Switch to EI method

**wasabi8888** · 2nd Jan 2007, 10:53

Hi all

I currently have a 2 ft Juwel tank (70 litre). I am using a Solite T5 HO light (24WX2) with CO2 injection. Ph is about 6 and KH is about 3. Weekly WC changes about 50%

I am also using Denn substrate with Depotnix ferts. I am dosing Denn ferts as well
1. A1 daily
2. PG7, TR7, S7 weekly
3. E15 or V30 fortnightly
I have hairgrass in my foreground. In the mid ground, 3 Dw with US fissiden. Background is stem plants like Tonina, Rotala Macandra, Bacopa etc..Growth is rather good for all plants except the moss.
My fauna include 5 male apistogrammas and 7 gold tetras.

I am rather fed up with this whole fertilization regime as I get algae attacks

1. staghorn/hair algae on my moss and harigrass
2. BGA on some parts of hair grass next to glass
3. Green algae on my glass.

I want to try EI method as I read that alot of you are getting good results from it. Can someone point me in the right direction? should i do a 80% or 100% water change do get rid of the denn ferts before i switch to EI?

**|squee|** · 2nd Jan 2007, 11:25

Read the EI Lite version first, then if you want to, read the original EI.

In a nutshell, EI is really easy. The only hard things are CO2 management and circulation issues.

Throughout a 7 day week, you dose chemicals twice or thrice, and once a week you do a 50% water change that serves mainly as a refresher for the tank and dilute the chemicals you have been adding.

What's KNO3 and KH2PO4.

First you have to manually remove as much of the algae as you can. Look to improve CO2 injection, response time, and circulation of water throughout the tank. Take a look at Tom Barr's DIY internal reactor, which has given good results to quite a number of people who gave testimonials online. The CO2 part must be good first, otherwise algae will still bother you.

Perhaps just do a 50% water change to dilute out the Dennerle ferts.

For me, the staghorn algae points to dirt stuck between the hairgrass/moss. Improve water flow. The BGA usually points to poor water flow as well, although it can mean that your water is nitrate-free. The green spot algae is common, but for me dosing EI has made its growth unnoticeable by phosphate.

**wasabi8888** · 2nd Jan 2007, 12:20

Hi Terence

I have read the lite version...

so now I need to go buy Lushgrow Micros and Aqua now? Do these products have everything that the lite version stated?

will look to improve the circulation... does Micros and Aqua have nitrates? anything else I need to buy?

**|squee|** · 2nd Jan 2007, 12:45

It'll be easier if you bought KNO3, KH2PO4, a trace product like Lushgro micros, and Seachem Equilibrium.

I don't think Mircos/Aqua have nitrates or phosphates. Dosing 3 times a week is easier, the schedule will be like:

Monday: KNO3 and KH2PO4
Tuesday: Trace
Wenedesday: KNO3 and KH2PO4
Thursday: Trace
Friday: KNO3 and KH2PO4
Saturday: 50% water change, KNO3 and KH2PO4 and Equilibrium
Sunday: Trace

**wasabi8888** · 2nd Jan 2007, 17:53

Terence

OK.. i understand.. so i buy those separately....and I dose according to
the below as my tank is about 50-70 litre...
10- 20 Gallon Aquariums
+/- 1/8 tsp KNO3 (N) 3x a week
+/- 1/32 tsp KH2PO4 (P) 3x a week
+/- 1/32 tsp K2SO4 (K) 3x a week
+/- 1/32 tsp (2ml) Trace Elements 3x a week
50% weekly water change

1. What does Seachem Equilibrium serve? does it act as a subsititute for anti chorine?

2. Also, can i combine and dose weekly instead of according to your schedule ( do note that yours is 4x a week for KNO3 and KH2PO4...

3. I also noted that there is no dose of K2SO4 (Phosphate). Is that in Lushgro Micros which is why you dont do it separately.

**|squee|** · 2nd Jan 2007, 21:31

1) It serves to provide a source of calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, and a few other elements if I remember correctly. It's not an absolute must-have, but good to have. Anti-chlorine? Nope.

2) You can, but that will mean high nutrient loads in the water from start, and low towards the end. I do not know if plants like that. I remember reading it was much better to dose regularly. It's just like fish, you can't feed them a huge amount weekly, it's better to feed in small amounts daily.

3) K2SO4 is potassium sulphate and not phosphate (KH2PO4), so I'm not sure what you're asking

**wasabi8888** · 3rd Jan 2007, 10:49

Hi Terence

Just need further clarifications

1. When you said "Nope", it means that it's not a substitute right? or nope, you do not need anti-chlorine

3. In Tom Barr's report, it says to dose K2SO4. In your recommendations, there isnt this ingredient. why is that so?

**Shadow** · 3rd Jan 2007, 12:41

just wondering, will this amount of dosing, what is the requirement for light (watt) and CO2 (bps)?

**|squee|** · 3rd Jan 2007, 13:22

Jeffrey,

1) It's not a substitute for anti-chlorine =D
2) K2SO4 is used mainly for it's potassium, and not so much of sulphur. However, in this article Tom Barr himself says we do not need to add K2SO4 for potassium; the potassium from KNO3 and KH2PO4 is enough. It's not a necessary thing, but you can still add it.

Shadow,

CO2 must be 30ppm and above, bps cannot be given because it varies according to tank size, injection method, and different tank parameters.

For lighting, perhaps it's easier to understand from the following quote from the EI:

Originally Posted by Tom Barr

A Typical Tank
A typical routine for a high light tank with low fish load:
Volume 80 liters (20 gal high standard tank)
5.5 watts/ gal. - two 55watt 5000K/8800K lamps
CO2-25-30ppm (I turn my CO2 off at night)
Canister filter
Fluorite (any porous iron rich material will do) about 7-10cm depth

A Typical Dosing Routine
1/4 teaspoon of KNO3 3-4x a week (every other day)
1/16th-1/32nd teaspoon of KH2PO4 3-4x a week (every other day)
Traces added on off days as the macro nutrients, so 3x a week, 5mls each time.
SeaChem Equilibrium 1/8 teaspoon after water change.

For me I've never had such high light, because at such high lights bad things can happen very quickly if you don't maintain well. More light = more growth, thus more things can happen if things go wrong (algae

)

I suppose it's safe to say that lighting can be low-medium levels.

**Shadow** · 3rd Jan 2007, 14:07

OK, I was just thinking if not enough light, there will be left over fert in the water and causing unwanted thing to happen. Of course, weekly water change help removing the excess.

**|squee|** · 3rd Jan 2007, 14:12

The nitrate and phosphate in the water doesn't cause algae. It's the lack of plant growth that causes algae (algae grows in place of the plants). Thus nitrate and phosphate do not directly cause algae.

**murinus** · 3rd Jan 2007, 14:53

sorry for asking this but where can i get KNO3 and KH2PO4?

**aquascaping1982** · 3rd Jan 2007, 15:00

Originally Posted by murinus

sorry for asking this but where can i get KNO3 and KH2PO4?

Basically it can be get from almost any LFS such as NA, colourful, C328 & many others LFS

**vurbul** · 3rd Jan 2007, 15:01

Originally Posted by murinus

sorry for asking this but where can i get KNO3 and KH2PO4?

I got them from Nature Aquarium.

**murinus** · 3rd Jan 2007, 16:23

Originally Posted by aquascaping1982

Basically it can be get from almost any LFS such as NA, colourful, C328 & many others LFS

Thanks... will pop by C328 to get them

**Shadow** · 3rd Jan 2007, 17:09

Originally Posted by murinus

Thanks... will pop by C328 to get them

Not sure about C328, but NA defenetly got. BTW I saw people selling and FOC at buy/sell section

**wasabi8888** · 4th Jan 2007, 09:21

Terence

Does 1/4 teaspoon mean a teaspoon with the whole spoon filled to the brim but level to the brim (flat out at the same level as the brim) and then divided by 4?