Zikofski

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hello peep's okay i am trying to find a fast growing plant the fastest out there sort of thing my idea is i want this plant to soak up all the excess nutrients in my tank, i dose EI method, i also inject co2 and have high light, I'm trying to minimise algae by limited excess nutrients to plants 
 
my tank comprises of
 
Echinodorus Ozelot
Echinodorus Reni
Nomaphila Stricta
Cryptocoryne legroi
Cryptocoryne costata
Cryptocoryne wendtii brown
Cryptocoryne petchii
Cryptocoryne bullosa
Cryptocoryne beckettii
Spiral Vali
Anubias barteri var. nana
Tropica Eleocharis sp. 'mini' (DHG)
 
​so what other fast growing plant i can't get all the plants in my tank at the moment don't seem to be growing fast enough
 
Stems like bacopa or floating plants like salvinia spring to mind.
Is it possible that your light is too strong for the plants you want to grow?
 
no i think its to do with a lack of ferts, and my lights are on for 6hr a day slowly increasing it back up,  but I've been reading up on EI and some people have recorded growth on days they dose micro (trace) but he was instructed to dose everyday so i shall try the same as i also see my plants grow only on days with trace added
 
i am reluctant to add floating plants as this will reduce the light to the plants below and you can't have to much light, the more light u have just means the more ferts and more co2 u need just trying to find this balance 
 
You can have too much light, and that will cause algae too (if the light is more intense than what will balance the nutrients) just the same as the opposite, more nutrients than what the light can balance.  Of if some nutrient is missing.
 
The idea behind EI, as I understand it from Tom Barr, is to overdose nutrients, then do a major water change to remove what isn't used, before algae can take advantage.  But the light and CO2 has to be sufficient (but not moreso) to balance.
 
To your initial question on fast-growing plants, these include the stem plants and floating plants.  In your listed plants, there is only one stem plant, Nomaphila stricta, whose true name is Hygrophila stricta as this was the first valid name given to the species.  This is a very fast growing plant, so it's growth/appearance should be something of an indicator as to conditions in your tank.
 
Byron.
 
my understanding of the EI method is, you reach a peak with light and once you reach this peak you will not get any more growth for plants and thus the EI method was created based on maximum light, so there for ferts would not be a limiting factor, light would not be a limiting fact which only leaves co2, which is also why co2 is almost always the cause for algae. 
 
interesting as the plant you mentioned i have (Nomaphila stricta) was fast growing but it was faster before i trimmed it, now its slower what would cause this? i have had Hygrophila Guanensis before in a previous tank and i loved this plant may get that as that was also a fast growing plant but the thing that is surprising me is my crypts i thought these would be fast growing, again they where but have stopped? my swords seem to be growing to but i can't track how quickly its growing again also my valli seem to be growing but slowly, i can't seem to crack valli i love it but the only time I've had valli grow well is when i went on holiday for 4 months and i didn't dose ferts/co2 and the tank was never cleaned or had a wc dosnt make any sense
 
Just to be sure we are on the same page, my previous comments about light and nutrients were general, not specifically aimed at a particular method.  In other words, to achieve optimum plant growth without algae issues there must be a specific light intensity (specific to the plant species as they differ) that is balanced by nutrient availability again sufficient for the plant species.  Nutrients being 17 which includes carbon (CO2).
 
I gather the crypts are melting, from the other thread I just saw and posted in, and I suggest possible causes there.  First being the intense light, second the excess nutrients.
 
I'm sorry I can only be rather general in my suggestions.  I have no experience with high-tech EI systems, but the principles are no different than those of any planted aquarium.  It is all a degree of balance at whatever level one employs.
 
Byron.
 
my plants was melting has stopped and i think as i specified in your post on my other thread that crypts are septic to melting and one thing is temp the temp had been high 28/29c and then dropped to my normal temp of 23 so i think thos melt was caused by the increase in temp be it a little delayed. but i have 14x 3W led so i dont have stupid ampunt of ligjt i can garentee light is not an issue nstability with ferts maybe been away for a few days so maybe that cpuld be why
 

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