# Some Questions - About to start EI dosing a 50 gallon



## Kyle D (May 15, 2010)

I am about to start using the EI method to dose my tank and was hoping somebody could answer some of my questions about the dosing, how it will affect the fish, and also check my dosing scheme to see if its ok.

The aquarium is a 50 US Gal tank (36"x18"x18") with a Rena Filstar XP3 canister filter going full blast (rated for 350 gph) and it has 4x39W T5-HO lights on it and they are on for 8 hours per day in two 4 hour periods with 2 hours in between the periods. The bulbs are in 2 36" Hagen GLO double fixtures and the fixtures are resting right on the lip of the tank, so they're only about 2-3" from the surface of the water. The substrate is a mixture of Fluorite Black, pool filter sand and black aquarium gravel all over a layer of API First Layer laterite. I am running a pressurized CO2 system using the Milwaukee MA957 regulator with the CO2 being pumped into the venturi port on a Hagen Elite mini internal filter which is blowing into a filter sponge which traps the bubbles in it and eventually produces a fine mist of bubbles. I'm using a Red Sea drop checker with a 5 dKH solution and it is always green which I believe means that there is approximately 38 ppm CO2 in the tank. The tank is heavily planted and there are two pieces of driftwood in it as well. The pH is around 6.8 and the dKH is around 14-15.

The tank is stocked with the following:
- 9x 1" Rummynose Tetras
- 7x 1" Sterbai Corys
- 2x adult sodalis corys
- 2x adult wortoi corys
- 1x adult albino bn pleco
- 6x 1-1.5" calico bn pleco
- 2x adult gold x german blue rams
- 1x 3" gold marble angelfish
- 2x 2" marble angelfish

(The four adult corys will be getting moved soon and eventually I plan to only have 3 plecos in the tank. I am also considering adding a 4th angel and possible a pair of gold rams, but those are still up in the air.)

The dosing regime that I'm planning on following is from http://theplantedtank.co.uk/EI.htm and http://www.ukaps.org/EI.htm and is as follows:

- 1/2 tsp KNO3 + 1/8 tsp KH2PO4 + 1.5 tsp MgSO4 -> 3x per week
- 1/8 tsp traces -> 3x per week
- 50-75% WC per week

The traces will be provided by a chelate trace element mix (Fe 7%, B 1.3%, Mn 2%, Zn 0.4%, Cu 0.1%, Mo 0.06%).

According to the calculator on James' site I will be dosing over the week (combined):
- 29.15 ppm of Nitrate from Potassium Nitrate
- 22.15 ppm Potassium from Potassium Nitrate and Potassium Phosphate
- 12.01 ppm Magnesium from Magnesium Sulphate

Is this dosing regime acceptable or is it too much? Also, when first starting to dose EI, do I need to work up to the full doses?

My Significant Other nearly had a heart attack when I told her how much nitrates that I would be dosing. She is really worried about how the fish (specifically the Angel's) will handle that concentration of nitrate. Are the fish going to be in danger? I tried to explain to her that we would only be dosing 9.72 ppm of Nitrate 3x per week and that the plants would have two days to use that much and that the concentration of nitrogen by the end of the week should not be anywhere near 30 ppm because of the plant uptake. Am I correct in that assumption? Our biggest concern is for the safety and health of our fish and I would like to know if dosing like this would put them at risk. If so, what/how can we change to mitigate that risk? Another concern that she raised was the fact that won't the residual concentration of the chemicals continue to rise after each WC? For example, say by the end of the week there is 20 ppm (from an original 30ppm) of Nitrate left, after you do a 50% WC it leaves you with 10 ppm and then you dose the entire week and end up with the initial 10ppm plus the 30 ppm we added. When you do another 50% WC you're left with say 20 ppm of Nitrates and so on and so forth. We are both worried that this will also jeopardize our fish. Will it?

Thanks and sorry for the long post.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi Kyle D,

I see you are a new member, welcome to APC! This is a great site with excellent information and friendly people to help you if you need it. I am glad you joined us. I like Jame's Planted Tank, excellent algae information page.

I certainly understand your concern. I too have Rummy Nose, Angels, Corys, and Threadfin Rainbows in my 45 gallon. I have been dosing EI for about a year now and it works very well. I have made some adjustments, mostly on my micros. You may want to watch your hardness if you are dosing MgSO4 3X a week. I only dose my hardness conditioner after the weekly water change.

Here is a picture of that aquarium:


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## Kyle D (May 15, 2010)

What is a hardness conditioner?


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi Kyle D,

To raise my water hardness and provide Ca and Mg I used to use CaCl2 or CaSO4 for Ca and MgSO4 for Mg. But I was having trouble keeping the Mg:Ca ratio correct. Now to raise the hardness of my water and add Ca and Mg I am using Seachem Equilibrium. It is a little more expensive but much easier.


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## Kyle D (May 15, 2010)

The water out of my tap has a dKH of 14-15 and I gave up on testing the GH because if I remember correctly after 30 drops the liquid still had not changed. Our local water can be considered liquid rock, that is how hard it is. So, I don't think I need to raise my hardness at all.

Is that what the MgSO4 is for?


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi Kyle D,

Both Ca and Mg are macronutrients that the plants need to grow properly, just like nitrates, phosphorus, and potassium. However, unlike N, P, and K, Ca and Mg do raise water hardness. Typically I only dose my very soft water (2.0 dKH; 4.0 dGH) with Ca/Mg/Seachem after my weekly water change.


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

Welcome to APC and EI Kyle.

Nitrates tend to be more of a concern in organic form. I've been spawning apistos out in 20ppm of NO3 from inorganic just fine. The creator of EI kind of sums it up here: http://www.barrreport.com/showthread.php/6959-Another-EI-PMDD-QUESTION?p=46890#post46890

We'll gas fish to death with CO2 now and then, but for some reason it's the inorganic NO3 that people worry about. I haven't seen any fert related NO3 deaths or spawning issues. That being said, you may not find the need to use that much NO3; 30ppm dosed plus food is more than I could see even the densest planted tank sucking up. 2/3 that dose should help to avoid getting into NO3 test kit blind spots where all results between 50-120ppm looks similar. While 60ppm NO3 may not be a problem as far as any hard evidence goes, I sure wouldn't press my luck up to double that.

Odds are you'll have some Mg in your tap, but every now and then it's pure Ca. I'd get a water report or bother your water company about the Mg levels in the area; they'd know. If you're under 10ppm (mostly because of seasonal fluctuations) I'd toss in 5ppm of Mg just to make sure.

Your light is rather intense, and you may find that frustrating. Half the level will keep all of those plants growing just as nicely (or better) with less algae, less fiddling with CO2, and less trim work.


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## Kyle D (May 15, 2010)

Thanks for all the help and information everyone.

We rescaped our tank over the weekend and started dosing EI today using the dosing regime I posted. I can't wait to see the results!


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi Kyle D,

Keep us posted on how things progress!


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