# best time to dose ferts



## tom_os (4 Jul 2010)

Hi

the lights on my 180l tank come on at 3pm and off at 11pm. however normally i leave the house at 8am and get home at 6pm.

i dose TPN+ and easycarbo (or a different brand equivalent) Just wondering if it is best to dose before i leave at 8 am or when i get back at 6pm. 

also when i do spend the day at home, is it best to put the ferts in as soon as the lights come on or a bit before to allow it to mix in

thanks
Tom


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## Burnleygaz (4 Jul 2010)

It doesn`t really matter , easycarbo/excel is said to break down after around 24 hours , so as long as its around the same time everyday your plants wont care.

For what its worth i always dose first thing in the morning whilst kettle is boiling, best thing is to do whats the most convient for you so you keep doing it imo.


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## tom_os (4 Jul 2010)

ok thanks for your help, i will probably do it in the morning then. no point having the lights on for 3 hours with no ferts in there


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## bigmatt (5 Jul 2010)

Don't forget the aim of the game is to always have more ferts available to your plants than are actually required (hence so many of us use EI as it's cheaper to achieve this) so it really doesn't make a difference when you dose.  I work varying shifts so dose my tanks at all times with very little regularity other than "it gets done every day, unless i'm away" and it makes no difference (including liquid carbon dosing - my Cherry Shrimp don't mind what time i dose or if there's less than 24hrs between dosing and i'm presently at 3x recommended dosing to battle BBA)
Hope this helps
Matt


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## ukco2guy (19 Jul 2010)

Yup mornings here before going to work, it gets done pretty much exactly the same time every day (excluding Fridays and Saturdays) around 8am.

@ Burnleygaz - I hope you wash your hands before making that cuppa! 

Cheers,


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## Burnleygaz (19 Jul 2010)

Yes  tho some extra potassium might do me good !


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## chris1004 (22 Jul 2010)

Hi,

First thing in the morning when I feed my fish, about 6am everyday, Monday-Friday unless I'm off work or on holiday when it gets done as and when. I don't think it makes a lot of difference as long as you only falter briefly when you do. As long as there is more than the plants require at all times then the jobs a good un.

I don't dose at the weekend anyway because I find it easier to remember to dose Trace on Tuesdays and Thursdays .i.e. if the day stars with a T then its a trace day (believe me at 6am I'm easily confused  ). That means Macros are dosed Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Water change Sunday evening or first thing Monday morning before I go to work.  

CO2 on the other hand takes no prisoners and can go wrong relatively quickly so this needs to be monitored very closely several times a day even if its just checking the colour of the DC in passing glance.

Regards, Chris.


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## Sean Bugeja (22 May 2019)

Won't the excess phospate interact with the iron in the chelated trace?


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## DanielC03 (22 May 2019)

Early morning is my option.
I think it is preferable that plants have the highest concentration of nutrients at the beginning of the Calvin cycle.


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## obsessed (22 May 2019)

Wow 2010.
I dose in the morning


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