Daily Dosing?

[vinylman]

Hi all,

A couple of months ago I started using Tropica Plant Nutrition. At first I used the weekly dosing method as shown in the instructions, but after a while, I split it into a daily dose - I'm sure there's been an improvement; the green leaves look more vivid. I don't keep anything unusual plant-wise, just the stuff you normally see in a decent LFS. I'm now thinking of using (in addition to the TPN) EasyCarbo. Can this be split into daily doses too?. If so, how much would you recommend as a daily dose and would you do it alternate days, or with the TPN daily?. Thanks for any help.

 

[Mr Bliss]

Just divide the recommended weekly dose by 7.

If EasyCarbo uses the same active ingredient as Excel (and I'm willing to bet it does), which is polymerized glutaraldehyde, then I'd definitely split the dosing to a daily dose, for two reasons. First, according to Seachem's Q&A, glutaraldehyde is only effective as a carbon source for 24 hours, so dosing it at longer intervals makes no sense. Secondly, glutaraldehyde is toxic. It's been used as a desinfectant in hospitals and laboratories, but is being phased out because exposure can lead to discomfort and health problems in workers. There are reports of some fish and plants having an adverse reaction to these products, and dosing larger amounts once a week would expose them to higher concentrations than dosing smaller amounts daily.

 

[vinylman]

Cheers Mr.B; daily it is.

 

[aaronnorth]

well i dose excel daily (which is the same as easycarbo) at the same rate as if i would weekly, to keep it simple, say i had a 200l tank:

5ml weekly, but instead, i want a daily dose, so i do 5ml daily.

 

[SuperColey1]

As Aaron points out above. The weekly dose is a guideline based on a low light tank with average plant growth etc as are all ferts guidelines.

Therefore if I have a high light tank with 80% planted and you have a low light with 50% planted we are not both going to be dosing 5ml a week!

I would check out some other users that have similar setups lightwise and plantmass etc and then copy them.

I have always said with TPN+ to dose 2ml per 100litres per watt. so a 100litre tank with 1WPG would be 2ml a day, a 200 litre tank with 2WPG would be 8ml a day etc. Again this is a guideline.

Same with Easycarbo. It can be dangerous if you overdose but different setups mean different levels are overdosing. This is why it says on the Easycarbo that you can double dose if you are heavily planted. however this can affect shrimp etc.

No rules to either its a case of copy, experiment or go with the bottle instructions.

AC

 

[vinylman]

As Aaron points out above. The weekly dose is a guideline based on a low light tank with average plant growth etc as are all ferts guidelines.
AC

If it's any help, my lighting is an Arcadia Luminaire 2x40 watts (one light for fish, one for plants) over a 4ft 43(ish) gallon with around 40% planting. Is there any practical difference between dosing everything at once and dosing daily?. I'm sure my plants have improved since going daily.

 

[RadaR]

As Aaron points out above. The weekly dose is a guideline based on a low light tank with average plant growth etc as are all ferts guidelines.
AC

Is there any practical difference between dosing everything at once and dosing daily?. I'm sure my plants have improved since going daily.

It ensure that the plants always have nutrients available to them in order to grow and that inhibits algae.

 

[aaronnorth]

the same applies as i said above really, you dose 5ml for the week - they will use that in 1 day! so they will then starve.

 

[vinylman]

the same applies as i said above really, you dose 5ml for the week - they will use that in 1 day! so they will then starve.

Yes, that's what I thought. Strange that someone like Tropica don't point out in the instructions that daily dosing is better. Thanks all.

 

[aaronnorth]

well it depends on your set up, they just say that as if you have a low light planted tank - i suppose if you were going high tec that you would of already read up on it and know your stuff

 

[SuperColey1]

Most people that are actually reading the label will be looking for value for money for a basic planted tank.

With this in mind I would think that the majority of these people are wanting something easy and straightforward and if they read 1 only needs adding weekly and then another needs adding daily they will take the easier option of dosing weekly.

There is no problem dosing weekly, just means that if the plants do use up the nutrients then they will be efficient for a longer period until the next dose. If daily they will be defficient for a few hours.


As Aaron says they all have general guides for the average beginner in the planted side of things that has the basic tank with its original lights and the standard types of plants, therefore they give guidelines for this demographic whereas someone who has done their research, upgraded the lights, CO2 etc. will most likely not even read the label and dose according to what they've found in their research or make up their own decisions if they know the ingredients.

AC