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Tds and dosing EI method

Planted Bows

Member
Joined
19 Jun 2015
Messages
414
Location
Loughborough
Hi all,

I have posted this in the water chemistry section too as I feel it falls under both.

Now I have been dosing EI method for 2weeks now and my tds has gone from 200 to 700 and keeps going up.

My tds needs to be stable as I have CRS and have had these for around 6months at 200tds. All other parameters are fine and I do a 50% weekly water change to reset.

My question is

1) Do is reduce the amount of ferts day by day as I'm dosing the required amount from the instructions.

2) rehome the CRS? I don't think any have died due to the tds factor however it's a heavily planted tank so it's difficult to keeps tabs on numbers.

Thanks in advance

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Add more plant's.
These would help by using more of the nutrient's from the mineral salt's.
It's not likely that shrimps produce enough in the way of waste for plant's to draw from if tank is heavily planted, so nutrient's are likely from dosing.(will increase TDS)
If the tank is not planted very much,then you could try reducing the amount of the dry mineral's a little less each day for a couple week's in between reducing more, and see what plant's say.?
If they (plant's) begin to do poorly ,then you could return to previous dosing level's.
EI is good base point IMHO, to ensure little in the way of possible deficiency but can be decreased /increased for your/my plant mass,light energy,CO2 availability/consistency.
Recall Tom Barr selling some high grade CRS from EI dosed tanks in the past.
Near certain other's may keep the shrimps in EI dosed affair's, but is only speculation.
Other dosing schemes out there that do not use EI level's as base point.
 
Add more plant's.
These would help by using more of the nutrient's from the mineral salt's.
It's not likely that shrimps produce enough in the way of waste for plant's to draw from if tank is heavily planted, so nutrient's are likely from dosing.(will increase TDS)
If the tank is not planted very much,then you could try reducing the amount of the dry mineral's a little less each day for a couple week's in between reducing more, and see what plant's say.?
If they (plant's) begin to do poorly ,then you could return to previous dosing level's.
EI is good base point IMHO, to ensure little in the way of possible deficiency but can be decreased /increased for your/my plant mass,light energy,CO2 availability/consistency.
Recall Tom Barr selling some high grade CRS from EI dosed tanks in the past.
Near certain other's may keep the shrimps in EI dosed affair's, but is only speculation.
Other dosing schemes out there that do not use EI level's as base point.
I would love to add more plants but I don't have any more space, I shall try reducing the dose by half and see how that goes. This is a picture of the tank. The only thing I could do is carpet the sand with MC or something like that?
DSC_0139.JPG
34292afad238092c3e1a54edd65c2844.jpg


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Yes,appears to be mostly slow grower's that may not need as much nutrient's as some faster grower's might.
 
Very true. I do have alot of anubius in there. Going to look for a carpet plant and few more stem plants and swap a few things around

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Anything you add to the water will increase your tds.If your worried about this.I would try lowering your EI dose to 50% and keep a eye on your plants for a couple of weeks.If all is ok. Retest your tds then.
I keep fire red shrimp last time i tested my tds was around 420 they are breeding fine.
 
Hi Dave,

Yeah I have halved it today and will continue to do so. Have ordered some crypts off a guy on here too so hopefully I can replace some of the anubius with that to help take up more nutrients :)

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