jcgd Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 People always say to me (beginners): I don't want to do EI because it seems too complicated. I simply say, EI covers all your bases do you don't have to think about it. How are you going to figure out what you NEED to dose, without essentially doing EI (so you have perfectly healthy baseline) and backing off until you see a deficiency? You can't work up, or you wont know if the bad growth is from one nutrient lacking, or another. You could see a deficiency and it be caused by the lack of another nutrient causing limited uptake of the nutrient you think is deficient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 I never do understand why people say EI is too much work. People say to me, "I have to fertilize EVERY DAY?!" You feed your fish every day, whats wrong with feeding plants at the same time? "I have to change 50% EVERY WEEK?!" It's just good husbandry to do a WC every week. If you're using a hose instead of buckets (anyone with a tank bigger than 10g should make that investment), it really isn't any extra work. So, with no real effort, EI gives you amazing results! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishclubgirl Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 Umm, for some of us technophobes(I can't even follow Ikea instructions)), not a good idea.... and I thought EI was when you didn't have a job. Knowing my luck, I'd blow something up.... :boom: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 I can understand how the technology of a hose and tiny spoons can be daunting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesbarr Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 hey i dont get it. whats ei? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishclubgirl Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 I can understand how the technology of a hose and tiny spoons can be daunting. I can't even figure out how the ikea tools work???? Plus, I have 18 tanks, over 200 bettas, a cat, and sometimes a bf... Would rather be golfing than measuring out ferts... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cainechow Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 I can't even figure out how the ikea tools work???? Plus, I have 18 tanks, over 200 bettas, a cat, and sometimes a bf... Would rather be golfing than measuring out ferts... Do you do ferts at all now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 The Estimative Index (EI) method of fertilizing isn't for every tank. It's only for high light tanks w (preferably pressurized) CO2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishclubgirl Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 I can't even figure out how the ikea tools work???? Plus, I have 18 tanks, over 200 bettas, a cat, and sometimes a bf... Would rather be golfing than measuring out ferts... Do you do ferts at all now? Yes... and I have 8 or 9 tanks that I'm running non pressurised CO2 on. I use liquid ferts and whenever I find a sale, I stock up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smellyfish Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 jason, yes those little spoons r very intimadating, they confuse me immensly, thats sarcasm, u gave me the fertilizers & proportions to use, very easy, to follow & understand,if i can read & understand what & how much to fertilize, then anyone can, & the plants love it, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcgd Posted June 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 EI stands for estimative index. It's a method of dosig fertilizer where you dose enough so that all the needed ferts for plants are in excess of what they will use. You do a 50% water change once a week to reset the levels. It's pretty much fool proof to make sure you don't stund your plants. Most people with any aftermarket light fixture have lots of light, so I you use EI all that's really left for you to screw up is co2. Ferts don't cause algae. Light and lack of co2 cause algae, due to stunting plant growth and allowing algae to take hold. Step one: find container of ferts under stand. Step two: level off a measuring spoon. (if you've ever made pancakes or taken cough syrup, you are good to go) Step three: invert measuring spoon OVER the aquarium where it will land IN the water. Ferts on a glass top won't do anything. Repeat 6x per week. Or less if you like. EI isn't really only for high light tanks. But you can scale I back to about 50% for "low tech" setups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallisneria Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 EI is easy, pretty much the same as using liquid ferts. Just toss a scoop of dry ferts into the tank every day or so and do a water change at the end of the week(or I tend to go 10-14days). Nothing really complicated and its much cheaper when dosing big tanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcgd Posted June 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2012 Nothing really complicated and its much cheaper when dosing big tanks. It's actually quite incredible how much cheaper dry ferts are. It would cost me nearly $100 per month to dose my tank with flourish ferts. Instead, with dry, it's about $50 per year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishclubgirl Posted June 23, 2012 Report Share Posted June 23, 2012 jcgd... forget about those plants I'm giving you.... Next you're going to bring up growing plants "emersed" -01- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcgd Posted June 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2012 jcgd... forget about those plants I'm giving you.... Next you're going to bring up growing plants "emersed" -01- Pfft. Plants gotta eat too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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