I like to thank Tom, Vaughn and others for their help and insight for using this particular dosing regimen. It is working great for me! I don't know what to call it exactly, but I've been using this name: 'Barr's EI PMDD+PO4.' I hope you don't mind.
I'm presently using it with three aquariums:
- a 15g with 96w quad 6700K PC and pressurized CO2
- a 10g with an Orbit 2x40w fixture using 76w; it has a 36w ADA 8000K PC and a 40w dual daylight 6700K/10,000K PC and pressurized CO2
- and a 10g with a 36w ADA 8000K PC and the Hagen ladder yeast/sugar CO2
I was using EI on two aquariums and PPS-Pro with the 10g that has 76w of lighting.
The EI worked OK on those aquariums tanks, but I never 'fine tuned' it for each aquarium. I guess that I was a little lazy to test often so that I could fine tune them.
The 10g aquarium with 76w and pressurized was using Seachem's ferts. I made a Microsoft Excel version of their dosing chart: Plant Dosage Chart It worked OK for this tank for almost two years. I started running low on Seachem's ferts and I saw PPS-Pro.
I had plenty of Greg Watson's dry ferts left and decide to try it. It worked OK in that particular aquarium, but there were a few minor problems. Growth was just moderate and I had GSA for a while, but a little extra KH2PO4 fixed that. I also had holes is some leaves and a little extra K2SO4 fixed that. The aquarium has some Hygrophila difformis in it. The leaves looked a little thin and there was a great quantity of water roots. I started running low on my PPS-Pro mix and I mixed up a batch of 'Barr's EI PMDD+PO4.' I used Seachem's Flourish for the trace product.
I used an early batch of GH Booster from Greg Watson that turned the water a little brown. For some reason, that batch of GH Booster didn't dissolve well. There was ~ 40% sediment in the container. I used it for a while by using a pipette and a tiny spoon to get a little sediment for each dose. It was really a small PITA to dose. Then I had a right shoulder operation in the middle of July and things went on the back burner for a while, so to speak.
About a month ago, I mixed up another batch of 'Barr's EI PMDD+PO4.' This time I used Seachem's Equilibrium for the GH Booster. The Equilibrium dissolved very well with just a few grains that didn't dissolve. The day after the first dose, I noticed an improvement in the plants. The day after the second dose, I could really tell a difference. After several doses, I noticed that my Barclaya longifolia was a more intense red color and my Kleiner bar sword was a more intense red color too. The Hygrophila difformis grew really fast with thicker, more healthy looking leaves and w/o so many water roots. The other plants really grew well too. The GSA completely disappeared. It was an amazing transformation!
All my aquariums are using this 'Barr's EI PMDD+PO4' now and I am simply amazed at the difference that it has made!!
I just switched over to Tropica's Plant Nutrition liquid from Seachem's Flourish. I'm just about out of Flourish.
I want to thank you guys again for this easy way of dosing that just flat works exceptional, IMO. It seems forgiving if I happen to not dose one day and it is customizable as well. The 10g aquarium with the yeast CO2 gets a few mL's less and it's working out great.
Again, thanks guys!
Left C
PS: If anyone wants a copy of the Seachem dosing chart/calculator that I made using Microsoft Excel; just PM me your email address and I'll send it to you.
I'm presently using it with three aquariums:
- a 15g with 96w quad 6700K PC and pressurized CO2
- a 10g with an Orbit 2x40w fixture using 76w; it has a 36w ADA 8000K PC and a 40w dual daylight 6700K/10,000K PC and pressurized CO2
- and a 10g with a 36w ADA 8000K PC and the Hagen ladder yeast/sugar CO2
I was using EI on two aquariums and PPS-Pro with the 10g that has 76w of lighting.
The EI worked OK on those aquariums tanks, but I never 'fine tuned' it for each aquarium. I guess that I was a little lazy to test often so that I could fine tune them.
The 10g aquarium with 76w and pressurized was using Seachem's ferts. I made a Microsoft Excel version of their dosing chart: Plant Dosage Chart It worked OK for this tank for almost two years. I started running low on Seachem's ferts and I saw PPS-Pro.
I had plenty of Greg Watson's dry ferts left and decide to try it. It worked OK in that particular aquarium, but there were a few minor problems. Growth was just moderate and I had GSA for a while, but a little extra KH2PO4 fixed that. I also had holes is some leaves and a little extra K2SO4 fixed that. The aquarium has some Hygrophila difformis in it. The leaves looked a little thin and there was a great quantity of water roots. I started running low on my PPS-Pro mix and I mixed up a batch of 'Barr's EI PMDD+PO4.' I used Seachem's Flourish for the trace product.
I used an early batch of GH Booster from Greg Watson that turned the water a little brown. For some reason, that batch of GH Booster didn't dissolve well. There was ~ 40% sediment in the container. I used it for a while by using a pipette and a tiny spoon to get a little sediment for each dose. It was really a small PITA to dose. Then I had a right shoulder operation in the middle of July and things went on the back burner for a while, so to speak.
About a month ago, I mixed up another batch of 'Barr's EI PMDD+PO4.' This time I used Seachem's Equilibrium for the GH Booster. The Equilibrium dissolved very well with just a few grains that didn't dissolve. The day after the first dose, I noticed an improvement in the plants. The day after the second dose, I could really tell a difference. After several doses, I noticed that my Barclaya longifolia was a more intense red color and my Kleiner bar sword was a more intense red color too. The Hygrophila difformis grew really fast with thicker, more healthy looking leaves and w/o so many water roots. The other plants really grew well too. The GSA completely disappeared. It was an amazing transformation!
All my aquariums are using this 'Barr's EI PMDD+PO4' now and I am simply amazed at the difference that it has made!!
I just switched over to Tropica's Plant Nutrition liquid from Seachem's Flourish. I'm just about out of Flourish.
I want to thank you guys again for this easy way of dosing that just flat works exceptional, IMO. It seems forgiving if I happen to not dose one day and it is customizable as well. The 10g aquarium with the yeast CO2 gets a few mL's less and it's working out great.
Again, thanks guys!
Left C
PS: If anyone wants a copy of the Seachem dosing chart/calculator that I made using Microsoft Excel; just PM me your email address and I'll send it to you.