EI dosing question

[[email protected]]

I'm just about to start dosing according to EI index. According to article dosing for typical 20g tank would be 1/4t KNO3 4x/wk. If I plug that into Chuck Gadds nutrient calculator it comes to 24.52 ppm nitrate for the week. Obviously that's over the target NO3 level. Is plant uptake using all the extra nitrogen or am I reading something wrong?

Thanks for the help, Bill

 

[Tom Barr]

Re: EI dosing question

A typical very high light tank might need that much.
The actual dose is more than 24ppm of NO3 per week, it's closer to 40ppm.
A 1/4 teaspoon will add about 10-11ppm per dose.

You can do 1/2 this with say 55w over a 20 gal. Dose 2x a week or 4x a week at 1/8 teaspoon.

More light= more dosing volume/frequency.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[[email protected]]

Re: EI dosing question

Thanks Tom. I think I've got it now. By the way I started dosing today with Greg Watsons ferts as opposed to the liquid I was using before and everything has started pearling way more than they were. My water sprite looks like one of those photos of Riccia covered with bubbles.

Bill

 

[AZFish1]

Re: EI dosing question

What if your source water test NO3 st 20 ppm BEFORE adding anything? Do you dose only to make up the difference? I tested using the AP nitrate kit.