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best EI dosing to buy?

Joined
21 Aug 2013
Messages
113
after an ei dosing kit? never used it before.
is there a brand or something that everyone gets?
anyone link me it?
 
thanks a lot, what about best substrate? I have sand at the moment and understand its the worst
 
It's only worst because the people who think sand is a problem usually are the same people who are too frightened to put the contents of that EI starter pack into their tank because they think nitrates and phosphates cause algae. So their plants disintegrate due to malnutrition and they immediately blame sand.

Sand is not the best substrate because it has a low CEC and it has no nutrients. But, it's also cheap, and if you live near a beach, it's free. So if you use nutrients, such as in the starter pack you linked to, then your plants will not really care that they are in sand because they will have access to an unlimited supply of nutrients.

So whether you change out the substrate or not depends on your goals, such as aesthetics, or such as whether you would rather the plants feed from the sediment so that you don't have to dose as often. Enriched substrates are not free though. So the choice is yours, but just understand the choice.

Cheers,
 
growing demanding plants in sand with EI, no problems at all - fast growth rates.
 
That looks like an awful lot of magnesium sulphate he's adding in that video... do plants really need that much? I thought magnesium was supposed to be a micro fert not macro!
 
I've never heard magnesium referred to as a macro requirement before, just NPK

Anyway I think I found the answer in one of Clive's posts Just about to order some more EI salts am I missing anything | UK Aquatic Plant Society
The long and the short of it is that 10 grams (about 2 teaspoons) of Epsom Salt only has 1 gram of Mg. That's why when you assume the water has zero Mg you have to dose so much of the powder just to get a small amount of Mg. If we change the assumption and assume that your tap water already has some Mg in it, then it becomes much less important to dose large amounts of the Epsom Salt.

My local water report lists 4-5mg magnesium in our taps so I guess I'm already good.
 
if I purchase the kit I linked do I need the syringes and measuring spoons as well?
 
I use teaspoons to measure my salts directly into the dosing bottles. If your tank is small syringes help with getting small amounts right, but if a larger tank just dose from the dosing bottles.
 
Hi,
Personally I do not waste my time, money or energy on useless items such as syringes and special spoons. In your kitchen, top drawer on the left, you will find 20 or 30 spoons. Pick one that the wife/GF will not object to, and use it.

Cheers,
 
thanks for the replies its for 125g.
ordering ei tonight.
have all my plants finally, so will start a journal soon enough
 
... Pick one that the wife/GF will not object to, and use it....
This is actually one of the hardest things about EI, not get caught using the "wrong" spoon and not getting an ear full...

In the end I got 6 tea spoons from Ebay for £2 odd and just leave in the bags of salts. Still get accused of using the kitchen spoons though...
 
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