EI journal

[nodding_dino]

those gremlins get everywhere

 

[George Farmer]

The EI bug is spreading. Excellent.

 

[jimboliana]

Nodding Dino and Houndour,

A great post after speaking to George he advised me to go 'EI' and as i have not started my tank just yet i am reading up on it so i can start from the begining.

I have got my KNO3 (Potassium Nitrate) and my KH2PO4 (Potassium Phosphate) and with the help of all you guys and girls i will be going down the 'EI' route for my tank.

I have the links for Chucks dosing and read the Tom Barr report and a couple of other bits and bobs

I must ask where everyone gets there meausring equipment from and what else you will need i.e. 500ml bottle, mixing becon, measuring syringe/jug, electronic scales etc?

Do the above disolve ok in water?

I got Essex and Suffolk Water to send me a report on my water which does not list all perameters but does the following as well as alot of others:

Iron 18.690ugFe/l
Nitrate 15.684mgNO3/l
Nitrite <0.001mgNO2/l
Ammonium <0.019 mgNH4/l

The levels above are mean readings

Anyway keep up the good work everyone as i am now getting to grips with it all

Thankyou

Jim

 

[jimboliana]

One other thing, anyone know of good test kits for Phosphate and Nitrate and what measurments they go down to, i was looking at these two, anyone know if they would be any good?
http/www.hannainst.co.uk/acatalog/HI_383...e_test_kit.html
http/www.hannainst.co.uk/acatalog/HI_387...e_test_kit.html

Jim

 

[nodding_dino]

OK - I'm about to make a once in a lifetime offer...!!!

My poor old Dalmation recently passed away and although that in itself is not of much use to anyone, we used to have to add a vitamin syrup to his dinner...the bottles of syrup each came with a 10ml dosing syringe. Just a plastic tube inside a plastic tube...but marked up in 1ml increments. Although not marked, you could quite easily be as accurate as .5ml (possibly more) if required.

I have had a root around the kitchen drawer and found 4 of them, I will keep one, but if any of you would like one of the remaining three, let me know and I'll pop one in the post to you!

how nice am I eh...

 

[RYO]

Boots sell syringes for about 60p

 

[nodding_dino]

ah...didn't realise they were so easy to come by! )

Offer stands.

 

[iggy01]

The EI bug is spreading. Excellent.

[snapback]854200[/snapback]​

Yes it is gf!

And isn't Zig doing a fantastic job!

 

[houndour]

wow, lots of replies since lunch time. I've just ordered KNO3 and KH2PO4. I decided against K2SO4 purely cos I'm a bit skint.

Weighing scales are going to have to go on hold too and I'll get myself a cheap set of measuring spoons from the pound shop.

Nodding Dino, have you ordered your chemicals yet?
And did you hear back from water board?

I must ask where everyone gets there meausring equipment from and what else you will need i.e. 500ml bottle, mixing becon, measuring syringe/jug, electronic scales etc?

Do the above disolve ok in water?

Well my electric scales are broke (and I swore next time I got new ones I'd get good ones - last one was £20...get what you pay for eh?) anyway, I'm a bit skint at the mo as mentioned above, so I'm going to use just measuring spoons (not a teaspoon, cos thats not accurate) but the proper set of plastic spoons...they normally come in 1ml, 2ml, 5ml etc sizes.

Zig said just use a 500ml bottle of water. if you have kids don't forget to label it!) and he also suggested distilled water or RO water to make up the solution.

I was just going to put the powder in the bottle then pour the RO water in and shake it all up! lol. Then I am just going to use a measuring vial I have from an old test kit that goes up in ml.

Test kits...I personally use API for nitrates (and nitrites, ammonia, pH, kH, GH...) and I have Hagen Iron and Phosphate kit. I think the phosphate kit is crap cos the 3rd bottle never drips the one drop its sposed to. And apparently all iron test kits are really unreliable. But the way I look at it, if there is absolutely no iron then the test would remain clear (which it did before I started dosing with iron).

Zig, I would just like to say thank you for all your help so far. It's appreciated

Just to let you know, my 2 CO2 nutrafin units are both up and running, my CO2 tested at 16ppm tonight. It was about 11ppm yesterday I think. And my plants are pearling and the algae hasn't grown back as quick So i'm heading in the right direction.

//edit

My poor old Dalmation recently passed away and although that in itself is not of much use to anyone, we used to have to add a vitamin syrup to his dinner...the bottles of syrup each came with a 10ml dosing syringe. Just a plastic tube inside a plastic tube...but marked up in 1ml increments. Although not marked, you could quite easily be as accurate as .5ml (possibly more) if required.

Sorry to hear about your dog Thanks for offering your syringes. I'm happy just using a measuring vial.

 

[smithrc]

its caught me at the right time to....

 

[nodding_dino]

Nodding Dino, have you ordered your chemicals yet?
And did you hear back from water board?

just about to, and no, not yet, hopefully they'll ring back tomorrow!

I'm going to use just measuring spoons (not a teaspoon, cos thats not accurate) but the proper set of plastic spoons...they normally come in 1ml, 2ml, 5ml etc sizes.

I think thats a great idea...I will search for some measuring spoons over the weekend!

Test kits...I personally use API for nitrates (and nitrites, ammonia, pH, kH, GH...) and I have Hagen Iron and Phosphate kit.

I also use the API master kit, and will be getting a phosphate test kit over the wekend...so all being well will be ready to go early next week!

Zig, I would just like to say thank you for all your help so far. It's appreciated

a big pat on the back from me too Zig...and I bet there are plenty of people using your advice just by reading these threads as well!

 

[zig]

One other thing, anyone know of good test kits for Phosphate and Nitrate and what measurments they go down to, i was looking at these two, anyone know if they would be any good?
http/www.hannainst.co.uk/acatalog/HI_383...e_test_kit.html
http/www.hannainst.co.uk/acatalog/HI_387...e_test_kit.html

Jim

[snapback]854232[/snapback]​

Hiya jimboliana

They look quite expensive, they look very expensive, basically i just use the API test kits, i dont know how many tests you would get out of those kits, they seem to use satchets with powder in them, which seems a bit messy, the normal kits you just fill a small test tube with 5ml of tank or tap water depending on your test and add the appropriate amount of drops from the supplied bottle, and give it a shake to mix it and wait a few minutes for it to change colour, its really simple.

The nitrate kit could be a bit better, it could go in smaller increments, but i dont think any of them do, not to my knowledge anyway, but you can guesstimate the correct level, anyway they are cheap and i have found them ok to use for this purpose, the phosphate kits are fine, no problems with them, you probably will have to get the phosphate test kit online as i dont think many lfs stock them but the nitrate kits are readily available in any lfs.

You will get them both HERE

You may also need a Kh and a Ph test kit if your setup doesnt measure these for you (for the pressurised co2 i mean) im not sure how that works with the Ph controller, but i would imagine it wouldnt measure your Kh, anyway just something to bear in mind if you are ordering online.

 

[nodding_dino]

Potassium nitrate (KNO3) and Potassium phosphate (KH2PO4) both ordered!

 

[zig]

eh thanks guys.....i feel all embarressed ) but hopefully im explaining it ok, if anybody else wants to jump in and add more, feel free, im sure there will be bits and pieces i will forget or overlook, hopefully this is a learning process for everybody, me included, so all contributions are very welcome from anybody else.

Im going away tomorrow for a few days and will be back on tuesday or wednesday so hopefully gf will be around if you guys get stuck, but your chemicals might not arrive until early next week anyway.

hondour i just checked your calculations on the calculator and they are spot on, so i guess the only difficulty is auctually measureing the amounts, i dont remember having any difficulty dissolveing the chemicals in the water so that should be easy, and i think your correct to forget about the K2SO4 you might have never used it and it probably would have been a waste of money.

Also dont forget you need some thing to supply the Micronutrients or trace elements (i know i know more money, but at least you should allready have this) any decent general purpose liquid fertiliser, good ones would include the following, Kent Botanic Grow, API Leaf Zone, Waterlife Tropiflora, Seachem Flourish, but whatever you have been useing up to now im sure will be fine.

 

[nodding_dino]

houndour..as if we haven't read enough...I found this and thought it was quite interesting! I finally understand the maths behind the 50% water changes...

apologies if you've all seen it before!

PS - keep up the great work Zig, and have nice few days away!