# EI DOSING cause of algae?



## Nue (Dec 27, 2009)

I have been battling BBA for well over a year on my 55 gallon. 
I have raised the lights, shortened the photo period, blackouts, excel, h202, and cranked the co2 as high as it can go. And the devil still returns!

Could it possibly be too much ferts. I follow the schedule religiously. And I'm not sure if my plants are using them all. Or it could just be NO3. I tested for Nitrate on the day I was suppose to add more, and before I added more it read very high. I started thinking this may be my issue. Fish is giving me most of the N03 i need, and I still dose full. Could High Nitrate cause algae in Freshwater? When all other parameters are met? Thanks All!


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## jmhart (Mar 14, 2008)

Well, Tom can chime in on experimental results.

For my part, I dose EI exclusively and have for several years now and have no issues with BBA that cannot be fixed by adjusting my lighting.

I know it's tough, but keep tweaking your lights: shoreter photoperiod, less intensity, raise the lights. You'll find the sweet spot.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

I dose 45ppm NO3 and 15ppm of PO4 a week to this tank and there's no issues with any algae, I've been selling this plant like hotcakes.

So if after 15 years or so of usage EI causes algae, I'm still trying to figure why I do not get it, nor 1000's of other do either.










In other words, EI is perhaps the most thoroughly vetted dosing method around.
But.........light and CO2 also play larger roles than mere dosing ferts.
Poor care and use with CO2 is the issue, perhaps too much light also helps make it harder.

BBA is always a CO2 related issue, better than any test kit FYI for CO2 issues.


Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

Nue said:


> I have been battling BBA for well over a year on my 55 gallon.
> I have raised the lights, shortened the photo period, blackouts, excel, h202, and cranked the co2 as high as it can go. And the devil still returns!
> 
> Could it possibly be too much ferts. I follow the schedule religiously. And I'm not sure if my plants are using them all. Or it could just be NO3. I tested for Nitrate on the day I was suppose to add more, and before I added more it read very high. I started thinking this may be my issue. Fish is giving me most of the N03 i need, and I still dose full. Could High Nitrate cause algae in Freshwater? When all other parameters are met? Thanks All!


I find it very interesting that posts like this never bring up tank maintenance. Organic build up is definitely one of the leading causes of almost all algae breakouts in my book. I have dosed heavy EI on some very thinly planted tanks even Iwagumi with almost no plant mass and have not been able to trigger an algae outbreak as long as I didn't overstock, didn't overfeed, kept up with water changes/filter cleaning and had a reasonable light duration schedule.


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## Nue (Dec 27, 2009)

Thank you all for the advice. I guess I have to play with the lights some more. CO2 is as high as it goes without the fish gasping. Seems like even a hair higher they start breathing hard.

Could I remove 1 bulb? 1x54w T5HO be enough for light? This tank was going good for a long time. I think that may have been because of the Frogbit I removed. However my ground covers never do good. And I thought thats because of light, or is it possibly algae? Even easy ground covers haven't been great. Like the Starougyne I got from Tom, didn't make it.


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