I ordered my ferts yesterday and wanna know what kind of dosing schedule you think I should follow? I have K,N,P and trace. 40watts over a 10 gallon. Probably close to 1/3 planted. As if you guys haven't memorized by plants and tank yet by the number of posts I have made. lol
What dosing Regimine Should I start to follow?
- Thread starter SWerner13
- Start date
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mgamer20o0
Aquarium Advice Addict
what kind of ferts?
There are lots of dosing strategies that will work quite well, it all depends on your personality and what fits your aquarium care schedule best. Do you like to do a lot of testing? If so, then you might want to dose to target levels. If you prefer not to test and don't mind water changes, then Estimative Index (EI) might be more to your liking.
I think EI on a 10G would be a really easy schedule to follow.
Here is a good explanation of EI.
The Estimative Index of Dosing, or No Need for Test Kits - Aquarium Plants - Barr Report
Here is a good explanation of EI.
The Estimative Index of Dosing, or No Need for Test Kits - Aquarium Plants - Barr Report
If I were to target dose. I would need a Nitrate test which I have. A Phosphate test which is coming with the ferts. I ordered a diffuser and drop checker So i'll have that covered. What do I do about trace and potassium? Also what are my desired levels to keep nitrates, phosphates and co2 at?
For K and trace, you can dose the recommended dosage on the bottle, and look for signs of deficiency in your plants, and adjust accordingly.
N, I like to keep around 15-20ppm, and P I like to keep between 0.5-1ppm.
CO2, with a 4dKH solution your checker will read green right around 30ppm, which is a good target. Above 25 is good to keep BBA at bay.
N, I like to keep around 15-20ppm, and P I like to keep between 0.5-1ppm.
CO2, with a 4dKH solution your checker will read green right around 30ppm, which is a good target. Above 25 is good to keep BBA at bay.
When dosing for targets I try to target 20ppm Nitrate and 2ppm Phosphate, and dose 20ppm Potassium and enough Trace to get 0.1ppm Fe. CO2 levels above 30ppm are good. These are just starting numbers and should be adjusted based on plant deficiencies and/or algae.
Hoovercat
Aquarium Advice Freak
In EI the dosing compounds used for dosing Nitrogen (KNO3) and Phosphorous (KH2PO4) both provide Potassium (K). Plant deficiency (holes in old growth) is an indicator of a need to provide additional K. K2SO4 is usually used to provide seperate K dosing. 20ppm is the common target for estimated K level. You guage it based on what's been added since your last water change. Procedure is similar for Fe. You do the math to figure a dose to a target, then dose to it 3 times during the week followed by a 50% water change once a week. You can buy a test kit for Fe but it really isn't necessary.
SWerner, you will be good if you dose to the target N and P that Purr or I posted, or somewhere in between. If you notice problems, you can adjust accordingly. For K, just add whatever the recommended dosage on your bottle of K says for a 10G tank. If you notice K deficiencies, you can adjust accordingly. I do the same for micros as with K. I know it seems daunting at first, but it will be easy. As you start to "know" your plants, you will be able to tell if something isn't quite right... ie growth will slow down, or you will see an algae outbreak or 2, or some yellowing edges, etc etc, and adjust dosing according to the symptoms.
If you aren't going to be dosing, be careful with the lighting. You may come back to a tank full of dying plants and algae.
I think it would better to under-light the tank for a week then crank the lights up with no dosing. Just my 2 cents.
I think it would better to under-light the tank for a week then crank the lights up with no dosing. Just my 2 cents.
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