leave it until it's ran out which would be over 200 days worth? 


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## ian_m (8 Jun 2014)

If you mix in the proportions directed, no need to stir, as the salts will stay in solution. In fact when I mix my EI, I just put salts into bottle, quick shake, put in cupboard ready to fill my dosing bottle in next couple of weeks. When I decant into dosing pump bottles, all the salts have dissolved in intervening time.


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## Konrad Michalski (5 Sep 2014)

ian_m said:


> If you mix in the proportions directed, no need to stir, as the salts will stay in solution. In fact when I mix my EI, I just put salts into bottle, quick shake, put in cupboard ready to fill my dosing bottle in next couple of weeks. When I decant into dosing pump bottles, all the salts have dissolved in intervening time.


Sorry for stupid question but what do you actually mean by dosing pump? I'm going to start using EI soon but I gather info first. Also, can I use EI for freshly started aquarium where water changes take place every two or three days? Cheers


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## ian_m (5 Sep 2014)

Konrad Michalski said:


> Sorry for stupid question but what do you actually mean by dosing pump?






From
http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/diy-dual-peristaltic-dosing-pump-with-alternate-switching.22332/



Konrad Michalski said:


> Also, can I use EI for freshly started aquarium where water changes take place every two or three days?


If you have plants they will need nutrient, so why not.


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## Konrad Michalski (5 Sep 2014)

Thanks for explenation mate.


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