EI dosing

[Caliban07]

Who alternates macros and micros or do you do them both at the same time?


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[Delapool]

I dose mine all at the same time. I don't dose phosphate though except in substrate tabs.

 

[Caliban07]

I dose mine all at the same time. I don't dose phosphate though except in substrate tabs.

Thanks Dela, why not?


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[Delapool]

Thanks Dela, why not?


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I have a hard time keeping phosphate down mainly and if I need some I just do more substrate tabs. My DIY substrate tabs dissolve pretty quick unfortunately I suspect.

Before xmass phosphate had dropped to a few ppm but somehow while I was away it climbed back to 10ppm. Was just thinking should I order some phosphate dry ferts as well but that has gone out the door again.

 

[Caliban07]

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[Caliban07]

Grr can that be deleted? For another thread


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[Delapool]

I might as well ask. My understanding with mixing macros and micros was that the main issue could be iron phosphate precipitating out??

 

[Caliban07]

I'm just wondering what the consequences of high phosphates are or are you just trying to keep it at a set number?


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[Ryan87500]

I personally dose separate. Have two different dosing bottles with the day schedule on each so I can remember.


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[Delapool]

I'm just wondering what the consequences of high phosphates are or are you just trying to keep it at a set number?


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In a normal tank, probably nothing In mine it probably creates a black hole or something. Really just trying to keep to a set number of around a few ppm here which seemed to be a general recommendation in reading.

The small tank has very low phosphate, hardly any. Either way my impression has been that phosphate doesn't result in more algae. In the small tank, algae has taken off but only since the curtains keep getting left open. In the large tank I count growing any algae as an achievement (apart from hair algae on plants).

Fish wise I've never researched that much. Should look into it. My impression is that high nitrates are the main one to watch for. Potassium is not meant to be such as issue. Not sure on phosphate. I've found raggedness in the fins can match high nitrates but not sure on phosphate if that can also be an issue as I haven't really had the phosphate test for that long. It's all just observations so I could be missing something.

Plants I haven't really compiled but get the impression that toxicity is much higher than my tank dosing. Still learning here though so with a grain of salt.

I have wondered if I could have previously had an iron phosphate problem when stems at the base were dying and leaves fell off.

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/plant_problems.html

 

[Caliban07]

Well my wisteria is starting to curl it's leaves underneath and the edges are going brown. Not like a rotting brown. Like and algae brown. I'm just wondering why that may be.

I was sporadic with micro and co2 dosing when this started to happen so that may have been the cause. Just started with macros. I'll see if things improve.


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[Delapool]

Well my wisteria is starting to curl it's leaves underneath and the edges are going brown. Not like a rotting brown. Like and algae brown. I'm just wondering why that may be.

I was sporadic with micro and co2 dosing when this started to happen so that may have been the cause. Just started with macros. I'll see if things improve.


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Honestly not sure. These are two I read a lot.

The plants I got last week have curled older leaves so I plan to try dosing calcium carbonate buffer tonight. Will let you know. I've been over-dosing K & Fe all week with no improvement. I don't know where the Fe goes as I never get a decent test reading of it. I wish the K test was cheaper

CO2 according to the drop checker is around 30ppm so that looks good. Better than the ph/kh charts which read 10 to 20 ppm.

It just reminded me that I should check the existing kh buffer I use to make sure there is no phosphate in that. It says plant safe though.

Since shifting to injected co2 I'm noticing a turn-around in plant growth. I'm not sure if the lower ph is also helping make elements more available. Sometimes I think the elements must be there, the plants just can't get them (except potassium). I don't think you can go wrong over-dosing K and I've increased my dosing on that.

I'm also going down the road of trying to improve the gravel substrate and get some clay with good cation exchange capacity into it. I've been wondering when people say plants are heavy root feeders why the roots just can't pull the elements needed from the water column. Is it because a soil/clay is needed? I have grown plants well in low tech tanks but am finding they do best in a clay pot of soil with a gravel cover.


http://www.verdanttriangle.com/plant-deficiency-symptoms/

https://www.thcfarmer.com/community/threads/Цялостен-наръчник-за-проблеми-по-растенията.60321/

 

[Delapool]

So tested tap water before and after addition of buffer.

The phosphate test went dark blue.... sigh. Doing second water change on DT as it is still high phosphate.

Will ask about phosphate buffers tonight but that could explain why I thought I had an iron phosphate issue. The product is tetra correct ph 7.0 and does say safe for plants. But I had noticed issues before around dosing the buffer so putting these boxes to the back of the cupboard.

I wonder if this would explain why my co2 reading is higher than the ph/kh chart suggests possible?

In reading so far the issue seems to be that it can lock up other elements. Also algae but not worried there.



http://www.apifishcare.com/product.php?p=downloads&id=640


Do phosphate buffers stimulate algal growth?
No. Phosphate buffers combine with essential trace elements, like iron, causing nutrient deficiencies. Proper pH 6.5, 7.0, and 7.5 should not be used in aquariums where algal growth is desirable.

Can I use Proper pH with aquarium plants?
No. Phosphate buffers will tie up essential trace elements and stunt plant growth.

 

[Delapool]

And...

http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/aquariumkh.html

I should also note that I do NOT find the use of Neutral pH regulators helpful for community aquariums.
A more natural balance of carbonate buffers and acid buffers (or a mix both natural or supplemented buffers) is much better for long term keeping of a healthy aquarium chemistry equilibrium. These products often use phosphates which are not a healthy way to neutralize pH/KH, and in fact these products drive out ESSENTIAL calcium and magnesium ions!!