Is this possible?

[mathman]

I have a 55G tank that's doing great with the EI method. Can I use water from the 55G tank in a way smaller 5G planted tank? I'm trying to avoid the EI method on the 5G...if not, could someone please help as to how much potassium nitrate, potassium phosphate, and GH booster to use in a 5G tank? What about for micros just how much of seachem's flourish?

Thank you.

 

[csmith]

I'm in no way an expert on this, but I'd venture the guess that using water from your water changes would work out given you ran the smaller tank differently (some slower growth, less light, etc.). I've seen plenty of folks use that water on gardens or other things, it'd probably be worth the "experiment" of using it as water in another tank. The water will be somewhat depleted of nutrients, but shouldn't be completely useless. Afterall, EI is based on some excess isn't it?

By the way, your link is showing dead.

 

[Left C]

Have you seen the sticky thread where EI is in the form of solutions? There is a macro mix and a trace mix. http://www.barrreport.com/showthread.php/3209-Want-more-accuracy-Want-daily-PMDD-style-EI-dosing

"Some have a tiny tank and want more consistent ppms in their dosing than 1/64 th of a teaspoon can afford.

This is an example of EI for a 12 week supply for a 20 gallon tank for those with teaspoon aversion.

To 1 liter of DI water add:

60 grams KNO3
15 grams of KH2PO4
25 grams of GH booster(K2SO4 +MgSO4 may be used instead if the GH is high in the tap water)

Add 12 mls of this solution daily. -> For your 5g, you may want to try 3 mls.
Add Tropica Plant Nutrition liquid at 2.5 mls daily. (or you can use a mix of Fe DTPA + CMS+B, at 1:4 ratio and mix 1 table spoon to 1 liter of DI water, add HCL or Excel to prevent fungus etc) -> For your 5g, you may want to try 0.6 to 0.7 mls.

That's it.

That's EI without the teaspoons and more accuracy in dosing.
If you fiddle with daily dosing, you may have a better routine
and habit. Some are okay with 2-3x a week.

You can scale this up or down to suit your tank volume, light level etc, make larger batches etc.

But if you are not and skip dosings etc, then EI may not give the same results using 2-3x a week dosing as daily.

Thus it is not the method that fails, it's our own habits and routines.
Still, this gives a PMDD type routine for folks to do. It's richer than PMDD however, but targets the same nutrients, , NO3/PO4/K+/Traces/Ca/Mg

PMDD uses a similar routine and nutrients, but leaves out PO4."

 

[mathman]

Is tropica plant nutrition the same as seachem's flourish for trace nutrients?

 

[Left C]

Is Tropica Plant Nutrition the same as Seachem's Flourish for trace nutrients?

Both have the necessary trace elements in differing amounts, but Flourish also contains other elements and compounds. Tropica's Plant Nutrition [liquid] also comes in a + version that contains the macros N and P. I have the %'s listed below.

Elements marked with an * are what are considered the trace elements Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu, B, and Mo.

Flourish http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/Flourish.html
Total Nitrogen 0.07%
Available Phosphate ( P2O5) 0.01%
Soluble Potash 0.37%
Calcium (Ca) 0.14%
Magnesium (Mg) 0.11%
Sulfur (S) 0.2773%
* Boron (B) 0.009%
Chlorine (Cl) 1.15%
Cobalt (Co) 0.0004%
* Copper (Cu) 0.0001%
* Iron (Fe) 0.32%
* Manganese (Mn) 0.0118%
* Molybdenum (Mo) 0.0009%
Sodium (Na) 0.13%
* Zinc (Zn) 0.0007%

Tropica Plant Nutrition liquid http://www.tropica.com/aquacare/plant-nutrition-liquid.aspx
K: 0.8%
Mg: 0.39%
S: 0.91%
* B: 0.004%
* Cu: 0.006%
* Fe: 0.07%
* Mn: 0.04%
* Mo: 0.002%
* Zn: 0.002%

Tropica Plant Nutrition+ liquid http://www.tropica.com/aquacare/plant-nutritionplus-liquid.aspx
* B: 0.004%
* Cu: 0.01%
* Fe: 0.07%
K: 1.03%
Mg: 0.39%
* Mn: 0.002%
* Mo: 0.002%
N: 1.34%
NO3: 5.9%
P: 0.1%
PO4: 0.31%
S: 0.91%
* Zn: 0.002%

There are two calculators that you can use with these trace products: http://calc.petalphile.com/ and http://www.fishfriend.com/fertfriend.html

 

[mathman]

Awesome link buddy. So, according to this calculator To reach my target of 0.2ppm Fe, I'll need to add 1 mL of Flourish Comprehensive to my 5.0 gal tank. Now for the macros you suggest to make a solution for a 20 gallon but use on 3ml of it 3x a week?

 

[Left C]

Awesome link buddy.

I really like wet's calculators!!

So, according to this calculator To reach my target of 0.2ppm Fe, I'll need to add 1 mL of Flourish Comprehensive to my 5.0 gal tank.

The solution version of EI or PMDD+PO4 in the link that I gave you suggest daily dosings or 0.6 to 0.7ml daily. But you can modify it for 3x weekly dosings.

Now for the macros you suggest to make a solution for a 20 gallon but use on 3ml of it 3x a week?

Again, the link suggests dosing daily, 3ml daily. But, you can modify it as needed for your aquarium, modify the amount that you want to dose and modify your container size. You can also modify it if you want to dose 3x weekly. Just keep the ratios the same.

I used this dosing scheme on a 15g for about a year several years ago. It worked really well.