started dosing EI... I think I need to modify... advice?

[JackBlasto]

When I first started dosing EI according to the normal instruction of:

day 1: macro
day 2: micro
day 3: macro
day 4: micro
day 5:macro
day 6:micro
day 7: rest
water change

everything was doing well, pearling like crazy, massive growth BUT now, everything seems to have slowed and no more pearling from the glosso etc. Its weird because I haven't changed anything. I will say the light is high and the CO2 is cranked and drop checker is almost yellow. That said, do you think that I need to up the nutrients as the plants are pushed so hard they have consumed the normal amount? Also noteworthy, I have no algae issues.

I am thinking to dose EVERY day. Hypothesized:

day 1: macro, micro 4 hours later
day 2: macro, micro 4 hours later
day 3: macro, micro 4 hours later
day 4: macro, micro 4 hours later
day 5:macro, micro 4 hours later
day 6:macro, micro 4 hours later
day 7: rest
80% water change

Ive read in the Barr report forums that modifications to EI are permissible. Does this sound permissible?

Thanks for anyones experience.

 

[Delapool]

I've completely modified mine. Do you have any water chemistry readings as this will help.

I've seen in threads that EI can be adjusted as the plants grow in mass, etc.

I dose something like a small amount of nitrates, some phosphates and way over for potassium.

 

[JackBlasto]

Thanks for the reply. I do have some testing gear laying around so I will dive into that. Any resource that you know of that shows the target goals of EI?

For example: I found this online (not saying this is a great resource but its what I found)

CO2 range 25-30 ppm
NO3 range 5-30 ppm
K+ range 10-30 ppm
PO4 range 1.0-2.0 ppm
Fe 0.2-0.5ppm or higher
GH range 3-5 degrees
KH range 3-5 degrees

When modifying my dosage I should simply test my water and adjust TRYING to accomplish the above? Am I correct with that assumption? Thanks!

 

[JackBlasto]

What I find funny is the EI kind of brags about no testing kits needed, so as a new person getting into they believe that this is the case which I find extremely far from the truth because testing seems an essential part of getting the right dosage down. Once you have it, maybe you can toss the testing but your suggestion to test my water was a light bulb I hadn't thought of, again, being new to it and not connecting the basics of LOOK, I NEED TO KNOW THIS IN ORDER TO DOSE Again, what people who are advocates of EI seem to downplay by stating "no testing kits needed"... whatever... ha... right!

Anyway I DID SOME TESTING and found after day 3 of EI dosages recommended by the "calculators" that

RECOMMENDED CO2 range 25-30 ppm MINE= 30
RECOMMENDED NO3 range 5-30 ppm MINE= 34.997 (HIGH)
RECOMMENDED K+ range 10-30 ppm MINE= 100+ (HIGH)
RECOMMENDED PO4 range 1.0-2.0 ppm MINE= 2.5 (HIGH)

I did an 80% water change and now have

RECOMMENDED CO2 range 25-30 ppm MINE= 30
RECOMMENDED NO3 range 5-30 ppm MINE= 17.27
RECOMMENDED K+ range 10-30 ppm MINE= 100+ (HIGH)
RECOMMENDED PO4 range 1.0-2.0 ppm MINE= 2.11

What this concludes= I don't have to dose ANYTHING!!! hahahahahah... at least not today but also goes to show the complexities of even this "EASY" Estimative Index

Anyone pondering how I got these NO3, K+, PO4 readings before jumping on me and telling me I can't know those with regular kits... I have specialized testers from Hanna Instruments for each one of them that I used a long time ago for PPS Pro (which I gave up after just naturally getting a balanced tank) before putting them in a closet and a year later bringing them out again for the "no test kits needed" Estimative Index ha, yeah right

I have a par meter coming in the mail soon as well... to take that guesswork out of the equation on this tank. So the testing continues it seems, even for EI.

 

[FishFlow]

Picture?

I like EI. I also did alot of testing tough, I'm at 1/2 EI dosing. Once I found what worked for my tank/water/plants, I don't test so much anymore.

I've only had one tank that could take full EI dosing. That tank had so much plant mass, I didn't keep fish in it. (Fear of gassing them, and physically not room to move about..)

Edit..
34.997 no3.. I need your test kit!!

 

[JackBlasto]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...gclid=CJm-38LnyMsCFVUkgQodpnoPdQ&gclsrc=aw.ds Yes, overkill possibly but I spent the money on it a long time ago in a fit of frustration not being able to get balance.

I got the same type meter for Potassium http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hanna-Instr...e2504bb&pid=100338&rk=1&rkt=5&sd=281942156530

and then the common phosphate one they make (that is reasonably priced http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/phosp...e-water.html?gclid=COiQ4OzoyMsCFdgLgQodMFwCIQ

Honestly, I can see why this might seem overkill, but I dont regret it as Ive used them here and there for 5 years and it does help. This hobby is so much guess work that can lead to people quitting. Knowing whats going on (like the par meter I just ordered) allow for solving the riddle. It gets "simple" when the variables are known.

 

[Delapool]

Hi, try this link which will give the results of your dose versus various ferts methods. I dry dose which makes things easier.

http://yanc.rotalabutterfly.com

Out of interest which par meter are you getting? I ended up using the par meter off the Seneye reef monitor.

That potassium test kit is interesting! I have a titration one that is getting a bit dated now but wanted to get a co2 test kit first.

I do find my nitrates and phosphates readings move around so will tweak dosing every month I'd say.

The recommended ranges and your values are similar to mine. The potassium reading I get is also around 100ppm. This seems too high but if I go lower the stem plants get holes in lower leaves.

 

[Fresh2o]

I do PPS-Pro. I tested a bit at the beginning but once I figured out what the levels were at the beginning and end of the week I stopped.
I don't dose nitrate because with the bioload alone it's between 10-20 ppm. I triple dose phosphates and that keeps the GSA away (5-10 ppm). Tank has high light and add CO2 at about 2.5 BPS.


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[Delapool]

I can never figure out if iron is important to dose or not? I dose it as part of micros but lately have been trying dosing of reduced minors and a little more iron.

Test kit always reads either nothing or very low.

 

[JackBlasto]

Hi, try this link which will give the results of your dose versus various ferts methods. I dry dose which makes things easier.

Yet Another Nutrient Calculator

Out of interest which par meter are you getting? I ended up using the par meter off the Seneye reef monitor.

That potassium test kit is interesting! I have a titration one that is getting a bit dated now but wanted to get a co2 test kit first.

I do find my nitrates and phosphates readings move around so will tweak dosing every month I'd say.

The recommended ranges and your values are similar to mine. The potassium reading I get is also around 100ppm. This seems too high but if I go lower the stem plants get holes in lower leaves.

Cool to see you are using the one from Seneye reef monitor as that is the one I ordered. Based on the reviews it seems that its the most cost effective solution. Its not perfect but for around $200 it seems like its getting close to a VERY expensive alternative (which I can't afford) Anyway, I figure that the Seneye one will accomplish what is needed.

 

[Delapool]

About page 7 I started to get it sorted
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f19/delapools-150-gallon-tank-342669-7.html


I wanted to get the apogee mq200 but several orders fell through getting it to Australia and the Seneye is a lot cheaper. The only trouble is getting the readings to the computer. Now I have the 15m USB extension I can connect the tank to the desktop computer. A laptop would make life a lot easier (and cheaper).

 

[Skyjacker07]

I modified my ei too, I'm over stocked on fish, so I dose without kn03.

 

[Caliban07]

The reason you hear some people say you don't need to test when using EI (macros) is because a) there is no evidence of macro toxicity to plants or livestock b) you are providing unlimited macro nutrients if you follow the method and c) many believe hobby grade test kits are completely inaccurate.

Also everything is reset after a 50% water change.


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