A method includes writing sets of encoded data slices to storage units of a storage network in accordance with error encoding parameters, where for a set of encoded data slices, the error encoding parameters include an error coding number and a decode threshold number, the error coding number indicates a number of encoded data slices that results when a data segment is encoded using an error encoding function and the decode threshold number indicates a minimum number needed to recover the data segment. The method further includes monitoring processing of the writing the sets of encoded data slices to produce write processing performance information. When the write processing performance information compares unfavorably to a desired write performance range, the method further includes adjusting at least one of the error coding number and the decode threshold number to produce adjusted error encoding parameters for writing subsequent encoded data slices.