Planted tank fertilizer guides
Short, sourced explanations of the questions hobbyists ask most, each linked to a prefilled calculator.
What is EI dosing?
EI (Estimative Index) dosing explained: how it works, typical weekly nitrate, phosphate and potassium numbers, why the 50% water change matters, and how to work out your doses.
How much nitrate and phosphate does a planted tank need?
Practical nitrate (NO3) and phosphate (PO4) ranges for high-tech and low-tech planted aquariums, the N:P ratio, and how to turn a target ppm into grams.
Dry vs liquid fertilizers: which should you use?
Dry fertilizer salts versus commercial liquid fertilizers: cost, accuracy, convenience, and how to compare Seachem or Tropica doses with EI dry dosing.
How to make a fertilizer stock solution
Step by step: turn a dry fertilizer kit (KNO3, KH2PO4, K2SO4, MgSO4, CSM+B) into 500 mL macro and micro stock solutions, with solubility limits and dosing in mL.
How water changes affect fertilizer dosing
Why the water-change percentage controls where your nutrient levels settle, how to scale doses when you change less water, and the simple steady-state formula.
Signs of nutrient deficiency in aquarium plants
How to recognize nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron and magnesium deficiencies in aquarium plants, where symptoms appear first, and what to adjust.
K₂SO₄ and MgSO₄ explained
Potassium sulfate (K2SO4) and magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt) in planted tank dosing: what they add, when you can skip them, and where MgSO4 goes.
Beginner low-tech planted tank dosing
A simple fertilizer plan for low-tech planted tanks without CO2: how much to dose, once a week, root tabs vs liquids, and avoiding algae.
PPS-Pro dosing explained
What PPS-Pro (Perpetual Preservation System) is, how its daily doses compare with EI, its 500 mL recipe, and why it uses conductivity to time water changes.