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The EI is short for the "Estimative Index" by Tom Barr.
http://www.barrreport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1
PeterGwee can do a good introduction for you, or you can read up: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...r-dummies.html
Hi,
Come across a few times on this EI term in the forum, but can't find anything to read up about this. What is this? It seen like some form of method to mix different chemical and introduce it into a planted tank?
The EI is short for the "Estimative Index" by Tom Barr.
http://www.barrreport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1
PeterGwee can do a good introduction for you
I was talking to one of our fellow forumer regarding EI once and found that some of us still have algae problems even though we do EI when others have no algae problems at all...
Based on my understanding, EI is about everything doing in excess... So if we dose often the necessary nutrients (macro and micro), and keeping CO2 to 30+ ppm, we must also keep the intensity of the lights high... The last point is something that I think some of us forget about...
The juggling apprentice fish
I think one very important point is making water changes. And if I didn't recall wrongly, one has to make quite big a water change for EI to work...
Read me! :bigsmile: http://justikanz.blogspot.com/
I'm crypt collecting... Starting cheap, now have Cryptocoryne beckettii, C.beckettii var petchii, C.crispatula var.balansae, C.griffithii(Melted!), C.nurii, C.parva, C.pygmaea(Melted!
Oh, juggling is hard work, man!...
I wan to automate my tank!
The water change is too reset the tank to a safe level. When we talk abt intense lights, is it 3wpg or more? And this is based on what type of lightings?
JC
Our Earth Project:
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CO2...your test kit might say its 30ppm but the algae tells you its the other way. Trim them off..if it comes back fast, you know something is wrong with the CO2.Originally Posted by valice
Regards
Peter Gwee
And when your fish is gasping and algae is around, it is still CO2?
The algae will not die off when the condition of the tank is improved. You need to trim them off and get them out of the tank with a good clean up. It should not come back if the condition is really good.
For the CO2, make sure you have some moderate surface movement to go along with it and shut it off at night. You do not need gasping fish to have good growth and no algae.
Regards
Peter Gwee
Well of course, that can be said for any method, the issue is not the ferts, it's the CO2, and general state the tank was in to start with.
The only thing not in excess with EI, light.
CO2 is typically 95% of folk's issues if they are doing EI.
the other issues are due to not pruning and removing the algae that's already there.
EI, nor any method will not cure a tank of algae, it's never designed to do so........
A tank full of Algae needs more work than a dosing routine.
It needs cleaned out good, pruned etc, add some herbivores, some fresh healthy plants, clean equipment etc.
An otherwise healthy tank or a new tank will do well. It should not take more than 1-3 weeks to re set a tank and not have algae issues.
You folks need to think about a crop of veggies or a field of Rice, agriculture.
You see a field choked full of weeds.
Is a nutrient fertilizer going to help or change things as far as the weeds are concerned?
No.
You need to remove the weeds and keep the field in good shape.
Once you go in and remove most of it, from then on it's easy to maintain and the ferts are helping the plants.
Regards,
Tom Barr
I have a 250L tank. If i would to follow the water change of 50% weekly, i think my PUB bill will be very high. Can i do a change of 10% to 15% once every 2 weeks?
Go non-CO2 method then if that is an issue. No water changes except once in every 3-6 months (do not use EI dosing on a non-CO2 tank nor excel) or whenever you need to uproot the plants.
Regards
Peter Gwee
There will always be some trade-offs with each method. Experience folks might be able to get away with less water changes as they would have a bit of feel how much the tank is "eating" and dose enough without stunting the plants. A newbie will not likely get it right. You can also do it via good test kits (Hach or LaMotte) but they do cost quite a bit. Most tanks do better with water changes and the fish/critters love it.
Regards
Peter Gwee
so from my layman understadning of EI, I can have low to moderate lighting but my ferts and CO2 need to be in excess........and taking into consideration that the only limiting factor to how high the ferts and co2 go is the fauna response......
i am thinking, if i tune the co2 injection to the limit of fish comfort and dose the ferts 3 times weekly........ i just have to watch for my fish health.... once i see that they are starting to behave funny.... i just do a 50% WC........... so theoretically i can find out my "max" time limit before i need to reset the tank instead of weekly? so after a few times, i may be able to find out the "safe" WC and fert regime for my tank... as all tank's fert uptake is different...
You may be a bit too late once the fish health is affected. Seriously, go the non-CO2 method if you feel water change is a pain/cost issue and etc.
Regards
Peter Gwee
i have no problem with WC be it for cost of PUB bills or hassle...... but i am seeing my tank getting cloudy every week which takes eons to clear up but before it totally clear, it's time to do another WC.........I have been adding anti-chloramine/chlorine to my tank while refilling and my filters/pumps are all not running during the process......i even poured in $30 worth of bottled BB over the last few WC.... only helped a little....
I still believe that the issue of chlorine/chloramine in our tap water has not been totally factored in for tanks larger than 4 ft whereby we need to fill the tank directly.........no mater how many divided doses u put into the tank while the tank is refilling, there is no way the anti-chlorine/choramine can reach all parts of the tank evenly unless you stir the water with a large paddle..... which is a big no no for planted right? So these pockets of untreated tap water just linger in the part of the tank killing the BB in the substrate and the rocks etc...... and when you switch on the filters and pumps, these untreated water goes into the filter cannister and annihilate 50 to 90% of the BB in there......by the time the tank is fully circulated by the filter/pumps and all the anti-chloramine has been mixed with the water... its already too late....
I am going CO2 for the dynamic growth it can achieve cos i do not fancy staring at a static display day in and out. I am prepared for all the hassles/cost of EI and weekly WC..... if doing all the above is going to allow me to enjoy looking at my tank 50-80% of the week in clarity and plant/fauna health, then it is worth it........but if doing all is making my water cloudy for better part of the week....... i guess i need to do somthing about it...... I understand EI and its inherent limitations, it may be good but not without flaws....... it's only when we are able to critically look at the method, then we can improve......
Generally for more moderate dosing and less frequent water changes, but still using CO2, use less light, 2w gal is good.
This places less demands on CO2 and nutrients, so in effect, you have morwe wiggle room should you forget to dose one day etc, then there's also less growth to prune as well.
Now if that is too much, then go non CO2.
Low light tanks really benefit from CO2 also, many seem to think they do not.
Regards,
Tom Barr
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