Wookii
Member
Hi guys,
I'm coming back to planted aquaria after 16 years off. Whilst keeping a planted tank, and CO2 operation isn't overly new to me, EI dosing is - but it is a system I want to have a go with.
I'm planning to use EI dosing on a 70 litre tank, via a Jebao doser.
The tank will be set up with a 20 litre header tank with solenoids for fully automated water changes. This will allow me to do 20% water changes up to a realistic maximum of probably once per day. Initially however I intend to do a water change once every three days:
Day 1: First solenoid opens and tank fills with water, comes to temperature, and mixes properly over 24 hours with dosed stress coat (circulated by airstone) to remove the tap water nasties
Day 2/3: Second solenoid opens to release treated water to the tank as a trickle over 24 or 48 hours (to be decided).
Day:4+: Repeat . . .
On reading all the guidance on EI dosing however, the assumption is a complete instant water change of 20-50% in one go.
My questions are:
1. Is 20% every three days sufficient given the way the dilution will occur (i.e. 2 x 20% water changes over 6 days on a trickle system not producing the same dilution as a single static 50% weekly water change)?
2. Likewise, how will using a trickle water change affect how much I should dose? - I appreciate the EI dosing is not rigid, and based on there simply being excess nutrients, but do we need to avoid those nutrients building up to higher levels over the longer term by getting the wiring balance between water changes and dosing?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
I'm coming back to planted aquaria after 16 years off. Whilst keeping a planted tank, and CO2 operation isn't overly new to me, EI dosing is - but it is a system I want to have a go with.
I'm planning to use EI dosing on a 70 litre tank, via a Jebao doser.
The tank will be set up with a 20 litre header tank with solenoids for fully automated water changes. This will allow me to do 20% water changes up to a realistic maximum of probably once per day. Initially however I intend to do a water change once every three days:
Day 1: First solenoid opens and tank fills with water, comes to temperature, and mixes properly over 24 hours with dosed stress coat (circulated by airstone) to remove the tap water nasties
Day 2/3: Second solenoid opens to release treated water to the tank as a trickle over 24 or 48 hours (to be decided).
Day:4+: Repeat . . .
On reading all the guidance on EI dosing however, the assumption is a complete instant water change of 20-50% in one go.
My questions are:
1. Is 20% every three days sufficient given the way the dilution will occur (i.e. 2 x 20% water changes over 6 days on a trickle system not producing the same dilution as a single static 50% weekly water change)?
2. Likewise, how will using a trickle water change affect how much I should dose? - I appreciate the EI dosing is not rigid, and based on there simply being excess nutrients, but do we need to avoid those nutrients building up to higher levels over the longer term by getting the wiring balance between water changes and dosing?
Thanks in advance for any advice.