# Norms / target PPM



## balutpenoy2oy (Dec 13, 2012)

hi guys, are those numbers on the fertilator say NO3 = 10-20, PO4 = 0.5-2.0, K = 10-20...........are the PPM to be maintained in planted set-up to grow plant well considering light and CO2 are met ? Thanks


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

Such high numbers are used by many people that believe that the plants need to have the food available in the water 24/7. This works but if there is any issue it turns into a nightmare very fast simply because there is excess food in the water. No natural body of water has such high concentrations of nutrients. Actually water with such N and P content will be quailified as severely polluted by any lab.

What you are looking at is the recommendation for the so called "Estimative Index" (EI) which is a way to run a planted tank that not a single professional aquascaper uses. EI is the creation of Tom Barr - a scientists thas has been and is very vocal on the planted aquarium forums for years. His authority makes the idea of adding excess nutrients in your tank acceptable for the average enthusiast. EI is used by many people and it requires you to stay on top of the maintenance. Tinkering with the tank is what many people love to do. Here's one of Tom's tanks:
http://www.barrreport.com/showthread.php/9553-120-gallon-Dutch-Planted-something-or-another/page39

A more practical way is to use nutritious substrate and very careful fertilizing of the water. In the range of no more than 0.2 ppm a day. The idea is simple - provide food for the plants but do not let the food constantly float free in the water.

All of the following tanks have been done this way:
http://www.aquabird.com.vn/forum/showthread.php?t=100723&page=1

Here are videos of one tank made this way + how it's done:


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## balutpenoy2oy (Dec 13, 2012)

niko said:


> Such high numbers are used by many people that believe that the plants need to have the food available in the water 24/7. This works but if there is any issue it turns into a nightmare very fast simply because there is excess food in the water. No natural body of water has such high concentrations of nutrients. Actually water with such N and P content will be quailified as severely polluted by any lab.
> 
> What you are looking at is the recommendation for the so called "Estimative Index" (EI) which is a way to run a planted tank that not a single professional aquascaper uses. EI is the creation of Tom Barr - a scientists thas has been and is very vocal on the planted aquarium forums for years. His authority makes the idea of adding excess nutrients in your tank acceptable for the average enthusiast. EI is used by many people and it requires you to stay on top of the maintenance. Tinkering with the tank is what many people love to do. Here's one of Tom's tanks:
> http://www.barrreport.com/showthread.php/9553-120-gallon-Dutch-Planted-something-or-another/page39
> ...


when you say "0.2PPM a day does it means all the macro and micro and even CO2..


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## OTPT (Sep 27, 2010)

niko said:


> A more practical way is to use nutritious substrate and very careful fertilizing of the water. In the range of no more than 0.2 ppm a day. The idea is simple - provide food for the plants but do not let the food constantly float free in the water.
> 
> All of the following tanks have been done this way:
> http://www.aquabird.com.vn/forum/showthread.php?t=100723&page=1


For the sake of correctness, #14 is from a long time EI user, he is Shadow at aquaticquotient.com.

On the other hand, #2, from what I've read most recently from his posts, didn't dosed anything
because he had gotten algae when he had tried dosing ferts.


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