# Too much or too little?



## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

I've cooked up about 15 different recipes for my 46 gal tank. I'd like to know if people generally think my fert regime is too lean, too rich, or poorly balanced. I've generally accepted the EI method and have seen a good response from my plants.

I'd say my tank is pretty heavily planted. I have no idea how many fish I have since I see some of them only once a week or so. Lighting is DIY spiral fluorescent 8x23 W = ~ 4wpg x 11 hours. Flourite substrate. Eheim canister. GH 3. Temp 75. CO2 injected into Eheim 120 bubbles/min, KH 4.5, pH 6.53.

Current regimen:

KNO3 - 1/2 tsp on Mon,Wed,Fri,Sat
PO4 - fleets 1.2 ml on same schedule
Equilibrium - 1 tsp with 50% weekly WC.
Flourish - 13 ml on Tue, Thur, Sun

How does this compare with what you're doing? More, less????


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

How does all that translate to ppm dosages? That's what I go by. I dose nitrate and phosphate on a 3:1 ratio and that generally gives the desired 10:1 water column ratio after absorbtion by plants. 

The only thing I might do differently that I see right away is to add extra iron. I think you'll notice some of your plants perk up if you add the same amount of Flourish Iron that you do the regular comprehensive mix.


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

So the ppm's per week work out like this, assuming 40 gal water column:

NO3 - 32 ppm
PO4 - 3.0 ppm
K - 20 ppm
Fe - 0.85 ppm (assuming 0.0032 x 40 x 1000 / (40 * 3.78 ))

The equilibrium adds another 7 ppm K, 0.8 ppm Mg, and 2.8 ppm Ca per week.

Does everyone do a 3:1 nitrate / phosphate ratio?

I always thought 10:1 was what you should dose. I find my test kits (Hagen) to be a bit sketchy on exact values so it's hard to figure out residuals. I have noticed people using much larger than 'standard' EI doses of K2HPO4. I do have a few areas of GSA that grow in areas that the BBA, BGA, and staghorn haven't found.


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

10:1 ratio is what should be present in the aquarium. About a 3:1 dosing schedule will achieve that as the phosphate gets taken up faster. I would try doubling your phosphate dosing and see if that helps.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

I also use a 3:1 solution and add additional P as necessary. 

I've been going with:

300ml distilled water
3 teaspoons kno33
1 teaspoon potassium phosphate

and

300ml distilled water
1 teaspoon potassium phosphate

The first solution is the basis of the macro fertilizing regimen. The second is added as necessary. I don't test macros most of the time but just go with a lowball estimate of what I'll need and build from there. I currently add 8mls of the N/P solution and 3 of the P only every day to my high light 44 gallon. 50% wc every week. Things got a bit unsettled for a bit when I took out the Cuba, but otherwise, it works well. 

If you're getting staghorn and everything else is what it should be (like co2), you're very likely short on macros. 

BBA can be from insufficient co2 and/or low phosphate. 

Don't worry about the iron test kit. Your plants are a better kit than any you can buy.


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

Interesting. Thanks everyone.

I wonder how I could have missed this tidbit of info about PO4 dosing. The good news is that I obviously haven't run out of things to tinker with. I may yet stumble into aquarium nirvana.

Funny that of all the changes I've made, I've never once decreased the amount of anything that I'm adding. How is it that people were having success on the PMMD formulas? I more or less started with their ideas. The net result is that now I'm adding 10x as much NO3 and traces. Of course, adding even more PO4 is contrary to their whole premise.

Wonder what we'll be adding in 5 or 10 years?????????

Anybody else? I'm suspecting there is a wide range of ideas out there.


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

If you look at the PPS dosing regimine the basic macro solution used for dosing is a 22 gram NO3 : 6 gram PO4 solution. That's pretty close to a 3:1 and I find that my tank needs more phosphate because I'm a stem plant lover. 

I don't doubt there are things we'll be doing differently down the road.


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