Not so good start with EI

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Jean- Michel Touche

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Nov 17, 2017
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Hi
I have recently starting the EI method, but so far not so good. I really believe in it and I am keen to find out what I am doing wrong so that I can use EI at work and at home
I set up a 60l tank about 2 months ago
And started to get some green spot algae on anubias. I thought it was a lack of phosphate so I started adding seachem phosphorous. The green spot algae disappeared but I started to have a little bit of fuzz algae
After checking I realised my nitrate was 0,
Also found out at the same time the EI method and went to buy the all set of Ada fertilisers as I thought it must come from a lack of fertilisers . No need to say that they are really expensive fertilisers and I was adding a lots . I then decided to buy dry fertilisers from aquarium plant food Uk
And starting dosing seachem equilibrium to raise my GH to 3 as I use RO water my kh is very low but I like it like that for plants like tonina. Also dosing trace elements, KNO3 and KH2PO4.
I have reduced CO2 to 3 bubbles a sec as I had to trim all plants really low to get rid of algae but will increase it as the plants grow.
I also have Ada light 150w metal halides on 60l so really strong light on for 9hrs
I am now starting to have fuzz algae
I am pretty sure I have enough fertilisers and maybe even too much. Enough co2
So my questions are
Is it possible I’ve added too much fertilisers as I have trimmed all the plants and they need a certain time to regrow?
Have I got too much light?
Or can you see anything I am doing wrong?
The EI make sense for me so I will not rest till I found out what I am doing wrong and any help would be really appreciated.
I have added a pic with the tank before I trimmed all the plants and as you can see it’s covered with algae
I will upload a pic after cleaning and trimming the plant to show that the bio mass has been really reduced and maybe I have to much fertilisers

630500FA-AECB-4B39-A192-599B68F5F5B8.jpeg
 

slipfinger

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Jul 23, 2016
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Hi.

9 hours of light is too much. I'd drop that to around 6 hours to start and see how things respond.

Do not play with Co2. Once you have it set and running consistent don't mess with it. Fluctuating Co2 levels is a sure why to get algae.

How do you know your Co2 is 'good'?

You didn't mention anything about water changes?

As for nutrients, are you dosing full EI levels? With the amount of plants in your tank I'd start by dosing 1/3 EI and again watch how the plants respond.

In the end its always best to start slow and ramp things up, if you see issues you can correct them very easy by dropping things back down again.
 
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Phishless

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Jul 13, 2017
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Hi
I set up a 60l tank about 2 months ago

I have reduced CO2 to 3 bubbles a sec as I had to trim all plants really low to get rid of algae but will increase it as the plants grow.

I also have Ada light 150w metal halides on 60l so really strong light on for 9hrs
Have I got too much light?

60l is like 15 gallons, small tank.
CO2 creates how much pH drop? BPS doesn't mean much.

150w metal halides??? as in 2-150 lamps, for 9 hours.
I only run a 6.5 hour photoperiod on all my tanks.
Seems like a lot of light to me.
How much PAR @ substrate?

Not a lot of plant mass would not require a full EI dose either.
 
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