New to EI method

Lightt

Junior Poster
May 27, 2016
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Hello,


I am new to the hobby (for about 5 months) and totally inexperienced with EI method.


Last week i made an iwagumi type aquarium with sizes 80 x 30 x 40. My lightning is 24w x 3 t5 daylight 6500,4000,6500k.


I planted aquarium since day 1 (cuba, ranunculus inundatus, pogostemon helferi, rotala rotundifolia, alternanthera reinecki) and everything in terms of growth seems pretty nice and fast.


My substrate is prodibio aquagrowth soil.


I started EI method since day 2 and yesterday i v noticed green dust/dot algae growth. I checked my water and i found 50 no3. So many for an aquarium with 7 days life and without fish and i really don't know how i got so high. Maybe those high numbers are the reason for this algae growth;


My real question is if i did right beginning EI method from day 2 or should i wait 20-25 days by doing only water changes. I am afraid the active soil is so new and needs frequent w/c before i start fertilizers.


Thank you in advane
 

Pikez

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May 12, 2013
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Hi Lightt - welcome! New clay soils have enough nutrients that you don't need much fertilizer for the first few weeks or months. Then you can begin adding potassium, iron, and trace elements. For now, just focus on water changes and optimizing CO2.


EI at the very beginning is a waste and adds instability. Let the talk mature for a month or so before you add nitrates.


It is normal to have several different types of algae in the beginning. This will go away if you keep cleaning, do water changes, and optimize CO2.


Don't fall in love with high light. Classic beginner mistake.
 

Lightt

Junior Poster
May 27, 2016
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Thank you Pikez!


The lfs told me the same. That i should wait for about 1 month by doing 2 w/c per week.


As for the lights, you are right.. Especially a beginner can easily gets into this trap. And i am new to the hobby.


Should i close the 1 bulb;


My lightning specs are 24w x 3 t5 ho , 6500 , 4000, 6500k. I have extremely fast growth, cuba almost closed all the gaps in 10 days and plants like rotala rotundifolia went up to the surface.


But i also have the algae growth issues (gda, gsa)


I am afraid that closing the 1 bulb will cause even more instability..


Ps. My aquarium citizens now are 8 cardinal tetra and in the next days i will add 4-5 otocinclus.
 

skija

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Add a general picture with the tank , helps better to see "whats inside"


GSA is manageable dosing more PO4 , Tom says that GDA should go away in 3-4 weeks if left alone .
 

Lightt

Junior Poster
May 27, 2016
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Excuse me for the photos resolution , i dont have a camera...just a breaking cellphone..


There are some plants you cant see like pogostemon helferi and ranunculus inundatus but i will come back with better photos when i find the right gadget:)


Aquariums life 11 days.


Ιn this photo only 1 bulb is open.


Thank you for the support
 
Last edited by a moderator:

AgMa

Junior Poster
May 30, 2016
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Pikez said:
Hi Lightt - welcome! New clay soils have enough nutrients that you don't need much fertilizer for the first few weeks or months. Then you can begin adding potassium, iron, and trace elements. For now, just focus on water changes and optimizing CO2.

EI at the very beginning is a waste and adds instability. Let the talk mature for a month or so before you add nitrates.


It is normal to have several different types of algae in the beginning. This will go away if you keep cleaning, do water changes, and optimize CO2.


Don't fall in love with high light. Classic beginner mistake.
Hi,


Could you please explain why it's mistake? If there is enough co2 what's the problem?


Or what could the right light be in his case? 1 bulb less?
 

Pikez

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May 12, 2013
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AgMa - it's a mistake because light is like the gas pedal. It speeds up the everything. You can keep up with the high nutrient consumption with EI ferts and big water changes. But CO2 becomes the bottle neck. Sooner rather than later.


Yes, it is possible to increase CO2. But this is a lot easier said than done. If you read the thousands of posts here and The Planted Tank forum, you will find that even expert hobbyists struggle to nail down CO2. It is not easy to apply a high and constant level of CO2 without fail. If you can, well, then you are not a beginner. The first sentence of the OP says he/she is new to the hobby, so I felt compelled to warn of a mistake too many beginners make. Frankly, even experience people fall into the spell of 'more light.' I mean, why not, right? It looks better. You can grow high-light plants. Plants grow faster. Better color. What's not to like about super high light? Light manufacturers are tripping all over themselves to get you to switch to their 'new brighter' lights.


It's all very tempting. I fell for it. Hard. I had my BML Dutch xB at or near 100% for a long time. It was not easy. Too many issues. When I turned it down to 50-60%, things got MUCH more stable. Now I'm at 30% strength and it is even easier.


With high light and high-ferts, you begin walking a tightrope. It is really easy to fall off and crash the tank. You'll be chasing your tail constantly trying to put out some fire. You THINK you have enough CO2. This is a frequent and bad assumption that virtually everyone makes. Never assume you're good on CO2.


When you have a high light tank, you are always at risk of being CO2 limited. This leads to funky algae issues, IME. When you're light limited, you can still get algae if you screw up, but a lot less. Life is just a lot simpler and more stable when you're light limited rather than CO2 limited.


I knew all of this. I still went for the bright lights. It's hard not to. You kinda have to make that mistake and learn the hard way.


However, there is one way out: build a massive and automated CO2 system (with professional help if you have to) that is so completely over-engineered and fantastic that a tank 3X your tanks' size can easily run on it. I have one of these systems. I can drop the pH of a 180-gal tank from 7 to 5.5 in about 20-30 minutes. But I don't crank it that hard - I take it slow to go easy on the fish. If you go high light, be prepared to have serious horsepower behind your CO2 system.


Now you know.
 

AgMa

Junior Poster
May 30, 2016
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What about if there are some medium light plants like alternanthera reineckii mini for example?


According to this, we need some extra lumens for plants like this.
 

Lightt

Junior Poster
May 27, 2016
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So in my case what should i do;


Ι mean plants like cuba needs high lightning. I understand your point and you are right. Sometimes , high lightning is a trap for the future. And yes i have algae blooms but probably are because of new tank.


What do you suggest for me; Closing the 1 bulb and running 2 x 24 w. Is this maybe not enough or 3 x24 is just too much;


Ι could probably use 1 grolux τ5 instead of the first daylight tube in order to decrease my lumen but i am afraid to do so because of the instability may occurs.


Guide me please, thank you :)


And about my setup above do you have any thoughts;


Thank you
 

skija

Lifetime Members
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I switched from Aquasky 601 to 2 x 24 T5 and its better , less light , less problems like Pikez suggested , go with 2 X 24 T5 6500 k if possible , raise up the lamp to 10-12 cm above the tank if you can .


Cuba will grow with 2 x 24 w in this tank.


Just add enough CO2 , i repeat add enough CO2 , and when you see plants are growing then add enough ferts , no3 po4 and traces .


If you have Excel , dose 2 ml per day , should help , or search on google "excel algae treatment" ,you will find enough info about excel and algae .
 

Lightt

Junior Poster
May 27, 2016
45
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Ok , i understand. As you can see growth in 10 days is very fast. Faster than i want to be.


Bulbs are for about 15 cm from the surface.


I have 2 6500k i can do this easily.


When you say enough co2; I rely on the dropchecker which is green. Maybe thats not enough;