Is it normal to dose more than easy green recommends?

[DannyBWell]

Between my 4 tanks I seem to overdose all of them 2x a week just to try and keep nitrates at 20ppm my two 10g tanks that just have water wisteria I put 3 pumps in and my 29g I put in 4 pumps and my 75g I've been putting in 10 pumps. I do this because I've noticed deficiencies in the plants and havent seen any adverse affects yet. Is this a bad idea or is this normal is heavier planted tanks?

[DSH OUTDOORS]

Completely normal.  In fact, you might have to increase even more as your plants grow and continue to pull more from the water column.  What is your water change schedule? If it were me, I wouldn't be doing much if any as long as your plants are continuing to use up what you are providing.  That is the goal for all my planted tanks at home.

[Patrick_G]

It’s normal for me too, and in George Farmer’s book he says  the recommended dose of ferts from most manufacturers is too low in his experience. Since Easy Green is so concentrated I regularly dose at the medium light level and then add more only if I notice some deficiency in a plant. Sometimes I just add extra potassium and Iron instead of Easy Green. 
I wouldn’t recommend this unless you have a decent grasp of water parameters and are ready to do a water change if you end up with too much Nitrate. 

Edited July 28, 2021 by Patrick_G

[DannyBWell]

On 7/27/2021 at 3:51 PM, DSH OUTDOORS said:

Completely normal.  In fact, you might have to increase even more as your plants grow and continue to pull more from the water column.  What is your water change schedule? If it were me, I wouldn't be doing much if any as long as your plants are continuing to use up what you are providing.  That is the goal for all my planted tanks at home.

I really only waterchange when I need to top off for evaporation but I will do a water change instead. My water parameters never really get to a point that I need to water change and I test my water weekly. I was dosing as the directions said until recently I noticed deficiencies in my plants and have increased since then the plants seem happy and so do the fish and tests come back ok so I think I should be fine.