When do you add the ferts after a water change when using EI

[undbulsu]

In other words, if you do your 50% water change on Sunday, do you add the fertilizers on the same day or wait until Monday? I know this is minor, but I just want to set up a schedule so I can follow it easily. What schedule do you follow?

 

[punky]

I personally dose the same day but after ~3hrs to leave some time for the fish to settle down.

 

[SparKy697]

Not sure there is a real answer to this. I choose not to dose the day of my water change. It's doubtful that you will do any harm with what ever you decide.

 

[Jchillin]

I've tried both and I have achieved the same results. Some prefer to dose the macros on water change day however since those are the most depleted.

 

[sherry]

I toss in the macros as the water is filling up.

 

[rich311k]

I dump mine in as I am refilling the tanks. I like the one day off on Saturday with no dosing or anything needed.

 

[David14259]

If I do my water change in the morning, then I'll dose ferts right after the water change. If its more towards night, I'll pick up dosing the next day.

I doubt it matters too much.

 

[fish 'n' fries]

I also dose my macros with the water change (I still use buckets--so just throw the dry ferts in to dissolved)...it makes sense to me that if you're taking out ~40-50% of the water you're likely taking out a fair amount of ferts too (plus I don't dose the day before)...but I've never tried otherwise so I don't know if it truly makes a difference.

 

[Purrbox]

Generally I go ahead and dose the ferts right after the water change to ensure that nothing bottoms out.

 

[rkilling1]

I also dose right after the PWC. I fear that running the tank after dosing the previous day and then running the rest of the day with only 50% of what was left, will cause problems in my tanks. I have seen some of my plants stunt because of low Macros.

 

[drobertson]

I also dose macros right after water change. I enjoy the schedule because that way my scheduled down day is Saturday and I can just enjoy the tanks that day and not have to worry about them. Sunday is water change day and start all over.

 

[An t-iasg]

I also add my macros right after a water change. I used to sometimes wait until the next day to add macros if I did a water change later at night, but then I read somewhere that plants can still use some macros in the dark. So now I add the macros right after the water change, no matter what time of day, and it's also easier to remember that way if it's part of the routine on water change day.

 

[Plantbrain]

I like to do the water changes right as the lights have come on for 1 hr or so, then do a large water change, then refill and add the ferts.

You can try dosing the Traces, or the macros that first day right after.
You really should not see that much difference with a day difference in dosing.

That's because the plants have not been limited for the entire week(they are fat and happy).

Some folks took an old suggestion, called "mega dosing" and used it for contest tanks right before they wanted to do the photo.

They'd dose 2x the suggested amounts the day before a water change , then do 60-80%.
Dose Traces that day of the water, early in the light cycle and then take the photo etc at night or go till next week etc.

Up to you.

Regards,
Tom Barr