Aquarium Fertilisers - The Estimative Index Method (EI) By Nigel Davenport
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Tuesday, November 4, 2008 |
With the current tight credit, we are all looking for ways to save money. It is of course no less a problem for those who keep fish and shells planted. Most, if not all types of bottles aquarium plant foods are made up of what is essentially water, and as a guardian of fish I'm sure you're probably well on water changes and so therefore not really need to pay these guys £ 8 or more for 250ml of water!
Perhaps the easiest way is to use the "index method estimated" or the method of EI, originally designed by Tom Barr.
The way we use EI is the method for determination of nutrients in the form of dry salts (basic chemicals that many owners are made from).
We will give the plants a bit more than the nutrients they can use over a period of 7 days, and do it in such away as not to encourage algae.
The key to the success of the method of the index are estimated as follows: --
Good lighting - anywhere up to 6 watts / gallon is a good thing. (Beyond 6 is not necessary) A heavily planted tank - You want the greatest number of plants using nutrient that you can from the outset. Consistency - This is not generally an excess of nutrients that cause algae problems is an imbalance that allows him to become a problem. CO2 - Although not strictly a key to the success of the employment insurance system, it is often the key to the rapid growth of plants, especially if one considers the many levels of light not only increase the 'absorption of nutrients, but also emissions of CO2 in the reservoir becoming exhausted in May, again causing an imbalance.
The best way to fix this is the injection of CO2 gas cylinder, yeast reactor or perhaps by adding a supplement such as Excel Seachem Flourish
Nutrients
Aquarium plant nutrients are generally divided into two categories.
Macro nutrients, composed of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K)
Trace elements (often referred to as micro-nutrients), composed of iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), among others
The way the system estimated index adds these nutrients is through the introduction of potassium nitrate (KNO3) and Monopotassium phosphate (potassium dihydrogen phosphate) (KH2PO4), trace elements are usually added as a pre - powder.
Extra nutrients are often treated as follows:
Potassium sulfate (K2SO4) a possible lack of potassium is suspected and adding additional phosphorus / nitrogen through KNO3 or KH2PO4 would be harmful.
Iron (II) sulfate (ferrous sulfate) (Fe (II) SO4) is sometimes added that if certain plants are eager to iron present and he is suspected of iron (Fe) in the mixture trace is not enough
How dose Performing the following rounds in 7 days
10 - 20 U.S. gallon tank (38-76 l)
1 / 8 v. Tea KNO3 (Day 1,3,5)
1 / 32 v. Tea KH2PO4 (Day 1,3,5)
1 / 32 v. Tea Trace (Day 2,4,6)
50% water change (Day 7)
20 - 40 U.S. gallon tank (76 - 152 l)
1 / 4 c. Tea KNO3 (Day 1,3,5)
1 / 16 v. Tea KH2PO4 (Day 1,3,5)
1 / 16 v. Tea Trace (Day 2,4,6)
50% water change (Day 7)
40 - 60 U.S. gallon tank (152 - 227 l)
1 / 2 c. Tea KNO3 (Day 1,3,5)
1 / 8 v. Tea KH2PO4 (Day 1,3,5)
1 / 8 v. Tea Trace (Day 2,4,6)
50% water change (Day 7)
60 - 80 U.S. Gallon Tank (227 - 303 l)
3 / 4 c. Tea KNO3 (Day 1,3,5)
3 / 16 v. Tea KH2PO4 (Day 1,3,5)
1 / 4 c. Tea Trace (Day 2,4,6)
50% water change (Day 7)
100 - 125 U.S. Gallon Tank (380 - 473 l)
V. 1-5 Tea KNO3 (Day 1,3,5)
1 / 2 c. Tea KH2PO4 (Day 1,3,5)
1 / 2 c. Tea Trace (Day 2,4,6)
50% water change (Day 7)
Nigel Davenport and writing blogs online Fluidsensor
Visit the blog Fluidsensor for more information on the nutrition of food plants or look here for more articles!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nigel_Davenport |
posted by neptunus @ 5:25 PM
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