EI dosing when using RO/DI water

[BayBoy1205]

Currently I'm dosing the following:

Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday
1.5 tsp KNO3
0.5 tsp KH2PO4
0.5 tsp K2SO4

Monday, Wednesday, Friday
0.5 tsp CSM+B

Sunday 60% water change using RO/DI water mixed back up to gh = 3 using grumpy's gh booster
kh = 3 using baking soda
Reason for ro/di water is I'm on a well with very hard water and high ph. Plus the water changes depending on the time of year

125g tank. Lighting is 4 39w T5HO bulbs with custom reflector on for 8 hours then an hour burst with 8 39W T5HO lights running. The light fixture is about 8 inches above the tank.

The hygros are growing very fast. Rotola is thin looking but grows fairly fast.
Can't seem to keep the algae off the Hydrocotyle verticillata.
Keep the drop checkers a light green color.

How can I determine if I'm not using enough ferts or too much?
Too much light of not enough?
This tank houses 2 adult discus, 6 adult rainbows, 5 cory cats, 5 bristlenose plecos

Thanks,
Matt

 

[LoudCreature]

Observation!

Hi Matt,

When using RO/DI, we have found as long as you are aerating (stirring) it well and adding a the things you are adding it should work well. We make and reconstitute our DI water a few days in advance and aerate. Our advice would be to increase the GH to 5 or 6 dGH (600 to 700 ppm).

We would recommend dosing (K2SO4 intentionally omitted)

1.  1 teaspoon KNO3
2.  ½ teaspoon KH2PO4
3.  1 teaspoon MgSO4.7H2O (Epsom Salt)

Three days a week.

1.  ½ teaspoon CSM+B
2.  1/6 teaspoon chelated iron (if you have it)

Three days a week.


Try stepping up the CO2 gently until it is very light green or yellow (assuming 4 dKH reference solution). Turn the CO2 on an hour before the lights go on and off two hours before lights out.

With the light, try going ten or twelve hours with just four tubes, well spaced over the water. If coverage is poor, go with six.

An extra water change or two would not hurt either.

Observation is the best way to determine levels of fertilization and CO2. The plants will let you know!

LC & B

 

[BayBoy1205]

I mix the Grumpy's and backing soda in a small container and then add it to the tank while filling it. Should I mix up all of the water in the storage container and then put that into the tank? Is there any benefits from that?

If I'm reading correctly.
I should quit dosing K2SO4, decrease the KNO3, and then add epsom salt. The next water change I should increase the GH to 5 or 6?
Then remove the hour burst and just run the 4 longer.

Why should I remove the K2SO4?

Thanks,
Matt

 

[LoudCreature]

Fish Health

Hi Matt,

Our principle reason for eliminating the Potassium sulfate, K2SO4 is that you are getting plenty of potassium via the Potassium nitrate, KNO3 and Potassium Dihydrogen Phosphate, KH2PO4, we do not believe the sulfate, SO4 is contributing much.

In addition to eliminating the Potassium sulfate, K2SO4, we are also recommending a reduction in the Potassium Dihydrogen Phosphate, KH2PO4.

If you prefer to keep the Potassium sulfate, K2SO4, you can replace the Potassium Dihydrogen Phosphate KH2PO4, with three milliliters of Fleet Enema (the Wal-Mart knock off is fine) and dose one third teaspoon Potassium sulfate, K2SO4.

We recommend reconstituting RO/DI or distilled water in a food grade container, thoroughly stirring/mixing enough GH booster to set the GH between 5 or 6 dGH (600 to 700 ppm) and enough baking soda, Sodium bicarbonate ( or sodium hydrogen carbonate), NaHCO3 to set your desired KH (d3 or around 350 ppm in your case). This is your base water change mixture, aerate it preferably with a small air pump and stone, if it has a cover this will reduce evaporation, top off any losses to evaporation with RO/DI or distilled water well mixed in only.

The principle advantage to reconstituting the water is in addition to stabilizing (seeking equilibrium) the water has to do with fish health and well-being.

We recommend avoiding the burst of light aside from scaring the fish, at least until everything is stabilized, it is another variable out of the way. Just make sure the spread over the tank is as even as possible. T-5’s with reflectors are amazingly effective; likely, this means two bulbs in each set.

Weather you choose to use the Fleet Enema in lieu of the KH2PO4 or not, another trick is at your water change, 60% is excellent, after removing the water scrape and wipe all exposed surfaces (a new toothbrush is great for this), getting as much algae as possible. Then add 20 milliliters of Fleet Enema to 480 milliliters of distilled water (DI is okay as well) sprits’, squirt whatever (just had a fight over ‘sprits’’) the mixture over the glass and any exposed objects and wipe all the way to the substrate as best you can. Fill the tank and dose as usual.

Typically, we dose macronutrients on water change, third and sixth days. We dose micronutrients on the second, fourth and seventh days. (Fifth day is ‘off’.)

Maybe later we will talk about filtration and such like.

Have fun this is after all, a hobby, not well, golf.

LC & B

 

[Tom Barr]

Currently I'm dosing the following:

Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday
1.5 tsp KNO3
0.5 tsp KH2PO4
0.5 tsp K2SO4

Monday, Wednesday, Friday
0.5 tsp CSM+B

Sunday 60% water change using RO/DI water mixed back up to gh = 3 using grumpy's gh booster
kh = 3 using baking soda
Reason for ro/di water is I'm on a well with very hard water and high ph. Plus the water changes depending on the time of year

125g tank. Lighting is 4 39w T5HO bulbs with custom reflector on for 8 hours then an hour burst with 8 39W T5HO lights running. The light fixture is about 8 inches above the tank.

The hygros are growing very fast. Rotola is thin looking but grows fairly fast.
Can't seem to keep the algae off the Hydrocotyle verticillata.
Keep the drop checkers a light green color.

How can I determine if I'm not using enough ferts or too much?
Too much light of not enough?
This tank houses 2 adult discus, 6 adult rainbows, 5 cory cats, 5 bristlenose plecos

Thanks,
Matt

I'd not mess with the KH/GH, just blend with the tap to get say 1-2 degrees KH, then still do the GH booster after water change, for a 125 Gal, this is about a table spoon or more for your tank.

I'd stick with 4x 39 Watts only for awhile, these plants are fine with lower light.
I'd also suggest adding a tad more CO2 and watch the Discus, they will turn dark if they have too much CO2.
Never adjust CO2 dramatically, just little amounts and then watch for 1-3 days and see how the plants, algae and fish all respond.

Add a bit more etc and see from there the same way until algae stops and plant growth is good.
If you can increase current a bit, this will allow more O2 into the aquarium and you should be able to add more CO2 also(fish respiration is O2 and CO2, not just a factor of CO2 ppm alone).

Regards,

Tom Barr

 

[BayBoy1205]

Thank you for the information! I will be making adjustments slowly and see what happens.
Tom: How do you determine the ratio of RO/DI to tap water or is this something you have to "play with"? How does this affect the pH?

Thanks,
Matt

 

[Tom Barr]

I'd not worry any about pH.
Just test a few times and see what KH range you get with A BLEND of RO/Tap.

Saves lots of water, storage etc and makes changing things easier.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[BayBoy1205]

Thanks Tom! I will play with the water mixer in the near future. For now I'm only going to change little at a time.

Thanks,

Matt

 

[BayBoy1205]

Just wanted to give an update. I have adjusted the light amount, fert routine (except iron) and increased the GH. The plants are really starting to grow well and the algae is starting to be reduced. Thanks for the help.