Okay I decided to go with EI, it just seems easier and lots of people here seem to be doing it.
I bought my ferts from R. Grigg and he suggested the following for 40-60 gals. Since my tanks equal 65 gals, I figure it is safe to use this since EI "overdoses". I figure the plants should still have plenty.
This is what he suggests:
50% PWC once a week
1/2 teaspoon KNO3 three times a week
1/8 teaspoon KH2PO4 three times a week*
1/4 teaspoon K2SO4 three times a week
10ml Plantex CSM+B three times a week (do not dose with KH2PO4)
2-4 ml Iron three times a week (do not dose with KH2PO4)
Note: If you dose KH2PO4 at the saem time as Plantex CSM+B or iron you may get the formulation of iron phosphate which is almost impossible to dissolve in water.
This will be my schedule, with the amounts matching the above (unless yall tell me diff'nt
):
Sun. 50% PWC, and then dose KNO3, KH2PO4, K2SO4
Mon. CSM+B
Tue. KNO3, KH2PO4, K2SO4
Wed. CSM+B
Thur.KNO3, KH2PO4, K2SO4
Fri. CSM+B
Sat. Nothing??
There are two things I don't get:
(1) Why the heck didn't he give me any iron in the combo pack if his directions call for dosing it??? Seems very wierd, but I think An T-iasg or Purrbox told me that everything I need will be in the combo pack, (1.5) so do I just not need this extra Iron?
(2) Why is everything in teaspoons except the CSM+B? I don't want to have to keep bottles of liquid ferts around the house, not only b/c I dont feel like mixing and buying distilled/RO, but because I want to, once a week, be able to measure out my daily doses adn just dump them in from a pill box I bought today (thanks for that tip HG!).
(2.5) So how do I figure out how much (in teaspoons) CSM+B to dose?
More questions:
(3) How does my schedule look, suggest any changes?
(4) How do my amounts look, suggest any changes?
(5) Do I need to get Iron, I have lots of big als comprehensive plant fert that has lots of iron in it, should I just use that up, or will it "extra-overdose" the other stuff too much?
I got my drop checker showing green, my timer and regulator seem to be worked out, I have my ferts and substrate and plants ready to go.
(6) My kH test kit works by adding one drop at a time, then when it turns yellow you multiply that number by 20 and that is your kH in ppm. It is yellow after just ONE drop. So how am I supposed to know that my kH is?
(7) Do I even need to worry about this since I now have my drop checker to show me whats up with the CO2?
I've only been running 108w for 10 hours (reminder: catalina HO T5s), and I'd like to run them at 216. I know I don't want to cut off my nose to spite my face, and cause myself problems by being antsy to use my lights full power, but I didn't pay for such high wattage to just not use it.
(8) How many hours a day should I run how many watts?
(9) I'm getting green spot algea on the glass, some hair alge (at least I think it's hair, it grows in small patches and sort of shoots out in all directions like a volcano exploding), and there is some algea growing on the edges of plant leaves.
I assume my algea problems (or the beginning of them) are from fert deficiencies. Tom Barr seems to swear that if lighting, and CO2 is in order, which I hope/think it is, (says my drop checker anyway), then it is always from fert DEFICIENCIES, not excesses.
(10) So now that I started fertilizing, just today, should I expect it to go away, or do something to make it go away?
Thanks for helping, I think I'm nearing the end of the beginning of my learning. I can't see what else more I haven't asked you about or read about already, though I'm sure there'll be something.
BTW, I downloaded Gadd's calc, and it is pretty sweet. I changed the preferences to show green(good co2) at 30ppm though.