# Dosing is so confusing!



## Jbennett (Oct 8, 2008)

I have a 40 gallon heavily planted aquarium with 130watts CF lighting. Also, i have pressurized CO2. I just want someone to tell me what to do.......This might not be the best thing to do. I was looking at IE and it just confuses me. I'll do that but i'm not sure what to buy. So I buy Tropica plant nutrition liquid? what else? Seachem excel? And then just dose one every other day with a 50% water change on friday? Someone please help me before hair algae takes over my aquarium.


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## Commodore 64 (Aug 13, 2008)

PPS Pro

2 Mixes.

1 ml per 10 gal per day
Small or no water changes.

Doesn't get much easier.


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## Analog Kid (Dec 27, 2008)

You can find simplified EI dosing summaries on plenty of sites. Try barr report...see the EI light thread etc.


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

If you go with EI, buy the dry ferts for your macros, and get the liquid for your micros. My 2 cents worth for your 40:

At water change, and again midweek:
1/4tsp KNO3 (for nitrates)
1/16tsp KH2PO4 (for phosphates)
1/8tsp K2SO4 (for potassium)

3 days a week when you do NOT add the above, add 5ml of micros (trace element mix like Flourish) to the tank. There's lots of places to get dry ferts - check out some of our sponsors.

Look at the stickies in this forum for more EI and PPS dosing and more info. 

HTH.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi Jbennett,
I agree dosing can be confusing and expensive, especially when I was buying my ferts at the LFS. After reading about the different dosing plans recommended on this as well as other forums, I decided to try the PPS-Pro system that you will find here on APC. I wanted to "keep it simple".
I bought my dry ferts, trace elements (CSM+B), and an inexpensive gram scale, mix my own solutions, and dose daily. PPS-Pro does not require water changes, but I typically change 10%-20% weekly anyway (but I don't HAVE to!). I also dose with Flourish Excel to add carbon and deter algae, but it is not a fert.
My plants are doing great! I typically have lots of extras to take to our monthly GSAS meeting for other members.


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## supersmirky (Oct 22, 2008)

I agree...PPS pro is great.. 2 solutions, easy to remember (daily), no water changes, much more simple IMO


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## rodrigaj (Aug 17, 2008)

My EI regiment:

Mix 6tsp KNO3 + 1.5tsp KH2PO4 + 1.5tsp K2SO4 + 500ml of H2O.
Add 18ml of this solution to the tank per day. Solution is mixed once per month.

Mix 1.5tsp of a hydroponics mixture to 500ml of H2O. Add 18ml of this solution to the tank per day. Solution is mixed once per month.

Cheap and easy. No alternating days, no days off.


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## Jbennett (Oct 8, 2008)

Thanks everyone for all the advice.


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## mattmathis (Dec 13, 2008)

Thanks from me too! I was just about to make a post like this.

One more quesion though...

So once every day you just dose this?
How do you know if you're getting to much of something?

_*Macro Solution

In 1 liter bottle:
59 grams K2SO4 (Potassium Sulfate)
65 grams KNO3 (Potassium Nitrate)
6 grams KH2PO4 (Mono Potassium Phosphate)
41 grams MgSO4 (Magnesium Sulfate)
Fill with distilled water and shake well. Let sit overnight.

Micro Solution

In 1 liter bottle:
80 grams of CSM+B or equivalent trace element mix
Fill with distilled water and shake well. Let sit overnight.
*_


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

I dose EI. I just add the powder dry. I never understood why other mix it except they want to make sure it is melted. Mine melts fast in the water. It's so easy. I can grow tons of plants - most rare and in the difficult category. The EI is the same from the Tom Barr site and Greg Watson. I follow the general dosing guidelines in this thread on APC. 
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/showthread.php?t=15225


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi mattmathis,
In answer to your question, yes, you are absolutely correct. Those would be the correct amounts to make 1 liter of the macro and the trace solutions for PPS-Pro. 
I don't mix up that much at a time because I had a problem with a fungus growing in the solution if I didn't use it up fast enough. Now I mix up 100 ml at a time which lasts me about 2 weeks and I add a few drops of a fungus cure to insure no fungus growth in the solutions.


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## mattmathis (Dec 13, 2008)

That's a good point, I wondered about the mixture going bad. Especially if all I'm treating is a 10 gallon.

Thanks a bunch!


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