Dosing question for planted tank

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cichlidcichlid

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Jun 15, 2006
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I have a 29 gallon planted tank that I am dosing EI. I tested my water at the end of the day and it went from 30 ppm nitrate which I added to 3 ppm. Should I be dosing nitrate everyday to keep up with it? Also does this mean that the tank will require more phosphate and potassium as well?

I am noticing plant growth of 1 1/2 to 2 inches a day without co2, but I do not want to over dose. Let me know what you think.
 
What kind of plants??
 
when you dose EI (potassium nitrate and potassium phosphate), there's no need for extra dose of potassium because both fertilizers have potassium in them. EI dosing would be a balanced dosing when done with both fertilizers - plants like a balance of nutrients just like people.
 
1x 55 watt compact cfl

I have been dosing using the EI method for a few months now.

Plants cork screw vals, amazon swords, and java fern.

I was mostly curious about what I show do with the nitrate because for some reason dosing 30 ppm in the morning isn't enough. The nitrate would most likely drop to zero if given in alternating intervals.
 
I am dosing nitrate at 30 ppm, phosphate at 4 ppm, and flourish according to the label on the bottle.

I used a test strip to measure for nitrates, the kit is brand new and has been test on other tanks.
 
After looking further into how I was dosing I have realized that I may have been dosing incorrectly.

How many ppms should I be dosing using the EI method with and without running C02?

For the moment I would like to run with no C02, for the future when I might switch I would like to have both measurements.

Is 30 ppm nitrate too high for a tank with no CO2?

If not then I have been apparently under dosing because it looks like I was dosing considerably less than I had anticipated.

The liquid solution that I had previously made is 1 ml for 1.08 ppm every 10 gallons of water.

I saw on a site that said that you should be dosing 20 ppm and not 30 ppm instead. Which is one is right?

Is my math correct assuming it is 20 ppm?

1.08 x 3 = 3.24

3.24 x 20 = 64.8

So I should dose 65 ml to get 20 ppm of nitrate in 29 gallons of water?

I think I have stumbled across my main problem, my tank was starving of nutrients. I couldn't understand why my tank was falling apart but if the math above is correct my previous dose used to be 3.6 ppm?

I used to dose 30 ml for the entire 29 gallon tank instead of going by per 10 gallons.

1.08 x 10 = 10.8
10.8 /3 = 3.6

So was I dosing 4 ppm every time I thought I was dosing 30 ppm? Or is my math wrong?

This is very exciting because if this was the source of my problems, I think I will be able to get in the clear very quickly once I have made corrections to the rest of my ferts.

Thanks Again!
 
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