Inconsistent Ei Numbers.

[ian]

Firearms is right, even Tom Barr will now suggest that the water changes are to remove excess ammonia, organic and sugars that the plants will produce in a high tech tank. It isn't for resetting the system. As you mentioned, the point of EI is to over fertilise, and in a low tech system, you're not gonna get the amount of rubbish produced in a high tech system. Hence why you can get away with less frequent water changes. You would not be able to get away with that in a high energy system.

 

[SO19Firearms]

you haven't seen my low tech then lol. It doesn't run any slower then my high tech,

I can honestly say it does, without seeing it. It's just numbers. If you have lower light and lower CO2 it cant run as fast, the numbers wouldn't add up. - you've proved it yourself by only changing the water once a month

If you load the tank then you get algae.

That reads as the ferts cause algae, which isn't true. (Sorry if I read that wrong though)

That the same reason we do water changes to reset things an make sure any excess fertilizers at the end of the week are removed.

There isn't such a thing as excess fertilisers* so that can't be the reason for a water change






*Well, there's more than the plants can actually use, but as I've said, if it were simply that we could just not dose the next week to save money....

 

[Mikaila31]

Well we agree to disagree then . My low tech has almost the same light levels as my high techs. If you go by WPG my lowest tech tank actually beats my high tech tanks. Compared to my 20 high tech and my 15 low tech the 15 definitely has about twice the growth rate. Its fine without water changes as long as you trim it regularly otherwise circulation drops a lot and the plants start killing each other.

 

[FishFanatic04]

Could you guys please help me diagnose the problems I'm having with my plants?

I have t-5 lighting, 2 bulbs, one pink roseate. 8 hours a day. Should I adjust? I have been dosing EI for a week. And Seachem Excel. I have been following the dose on the bottle. Something is lacking somewhere. It's hard to believe that its ferts because of the way EI works. I've probably answered my own question, but do you think its the carbon? I'll have a hard time dosing more in the long run...Its a 46g tank. Could you recommend the dosage I should try please? Here's some pics of my anacharis which is making me cringe. It was so lush and green just 2 weeks ago. Its a terrible sight now. There are issues with the rest of the plants as well...the moneywort is re-absorbing, crypts are going transparent, the only thing that is happy is my anubis, Which is loving life and brilliant deep green.

Here are some hastily taken pics.

 

[ainsy]

Do you have sufficient light?

If so then I would try upping the carbon (in the short term this will mean increasing the dose of excel - but you may struggle with this long term and find it more economical to investigate using co2)