EI Dosing: The Key to Thriving Aquarium Plants

Aquarium enthusiasts know that maintaining healthy and thriving aquatic plants requires a careful balance of nutrients. Enter the EI Dosing Pack, a comprehensive solution designed to provide all the essential nutrients your plants need to grow strong and beautiful.

Factors to Consider when Dosing Nutrients in Planted Aquariums:

The amount of nutrients to dose in your planted aquarium depends on the type of aquascape you have. Overdosing nutrients in a sparsely planted tank can lead to instability and promote algae growth if spores are introduced. On the other hand, if you have a tank with many plants and do not dose enough nutrients, the plants may starve and deteriorate, leading to algae issues. Plants can generally grow across a wide range of nutrient levels, and a comprehensive but lean dosing regime may be recommended for beginners because it’s easier to control.

Two Popular Dosing Systems: EI dosing pack and ADA:

The Estimative Index (EI dosing pack) approach involves high dosages designed to give non-limiting growth for most standard planted tanks. This approach believes that when plants grow well and have all their nutrient needs met, they out-compete algae in the tank. The Aqua Design Amano (ADA) approach is a leaner dosing system designed to be used with its rich substrate system, ADA aquasoil. The dosing numbers for EI dosing pack and ADA are vastly different, and the frequency of dosing is also different for each system.

Choosing the Right Dosing Approach for Your Planted Aquarium:

The path you take when dosing nutrients in your planted aquarium depends on your specific tank and aquascape. A leaner dosing approach may be preferred for tanks that focus on hardscape and have less plant mass, while a richer dosing approach may be better suited for tanks with heavy plant loads. Regardless of which approach you choose, maintaining a healthy balance of nutrients is crucial for the health and growth of your plants.

Table 1​
*parts per million, which is the same as mg/L

Achieve Perfect Nutrient Balance with Rotala Butterfly Calculator

Rotala Butterfly Calculator is used as a tool to help calculate the appropriate amount of fertilizers to add to a planted aquarium. The calculator takes into account factors such as the size of the tank, the type of fertilizers being used, and the desired nutrient levels for the plants. This tool can be helpful in determining the right balance of nutrients for optimal plant growth and health.

Example:
For a 3ft tank (90cmx45cmx45 – 180 litres)
If we have some substrate, and hardscape water volume might be 140L 
We want to make a DIY Fert in Rotala Butterfly Calculator.
To determine the appropriate dosage for compound alls, refer to the ppm values in table 1 and cross-reference them with the corresponding fertilisers in table 2, which is included in our pack.
KNO3 – (N) – 1.71grams = 7.5ppm (N) + 4.75ppm (K)
KH2PO4 – (P) 400 milligrams = 2ppm (P) + 0.82ppm(K)
K2SO4 – (K) – 2.34grams = 7.5ppm (K) Total K adding both KNO3 and KH2PO4 = 13ppm (K)
MgSO4 7H2O – 2.84grams = 2ppm (Mg)
CaSO4 –  3.85grams = 6.4ppm(Ca) 
Rexolin APN (Fe + Micros) – 117milligrams = 0.05 (Fe)

50% water change weekly and then add the fertilisers.

By dividing the largest amount used (3.85 grams) with the quantity of fertiliser in our packs, you can see that our small pack contains enough fertilizer to last for 26 weeks. This is twice as long as typical off-the-shelf all-in-one fertilizers, and it’s available at half the price.