1st try at planting!

[eklikewhoa]

With most case scenario I try and suggest the easier methods of dealing with the problem which requires less explaining on my behalf and easier to understand on the end users.

[digitallinh]

Word of disclaimer- I'm on my phone.

I don't think the article is suggesting limiting any of the NPKs to reduce algae, actually quite the opposite.

At the end of the day, I agree somewhat, light excess of what your plants can consume is what causes algae -- imbalance. Balance is the key to it all, but excess nutrients in the absence of excess light will not be a conducive environment for algae growth.

The key to the entire EI dosing strategy is making sure your plants consume 100% of the available light by not limiting any other nutrients. I spoon into my tanks massive amounts of NPKs, and rarely do I have an algae problem (some minor GSA and small blots of BBA, but nothing major). I'm on my third tank, one high light high tech, one mid light excel and a low tech ebi, and I've never had an outbreak, maybe it's luck but maybe it's having light be the limiting nutrient.

So, imo make sure light is your limiting nutrient.

We're way off topic here, and i dont want to take over this thread with another EI vs not thread, but I think this is all really important, especially for someone who is just starting. Doing homework now will save you alot of time later. I just started a few months into planted tanks, actually into tanks period and there's a ton of trial and error that has already been well documented by hobbyist the Internet over. Why reinvent the wheel?

One thing you can quickly turn into results is reducing your photoperiod towards the neighborhood of 8 hours instead of 10.

[madehtsobi]

thanks for all the advice guys...

going to readjust the timers and just leave the algae on the rocks for now and go from there..

[eklikewhoa]

Agree the EI method is a whole new beast, but to keep it all at bay with EI you are suppose to do big water changes at the end of your week to remove any excess so it would be similiar to dosing as needed versus the EI which is dose to excess to keep it simple and provide what's needed and not be lacking anything.

[digitallinh]

Yeah, I spam EI on all of my tanks (all adjusted for light levels) since water changes don't bother me.

I do check my nitrate levels pretty often and that seems to be the dosing you need to adjust for the sake of fish. My high tech tank actually has no fish in it since I tend to keep my nitrates pretty high there. Haven't really put much thought into that tank.

If you have not been here -- petalphile.com (net?), I believe is a really nice nutrient calculator, I think he has the GLA bottles in it.

[madehtsobi]

yeh i never really understood those calculators...

pretty much i just used 2oz water with like 1/32 tsp or less i think of the macros and mixed those together and just pretty much dose a tiny bit.

[eklikewhoa]

On my old planted I dosed to extremes and never was able to get KN03 to register on test kits. That tank was a 20g with 96wPC and on my MiniM I ran a 70w MH and dosed to the point it was more work trying to keep up with dosing.

[digitallinh]

Which test kits? That's interesting, I never actually logged my plant uptake vs nitrate dosing, but that tank registers nitrates in the 40ppm levels without livestock!

[eklikewhoa]

Believe multiple API and elos test kit.

I tested before when I had more time and more intrigued by the method and would test after water change, mid week and before water change. Sometimes before and after photo-period aft the day it was dosed.

I did a refugium in my last tropheus tank with red mangroves and that tank hardly registered on the test kits as well but I credit that more to the algae I allowed to grow in the tank along with 2x weekly 80-100% water changes.

[eklikewhoa]

yeah pretty much what i said it would be. if you shale your plants on the water, it turns green.

hydrogen peroxide will do the trick as it will kill all bacteria and clean it good.

I think the people over at TPT might be referring to dosing the tank with H202 straight into the wwater column which would then suffocate the algae.

[R_sustaita]

well at first we were thinking to remove the rock and clean it with h2o2 by it self.

[madehtsobi]

yeh the peeps at tpt said to leave it alone and if anything to use h2o2 directly into the tank but i dont think i wanna dose anything into the tank. rather take it out

[R_sustaita]

i am with you on that one. i would not feel comfortable doing it.

[madehtsobi]

just got these in!!

Erios parkeri


Fissidens
Pellia
Riccia


Woohoo!!!

[eklikewhoa]

Erios = baller