Liquid Ferts - Add At Once Or A Little Every Day?

[Alm0stAwesome]

The topic pretty much sums it up. What are the costs/benefits to adding liquid fertiliser once a week vs. spread out across each day.
 
I currently spread mine out and dose each day along with some liquid carbon. Thanks!

 

[levahe]

Dosing every day ensures that the plants have a steady constant supply, especially if adding co2( liquid or gas) it shouldn't cost more because its just a case of dividing the recommended weekly dose by 7. My low tech with no added co2 though I dose weekly sometimes less often.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Yes it does seem to make sense that way - I wonder why all of the brands I've seen recommend dosing once a week? 

 

[Zante]

Plants store nutrients when there is abundance and use them up when there is a lack of availability, so it really doesn't make much of a difference. I guess weekly doses is a good balance between feeding the plants properly and not polluting the water.
 
I tried dosing fertilizers daily and couldn't see any difference after a few months to when I was dosing weekly, so I went back to the weekly dosage.

 

[DrRob]

Depends partly on the scheme. The higher dosing schemes will recommend daily dosing, otherwise you risk a fair swing in parameters during the week, which the livestock won't like. For the lower strength regimes it doesn't matter so much and weekly dosing is far easier, so it's more likely to sell.
 
Personally I'm a daily doser (or automatic pump doser even more often).

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Oooh I've been meaning to look into dosing pumps. Pricey but a fun gadget and perfect for lazy people like myself

 

[DrRob]

I have 2, soon to be 4.
 
To be honest, the cost of the pump itself was the primary issue, got a couple from farnell, simple to wire once you've drilled a few holes in a box for them (if you do this get a flat surfaced box, I regret that bit).
 
I also just picked up a couple more on classifieds, so I can set my second tank to automatic. With home made liquid CO2 in the trace mix things should take off.

 

[Livewire88]

Adding daily gets my vote, as already said adding daily will provide plants with fresh nutrients daily rather than hitting them with a big dose once a week 

 
Dosing pumps make it a lot easier and are great for people who forget to add the daily dosage, also perfect if you are going away on holiday. My dosing pumps are plumbed into the outlet pipe on my external filter so the ferts/liquid Co2 are injected straight out through the spray bar along with the pressurized Co2 mist from an inline diffuser. 
 
I don't think I could live without them now 

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

That sounds very cool Livewire - you guys should do a thread on dosing pumps

 

[Livewire88]

That sounds very cool Livewire - you guys should do a thread on dosing pumps

 
Good ideal, I will be creating a new journal thread soon so will include all the details in there 

 
I recently closed down one of my hi tech tanks and have a almost new Marine Magic dosing pump that I will be looking to sell shortly. 

 

[DrRob]

Don't tempt me. My OH will kill me.