finally starting ei from green leaf help please.

[delfisherman]

i got 3 dosing bottles and know rivercats has a great way of doing it. can anybody help me with how to start the mixes? i just did a complete rescape and am out of normal liquid ferts

 

[Old Scales]

Hello Del,
Many of us here in AA got started correctly with dry ferts with coaching from Rivercats. You said starting with EI, but with dosing bottles did you mean to say PPS-Pro? The PPS-Pro procedure is what River uses. EI or Estimative Index is the other procedure for using GLA's dry ferts and is different from PPS-Pro. First we need to know this. OS.

 

[delfisherman]

I got ei from gla about a month ago but had plenty of premixed commercial ferts so thats why i havent started.

 

[Old Scales]

OK. I have only used the PPS=Pro procedure for GLA's dry ferts. So I'm really unqualified to give advice on EI. Someone who uses the EI method will chime in soon, I'm sure. Sorry. OS.

 

[delfisherman]

The only difference is that pps has magnesium sulfate is that really any different?

 

[Old Scales]

PPS Pro versus E. I.

I think the main difference between PPS Pro and E.I. Is that PPS is dosed at a lower amount every morning while E. I. Is all dosed at once right after each water change. With PPS you mix the nitrate by itself in one bottle, the potassium and phosphorus together in one bottle, and the micros in the third bottle. You'd add the recommended amount of dry powder to each bottle then add distilled water. Shake it up well and let it set overnight so that it will fully dissolve. Then when you dose every morning you shake the bottle a little and then dose. Many people with a fair amount of fish discover they do not need to dose the nitrates as the fish produce enough themselves. Hope this helps you out at least the PPS part of the GLA fertilizer system. OS.

 

[Mebbid]

In EI method you mix according to the amount you plan on dosing (calculator below) and then switch between micro and macro daily. To make it easier on me I just write down on the bottle whether it gets dosed on odd or even days. I also use old API Stress coat bottles to mix the ferts in for an easy dosing cap.

The bottle of potassium nitrate is only to be used if your nitrate drops too low. Micros get mixed in its own bottle and then you mix both the phosphate and potassium sulfate into the same bottle.

Yet Another Nutrient Calculator

 

[aqua_chem]

Also, EI is much easier to dry dose than wet dose because of the amount of fertilizer you're dosing.

 

[Mebbid]

Also, EI is much easier to dry dose than wet dose because of the amount of fertilizer you're dosing.

+1

I have to dose 40ml of the mixed macro fert for my 55g tank.

 

[delfisherman]

So i dont need a scale and dosing bottles at all just some very small mixing spoons? Because i have a scale from amazon and three bottles from gla

 

[aqua_chem]

This is all I use:

http://www.amazon.com/Dash-Smidgen-Pinch-Measuring-Spoon/dp/B002X9I4RC/ref=pd_sim_k_1

 

[delfisherman]

so i found a little page on requirements of the planted tank but i dont need to dose KNO4 because my nitrates are fine. im gonna get the mixing spoons tonight. i am gonna dry dose everything. the page i found doesnt have K2SO4 on it so how much do i dose for it? the calculator is in g and not tsp