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Question regarding EI

Martin cape

Martin cape

Member
Joined
21 Dec 2012
Messages
611
Location
Workington
Hi guys,

I add calcium chloride and Epsom salts to increase my GH to 5 degrees. Works out only about 4.5g of Epsom salt in the full tank.

Making up the macro solution it says to add 58g of Epsom salt to the macro mix. Will this increase my GH even more? Or is it mainly the calcium that increases the GH? I wasn't going to add the Epsom salt to my macro stock as I add it anyway, but after seeing the difference in amount I thought I'd better ask.
 
Hello,
If you are already adding Ca and Mg separately then you do not need to ad more of either. GH = Ca + Mg, so adding more of either will increase GH.

You need to forget about GH as some kind of target value within this context. It's really not that important. It's just the sum of the content of Calcium and Magnesium. It's easier to talk about this single number, but really, we are only interested in having enough of these two nutrients in the water for the plants to access. These are trace elements and "trace" means that plants only need very small amounts. Trace elements are to plants what vitamins are to us. There is no penalty for swallowing more than you need of course, but why waste money?

It is not a good idea at all to micromanage GH, because this complicates your life unnecessarily. I would just dump a couple teaspoons or so of each of the Calcium and Magnesium salts at water change and call it good. I wouldn't even bother to measure it because that takes time and you also will have to spend more money buying more GH test kit, which is annoying enough as it is.

Cheers,
 
Thanks Clive.

What do you suggest I do here. I've ha my co2 running for 3 days, got the drop checker green (eventually) and I've been dosing EI for a week.

However, the reg is faulty so its has to be sent back, so now I will be without co2 and I think some of the beard algae has started which I know is down to poor co2, or fluctuating co2.

What should I do while I wait for the replacement reg?
 
Oh, that's easy, turn all lights off and leave them off until your gas is functioning. You can eliminate it by overdosing any of the liquid carbon products.

Cheers,
 
Double and even treble. Of course the standard warnings apply: If you have sensitive inmates or sensitive plants such as Riccia then they will disintegrate.

Cheers,
 
Cheers Clive. Ill do it slowly.

Only sensitive plant I have are the Vallisneria but I'm taking them out anyway. Getting too big and spreading too far, gettin sucked into the Koralia lol
 
Usually recommend to start dosing 1ml per 25l of Easy Carbo per day! Then monitor and increase if necessary.
 
There was a product called Neutro CO2 but was more expensive than Excel. Only need a small bottle for now and to have just in case.
 
Yep, it's now call Neutro CO2 and it's a lot cheaper in the long run.
the large bottle is 2000ml for 22quid!
Excel is 16.99 for 500ml!
 
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