EI dosing when using RO/DI water

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

 

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