# New EI schedule already broken



## koffee (Aug 21, 2005)

I'm still learning as I go with my first planted tank: DIY medium tech. At first, I was hardly fertilizing at all, but then started researching NPK and all.

Most recently (in the past week), I've moved to an EI-style of fert. Macros one day, and traces the next. PWC is once a week, and macros are dosed again right after that PWC.

Well, today is my first PWC. But I barely have time to write this quick plea for help. So it isn't going to happen. Since this is a new schedule, I doubt I could screw things too much if I miss or shift days. In the long run, though, this situation is bound to happen again.

If this were a fish-only tank, I would just put the planned PWC off until tomorrow or even early next week. But this is an EI schedule, and that doesn't seem like an easy option.

So how do the EI experts handle this?

Should I add the macros today like on a non-PWC day?

Should I do a PWC tomorrow? And then should I add the traces like normal instead of the macros?

Should I do a PWC on Mon, which is the next scheduled macro dose?

Should I (once my weekly schedule is established) do everything exactly the same, but just skip the PWC until the following week?

If I do shift the PWC to tomorrow or Monday, would I still keep the next scheduled PWC on Saturday, or will I have to shift my whole schedule.

I realize that a big part of EI is the estimate, so there may not be any real concerns here. Also, since I really just started this whole schedule, I have yet to achieve stability that I will screw with. But I let this tank go too long without a good fert routine, and now that I have a plan, I want to try to to what is best. I doubt my situation (can't do PWC now) is unique, even among the most dedicated experts. So how do you handle this?

p.s. My nitrate test kit does not seem to register well until I get up into 20ppm or more. Nitrates are not showing up, so I'm confident it is less than 20, but I have no idea how much less. Fish behavior is normal, so there are no obvious signs of over-dosing there.


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

What I have done in the past when I have had to miss a WC is to either wait a week or wait until the next macro dosing day to do the WC. Either way should keep you on schedule. In my opinion, the schedule is more for us than it is for the plants. It gets us in to a routine where we know what to dose by the day. 

In the past, Sunday was always my WC day so I dosed macros on Sunday, Tues, Thurs and Sat with micros on Mon, Wed, and Fridays. It made it very easy for me to dose my tank which was important to me when I first started out. It became a habit and allowed for a lot of success in a short period of time 

I wouldn't worry about missing the WC. If you do the WC on Mon instead of Saturday, just do another WC on Saturday if that is your preferred WC day or change the WC schedule to Mondays if that works best for you!


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

koffee said:


> I'm still learning as I go with my first planted tank: DIY medium tech. At first, I was hardly fertilizing at all, but then started researching NPK and all.
> 
> Most recently (in the past week), I've moved to an EI-style of fert. Macros one day, and traces the next. PWC is once a week, and macros are dosed again right after that PWC.
> 
> ...


Well, why is this an issue?
You can dose 2-3x a week in most cases without issue, if you have very high light, 3x a week is enough, every other day is a routine some find work for them better than 2-3x a week oddly enough.........

Habit thing I suppose...........

If you are having issues, it's likely due to CO2.
20ppm of NO3 is fine, as long as it's from KNO3............and not a huge fish load etc.

With less light, you can dose the same amount, but less frequently.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## koffee (Aug 21, 2005)

plantbrain said:


> Well, why is this an issue?


It is not an issue... just a point of confusion.

I assume shifting the PWC to a trace dosing day would not be the best thing. So I just wanted to know what others have found that works for them.

I started out with CO2 and NO ferts. That's not "normal output"... that is nada, zip, zero. Maybe now I'm a little paranoid and trying to over-correct, and so I'm trying to develop and stick with a hard schedule until I can read my plants and tank better.


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

koffee said:


> It is not an issue... just a point of confusion.
> 
> I assume shifting the PWC to a trace dosing day would not be the best thing. So I just wanted to know what others have found that works for them.
> 
> I started out with CO2 and NO ferts. That's not "normal output"... that is nada, zip, zero. Maybe now I'm a little paranoid and trying to over-correct, and so I'm trying to develop and stick with a hard schedule until I can read my plants and tank better.


If you use CO2 and have mod to high light, 2(leaner)-3x a week is enough, every other day can be done also(richer).

If you have high plant density/light, everyother day may work for you better.

Generally for that: 4 days of macros and 3 of traces.

I do mainly 3x a week, dosing once in the morning:traces and then once in the eneving: the macro's.

If I do the WC on Sun, I dose the macros that day, then traces later, then dose ferts on Tues and Fri(or Thurs).

Macro's are cheap, traces are not, so be more conservative the day around the water change or do not dose it.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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