Dosing EI Method

[jcali10]

The easy method of dosing EI means no measuring, just dose KNO3 and KH2PO4 every M/W/F and do a large water change on Sun. But I've been testing my N & P levels before dosing, and have been finding them to be within the target parameters, 10-20 ppm and 1.0 - 2.0 ppm. Since my N & P test good, should I add K (potassium)? I don't have a test kit for K, and if you dose KNO3 and KH2PO4, which I am not, if the readings are within the correct range, I may be deficient in this nutrient. Anyone ever have any problems with K deficiencies? How much should I dry dose 3 times a week if my N & P are good?

I'm pretty sure for mineralized soil tanks, the K tends to become exhausted and has to be supplemented after a while. I'm guessing I may have to use APC's fertilator to calculate how much K to add to my 50G.

I'm still getting used to EI after doing PPS Pro for a long time.

[150EH]

You'll want to measure and test until you get the tank dialed in IMO because I find my nitrates to way too high when dosing EI from the recommended levels, I'm not really sure if K is a problem with MTS but you should be getting K from 2 sources, KN03 & KH2P04 so most folks have stopped using K2S04, but to answer your question 'I have never had any K deficiencies while dosing EI'. Someone smarter than I will be a long shortly.

[jcali10]

The reason I was wondering if I should add K is because I'm not dosing KNO3 & KH2PO4 because every M/W/F when I test my water parameters, my nitrates and phosphates are in the target ranges. Sometimes the nitrates are a little higher, in the 20-40 ppm range. I've learned that there is enough K in KNO3 & KH2PO4. But if I'm not adding it (N & P), and unable to check for K, should I add it, the K2SO4?

[Aaron]

If you dose EI you don't need to dose K separately. There's enough in the KNO3 and KH2PO4.

[SCMurphy]

Watch the plants, if you see pinholes forming in the leaves of Cryptocoryne or Anubias then you should add some K. Swords will also show this to you, however, it takes longer to show up.

[jcali10]

Sean

Watch the plants, if you see pinholes forming in the leaves of Cryptocoryne or Anubias then you should add some K. Swords will also show this to you, however, it takes longer to show up.

I don't have any crypts or anubias in my 50 at the moment, but I do have many anubias with pinholes in non-co2 tanks that I am not dosing properly. Maybe this means the fish waste, fish foods, and decaying plant matter are supplying the N & P, but not the K.

[150EH]

Sorry I mis-understood, I would guess it's relavent to the amount of growth you are getting so if your not seeing any symptons I would think you are OK, so if your seeing pin holes you might want to start dosing on some type of slow schedule. I only dose my non CO2 tank on a monthly basis and the plants suck it up so fast that it doesn't register on a test kit the next day but I will get a yellow Crypt leaf once in a while to remind me to dose.