EI journal

[iggy01]

shall I go with this then (I'll start the proper regime on Sunday):

Sunday: Water change, add KNO3 and KHPO4

Monday: 1ml Fe, 3 ml micros

Tuesday:KNO3 and KHPO4

Wednesday: 1ml Fe, 3ml micros

Thursday:KNO3 and KHPO4

Friday: (test Fe and dose another 1ml if necessary), 2 ml micros

Saturday: KNO3 and KHPO4

Is that OK for a start? I guess I'll need to keep testing before I can find out how much of KNO3 and KHPO4 I'll be dosing on a regular basis?

[snapback]861050[/snapback]​

That looks good to me!

Yes, it's a bit trial and error at first, but you look like you have it sorted now. Don't be afraid to add a bit more of any given nutrient if you feel it is needed. Try not to miss any dosings if possible. It will all be worth it in the long run, as long as you can maintain a high CO2 level.

Good luck!

 

[nodding_dino]

Well, I'm not sure if it's of any interest, but I think I've finally deciphered the data I received from the water board...All figures are mean (not nasty, just mean )

Iron <12.5 ug/l (ug/l is microgrammes per litre or parts per thousand million)
Nitrate 21.3 mg/l (mg/l or ppm)
Nitrite <0.013 mg/l (mg/l or ppm)

Am still trying to find the phosphate figures so will edit this post later on!

 

[zig]

If this is the case, would it be preferential to dose first thing every morning, where the added nutrients can be used up by the plants during the day?

[snapback]859333[/snapback]​

That's a good question!

I don't think it makes any difference what time of day you dose, as long as you stay within the ranges, but maybe gf or Zig have heard different. I usually dose first thing in the morning before lights come on. It becomes a routine that way. Get out of bed, put kettle on, dose tank etc.

Sorry to hear about your mishap Zig. Like gf said I think your plants will be fine in a few days.

[snapback]859386[/snapback]​

Hiya guys

Sorry i havent been around again at this critical time for all you first time EI people, anyway back now.

As regards the above i havent read anywhere that it makes any difference when you dose, as iggy said the main thing is to be consistant with the doseing and get into a routine, macro one day micro the next, there is usually a day when you dont dose anything, so 6 days you will dose, but these are only topups when you get into the swing of it.

As you are doing your testing over the next couple of weeks you will quickly learn the uprate level for your tank, you will find the level of uptake is pretty consistant and once you are comfitable that you have figured this level out (you will know because your test results will nearly allways be the same if your doseing is consistant) you can nearly start to do away with the test kits but only if your doseing is consistant and your comfitable with it, the only thing i really test for now is the Ph, just to check the co2 level, and i can nearly guess this as well at this stage based on the amount of bubbles going up the ladders at any one time.

So this is good news for those who hate testing, so just keep a mental note each time you test and this will tell you how much you will probably be doseing in the future on an ongoing basis for your topups.

 

[zig]

Well, I'm not sure if it's of any interest, but I think I've finally deciphered the data I received from the water board...All figures are mean (not nasty, just mean )

Iron <12.5 ug/l (ug/l is microgrammes per litre or parts per thousand million)
Nitrate 21.3 mg/l (mg/l or ppm)
Nitrite <0.013 mg/l (mg/l or ppm)

Am still trying to find the phosphate figures so will edit this post later on!

[snapback]861691[/snapback]​

What are your readings for nitrate fom your tapwater nodding dino?

 

[nodding_dino]

Sorry i havent been around again at this critical time for all you first time EI people, anyway back now.

your forgiven

As regards the above i havent read anywhere that it makes any difference when you dose, as iggy said the main thing is to be consistant with the doseing and get into a routine, macro one day micro the next, there is usually a day when you dont dose anything, so 6 days you will dose, but these are only topups when you get into the swing of it.

thanks, I'd kind of come to the conclusion that it probably didn't matter what time the ferts were dosed, but it's always nice to here someone elses view! The morning is just too much of a rush, and at the moment when I am testing for Nitrate and Phosphate each day, it's a bit out of the question, so from now on, I will be an evening doser. (maybe I should get a bumper sticker made up ).

I upped the amount of KNO3 to 2.5ppm today, as the tank seems to be using this faster than the phosphate. Still aiming for the targets by the end of the week.

Tests after the dosing:

Nitrate (approx) 6.0ppm
Phosphate 1.0ppm

 

[smithrc]

Got my stuff!!

just need to sort it all out - Think I'll sit down over the weekend and have a sort out!

 

[nodding_dino]

What are your readings for nitrate fom your tapwater nodding dino?

5ppm (a bit more info here)

 

[nodding_dino]

Got my stuff!!

just need to sort it all out - Think I'll sit down over the weekend and have a sort out!

[snapback]862086[/snapback]​

great news smithrc!

 

[zig]

What are your readings for nitrate fom your tapwater nodding dino?

5ppm (a bit more info here)

[snapback]862088[/snapback]​

Ok, so they are quite different than the water report, i was just wondering because you may have had to dose Pottassium sulphate seperatly for the K element as you wouldnt have had to dose nitrate with those levels if the report was accurate for your particular tapwater.

 

[George Farmer]

you wouldnt have had to dose nitrate with those levels if the report was accurate for your particular tapwater.

[snapback]862161[/snapback]​

May still have to dose a little NO3 as by the end of the week it may become deficient. My set-up was eating 5ppm NO3 per day at one point.

 

[zig]

Got my stuff!!

just need to sort it all out - Think I'll sit down over the weekend and have a sort out!

[snapback]862086[/snapback]​

Excellent, you should get going asap, weekend is fine, problems usually show up early if the correct nutrients arent being supplied or a defficiency exists, defficiencys will normally show up on your fastest growing plants first of all, and it seems from your previous post you have growth in the plants allready, so something is being used up.

Funny thing is Old school used to say dont fertilise for the first few weeks, but this is obviously bunkum at this stage, with the knowledge we now have, and it sets you up for problems as obviously the plants will need nutrients from the start, but it isnt that many years ago that this was the generally accepted logic.

Have you any testkits?

 

[zig]

you wouldnt have had to dose nitrate with those levels if the report was accurate for your particular tapwater.

[snapback]862161[/snapback]​

May still have to dose a little NO3 as by the end of the week it may become deficient. My set-up was eating 5ppm NO3 per day at one point.

[snapback]862169[/snapback]​

Hiya gf

Good point, i was really thinking of the 21ppm from the origional report, but yes you are correct it obviously depends on the uptake rate for any given setup.

 

[nodding_dino]

actually, I've been telling porkies... )

the test I am refering to was taken from the tank immediately after a 50% water change...

I have just (this second) tested water straight from the tap and am getting 10ppm this means that the plants must be eating it up at quite a rate, especially as I have dosed twice in the past three days, with a 50% WC done on Sunday.

I will continue to test after each addition of KNO3 and see if I can work out how to keep it ticking along at 10ppm.

 

[houndour]

I'm not dosing tonight. i think. I dosed 2 nights in a row. Gotta change a CO2 unit in a mo.

 

[smithrc]

Got my stuff!!

just need to sort it all out - Think I'll sit down over the weekend and have a sort out!

[snapback]862086[/snapback]​

Excellent, you should get going asap, weekend is fine, problems usually show up early if the correct nutrients arent being supplied or a defficiency exists, defficiencys will normally show up on your fastest growing plants first of all, and it seems from your previous post you have growth in the plants allready, so something is being used up.

Funny thing is Old school used to say dont fertilise for the first few weeks, but this is obviously bunkum at this stage, with the knowledge we now have, and it sets you up for problems as obviously the plants will need nutrients from the start, but it isnt that many years ago that this was the generally accepted logic.

Have you any testkits?

[snapback]862171[/snapback]​

Test kits coming out of my ears

I've had a look back at the pictures i posted last weekend and some have grown nearly 2.5"