# Estimative Index calculators



## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

Results should not be different. Make sure your variables are all consistent between the calculators.

I know the petaphile calculator has been tested a lot.

As far as the proper units for measurements, I suggest that the smaller the tank and tighter the solution volume, the more accurate you need to be with the units. Grams are the best as far as accuracy, but you need a scale obviously to use this. Teaspoons should be used for more diluted mixtures or for larger dosing when a slight deviation won't make a large swing in concentration.


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## alphabeatsco (Feb 26, 2012)

they all dose different amount, because they all have different aims.
eg. KNO3 recommended ppm is 10-20 on one site, but maybe different on another


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## alphabeatsco (Feb 26, 2012)

so the mg is always different, because different site aims for different results.
is this normal?


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## alphabeatsco (Feb 26, 2012)

how do i use those calculators?
do i set what PPM i want to roughly achieve and then find what the grams are?
what is the targeted parameters for EI dosing anyway?


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## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

alphabeatsco said:


> they all dose different amount, because they all have different aims.
> eg. KNO3 recommended ppm is 10-20 on one site, but maybe different on another





alphabeatsco said:


> so the mg is always different, because different site aims for different results.
> is this normal?


That is not correct. The "aims" or target dosing values are adjustable on almost all of the more popular nutrient calculators out there.

If you enter the variants correctly on any of the calculators, they should be identical.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

alphabeatsco said:


> i am currently looking into dry fertilising, mixing solution for easy dispensing.
> 
> i am using the http://calc.petalphile.com/ calculator.
> my question is, do i just use the gram suggested and add it to water?
> ...


EI is much more of a user range, than a specific precise estimation. Plants are not strict in their requirements and the environment that can adapt to.

Nor is it meant to be something that even requires a calculator, the Cal's and modeling are more to just see/predict outcomes over a range also.

In other words, no 2 aquariums will have the same uptake or demand, but that should not matter since it's general idea is to provide a range that is non limiting(thus independent) to plant growth. Wet's cal has some 0% growth, 25%, 50% and 90% uptake etc over 8 weeks. 


For going from dry to liquid, this is a simple matter.

If you'd dose say 4 weeks and the suggested 3 x a week dose was say 1/4 tsp, then the amount added would be 4x3 = 12 (1/4 tsp) or 3 TABLE spoons.

If you use say 1 liter of water(1000mls) 1000mls /28 days in 4 weeks = 35mls per day. These are arbitrary user defined parameters, you can make your own concentrations and mixes, but they all still add the same thing. Likely wiser to spend your time on light/CO2/gardening etc.


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## alphabeatsco (Feb 26, 2012)

Do I set the parameter I want to start off with eg 20ppm kno3 a week. I want to dose 3 times which is around 7ppm each time. Then I find out how many mg I would need to make 7ppm? Is that the Math? wht I don't know is... What is the initial targeted amount. I know toucan reduce and increase later on, but what should I be Aiming for initially?


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

20ppm NO3 a week is fine for most cases.
It's not that likely you will need more.

Hard to tell you much without you giving folks more info on your tank, basic stuff like the tank size, light used, distance above the tank from the light etc.

Pics are helpful also.

This stuff is VERY EASY in person, but folks get a lot unsure/uncertain once they try and figure things out off the web.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

Dup post


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

There are so many variables, you just have to figure out for your tank. I have 'high' light, good CO2, and heavily planted; all contribute to heavy uptake of nutrients. I dose 5ppm of NO3, 4ppm of PO4 at each dose. I skip the last 2 days.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

The EI method should eliminate any need to figure out how much of what to dose. It gives you a table of how many teaspoons of dry chemicals to dose each of 3 times a week, for various tank sizes. You can follow those and know you have adequate nutrients for any condition you have, any light you use. If you want to "fine tune" it you can wait a couple of weeks, then reduce the dosage of one of the chemicals, KNO3 would be best to start on. Watch the plants for a week or two, and if they grow as well as before, repeat, until they don't, then back up to the last dosage where they still grew as well. Now, do the same for KH2PO4, then for CSM+B, or whatever trace mix you use. The only other "fine tuning" you need is when your tank has a lot more plant mass, or you use more light, or you use optimum CO2 injection, anything that causes the plants to grow faster, thus need more nutrients. Not once have you even thought about ppm or grams while doing this.


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## alphabeatsco (Feb 26, 2012)

yes i do remember, seeing a table for 10-20 gallon dosing regime, 30-40 gallon, so forth.

however, they are in teaspoons...i dont have teaspoons, i have a digital scale.
wondering how to convert tsp to weight.


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## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

If you use the calculator that you linked above, it gives you that answer! You have just answered your own question full circle.

Select tank size
unit of measurement
whether its DIY or premixed stuff
What chemical are you dosing
how are you dosing it, dry or solution
what method are you calculating
GIMMIE!


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## alphabeatsco (Feb 26, 2012)

Just want to make sure i've got this right, before I go and start EI dosing.
According to the EI sites, they recommend ....


A. 10- 20 Gallon Aquariums
+/- 1/8 tsp KNO3 (N) 3x a week 
+/- 1/32 tsp KH2PO4 (P) 3x a week
+/- 1/32 tsp K2SO4 (K) 3x a week
+/- 1/32 tsp (2ml) Trace Elements 3x a week
50% weekly water change


based in a 10 gallon tank...
1/8 tsp KNO3 = 10.53ppm each dose
1/32 tsp KH2PO4 = 3.23ppm each dose
1/32 tsp K2SO4 = 2.37 ppm each dose
1/32 tsp trace (i have used rexolin in this case) = 0.16 Fe each dose


I used calc.petalphile.com to do these calculations.
Those ppm looks a bit high, are my assumptions right?


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## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

alphabeatsco said:


> yes i do remember, seeing a table for 10-20 gallon dosing regime, 30-40 gallon, so forth.
> 
> however, they are in teaspoons...i dont have teaspoons, i have a digital scale.
> wondering how to convert tsp to weight.





alphabeatsco said:


> Just want to make sure i've got this right, before I go and start EI dosing.
> According to the EI sites, they recommend ....
> 
> 
> ...



Make up your mind on what your unit of measurement is. You seem to be all over the place. First you say you don't have teaspoons only a scale, but you are giving all of your results in teaspoons. Also, you state "ppm" above, but ppm of WHAT? 1/8 tsp KNO3 is 10.53ppm of WHAT per dose? 

You are over complicating this. Follow the steps I listed above for the petalphile site. Stop messing with charts.

Per dosing 3x per week
0.462 grams of KNO3
0.632 grams of K2SO4
0.090 grams of KH2PO4

I would recommend making it into solution for a number of doses to make it easier to measure.


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## PhySix66 (Dec 16, 2011)

Hy!

I've made a calculator in excel for my self and I was wondering if this calculation to estimate the ppm levels is ok or not?

=ppmP*(100%-UpTX)+(ml*ppm/ml)+(-ppmP*WC%+WC%*ppmT)

ppmP – previous ppm level
UpTX – uptake max % /// UpTM – uptake min %
ml – amount added of liquid fert to aquarium
ppm/ml – how much 1ml of fert raises ppm levels
WC% - % of water change
ppmT – nutrient ppm level of tap water 

By changeing UpTX to UpTM I can get the maximum and minimum levels.

PhySix66


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