EI Dosing Regime

[trcpdx]

Hope this is the appropriate forum for this post.

Looking for some direction on getting off to a good start on a new 90g.

Tank is up and running, plant order due to arrive in time for weekend planting.

The tank will have a moderate to heavy fish load, eventually.

Here are some details:

Substrate: Flourite

Lighting: 5 x 54w T5HO w/ three ballasts: 2 x 54w, 2 x 54x, 1 x 54w. Can run from 54w to 270w.

CO2: 10lb tank w/ regulator, solenoid, dual Red Sea 500 Reactors, drop checker, 4 dKH reference solution.

Filtration: 2 x Rena Filstar XP2.

Ferts: I have Flourish, Flourish Iron, Excel, KNO3, KH2PO4, GH Booster, and also some Equilibrium on hand.

Water supply: Tap water -- Alkalinity: 1-2 dKH, General Hardness: 1-2 dKH, Nitrate & Phosphorous < 1 ppm, EXCEPT when the city switches to or blends in their alternative groundwater supply (2-3x/year when demand is high and/or excessive turbidity in surface water supply) in which case alkalinity ranges from 3-7 dKH, hardness 2-5 dKH, and nitrate/phosporous still < 1 ppm.

So, regarding the EI regimen, I will do a 50% water change on Saturday or Sunday. Can you:

1) Recommend dosing amounts and a schedule for macros & micros?

2) Offer suggestions for prepping water change water w/ GH Booster or Equilibrium?

3) Comment on any benefit in also dosing Excel?

Thanks so much.

 

[Tom Barr]

For 90 gallon:

50-70% weekly water change

Add: 2x a week: 1 tsp pf GH booster
Add 3x a week:
3/4 teaspoon KNO3
1/8-1/4 teaspoon KH2PO4
Traces: 15-20mls 3x a week Flourish, 2x a week 5mls Flourish Fe
Maybe 30mls Excel after water change or 1-2 days prior to the water change.
This is optional though(Excel)

The rest is really all about the gas, CO2.
Plant very heavily from the first day on.


Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[trcpdx]

Great. Thanks Tom.

Now, with regard to CO2, I have the two reactors and a solenoid with timer. I also have a pH controller but was not planning to use it to control CO2. Rather, I was planning to have the CO2 on basically when lights are on. I could, however, use the pH controller as a backstop, perhaps to override the timer should the pH drop too low. Not sure if that is overthinking things, though.

I also have an airpump and airstone I can run on another timer, perhaps at night.

Do you have suggestions for best practices regarding the management of CO2?

Thanks again.