EI dosing questions

[mattcham]

For EI dosing, why change water on day 7 instead of day 1 (just prior to adding first dose of macros)? I would think that a day 7 water change would potentially deprive plants of ferts for those 24 hrs prior to your day 1 dose.

Also, why dose every other day instead of using triple dose on just 1 day (day 1)? Don't the ferts just stay in the water column anyway (hence the day 7 water change)? Is it because triple dose is toxic to fish?




Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[junglefowl]

More ferts mean more CO2 demanding. If you can't balance the excess nutritions with lighting and CO2, then cause algea and of course toxic to fish.

A 50% water change on day 7 is to reset the process...control and remove all the excess nutrition that the plants can't use from the whole week. Let the new water stay balance in the tank before restarting the process. Tank still have some ferts after this water change and plants won't die in 12-24hours after. Still, I sometimes do water change on day 1 and dose ferts right after as well...no problem ...as long as there a new water change. This water change is not neccessary to be weekly...depend on how you keep it balance in the tank...some do it every other week.

 

[mattcham]

But too much ferts does *not* cause algae. That's why EI dosing works. We give more ferts than the plants need during the course of the week. Algae is caused by either lack of co2 or wildly fluctuating co2 or too many hours of light. Co2 demand is triggered by light, not by ferts. Am I mistaken?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Aquarium Advice mobile app