# EI vs PPS



## Homer_Simpson (Apr 2, 2007)

For those that have tried both methods(EI and PPS) of fertilizing, what are your experiences? If I understand right, EI's view is to saturate the tank with lots of fertilizer, plants will use the fertilizer up quickly, outcompete algae, and 50% weekly water changes will ensure that excess is removed and tank is reset. PPS focus is on providing minute fertilizer daily with the view that plants can better utilize and process minute quantities of fertilizer daily. Healthy plant growth and lack of excess nutrients should prevent formation of algae. And with PPS-Pro the view is that water changes are not necessary given fertilizer being used is so small and likely to be all used up. Two dramatically different ways of fertilizing which should show different outcomes.


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## JamesC (Jul 26, 2005)

Having lurked on this forum for quite a while I thought I'd start to make a contribution. Having only just started to dose PPS-Pro I can't comment on it too much but I have been using Estimative Index for a couple of years now and have had great success with it. The fish are 2-3 years old and the cherry shrimp are 1 year plus and breeding like mad. Plant growth has been fast and colourful with very little in the way of algae problems. EI is about supplying a slight excess of nutrients of what the plants take up and the weekly 50% water change is there just to prevent any large buildup. It seems that as long as the plants are happy then the ever present algae will not release spores and become a problem. Excess nutrients in the water column I've found have no effect on algae growth. It's not about trying to get plants to outcompete algae for nutrients, but to give them want they want. How can plants outcompete when then nutrients are always available? The one hard part about EI is CO2 which has to be at high levels during the whole of the photoperiod and where a lot of people have problems, especially if they have high light.

I've decided I now want a change and PPS-Pro seems to have a lot to offer. I particularly like the idea of slowing plant growth down and lower CO2 levels which to be truthful my fish do seem to prefer. PPS-Pro seems to be about supplying plants what they need rather than what they can take in and having a much leaner water column in the process. Even though water changes aren't required with PPS-Pro I am a big fan of them and shall continue to do them. The one area I think I'm going to notice a big change is in plant colour. Under EI I ran my phosphates quite high which created some lovely reds, but I've already noticed under PPS-Pro that their colours are already fading.

Once I've been running PPS-Pro for a couple of months I report back on how I've found things. If anyone wants to take a look at my current setup then the link is in my signature..

James


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## Edward (May 25, 2004)

JamesC said:


> The one area I think I'm going to notice a big change is in plant colour. Under EI I ran my phosphates quite high which created some lovely reds, but I've already noticed under PPS-Pro that their colours are already fading.
> 
> James


 Hi 
Some previously red plants grow shades of green in proper conditions because they are not real red plants. The reason why these plants grew red was a stress. Real red plants grow even redder and more beautiful in good conditions. 

Thank you
Edward


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## gf225 (Mar 26, 2005)

Edward said:


> Hi
> Some previously red plants grow shades of green in proper conditions because they are not real red plants. The reason why these plants grew red was a stress. Real red plants grow even redder and more beautiful in good conditions.
> 
> Thank you
> Edward


So EI "stresses" the plants into being red?


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## Edward (May 25, 2004)

Yes, that's quite often the case because dosing dry chemicals by spoons is extremely inaccurate. Also frequent water changes add poisons dosed by city water works departments. And people experimenting and modifying it to overcome the inaccuracy of some routines.


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## mhoy (Jun 12, 2007)

Having now reached saturation on reading on EI and PPS-Pro, I'm ready to try one of them (after ordering some dry chemicals that is). 

My aim is not the fastest growing plants, but a fish tank that is thriving with more time to enjoy it. Given that I'm somewhat lazy, the fish tank is in the study, the PSS-Pro seems to be a lot easier to do. For EI the thought of lugging 12 gallons of water to/from the tank, getting the pH/temp/etc on the replacement water seems more likely to introduce error than a simple addition to the tank of what is missing.

BTW: The idea of eventually using a dosing pump is right down my alley.


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