# Tetra Easy Balance Water Change Conditioner



## Eugine Thomas (20 Feb 2015)

Does anybody know what this stuff actually is? How does it work? Is it safe?



> Easy Balance can replace the refreshing action of a water change. By using Easy Balance, you can reduce the frequency of water changes, to a minimum of once every 6 months. By reducing the number of stressful water changes, and adding essential elements to the aquarium, Easy Balance also helps to maintain improved fish condition. In addition, Easy Balance contains elements for encouraging healthy plant growth, and it actively reduces nitrate and phosphates, thus helping to control algae.


----------



## ian_m (20 Feb 2015)

Eugine Thomas said:


> and it actively reduces nitrate and phosphates,


Not good for plants then, need these two in reasonable quantities for plants to grow.



Eugine Thomas said:


> and it actively reduces nitrate and phosphates, thus helping to control algae.


Old wives tale. We know know nitrate and phosphate levels have nothing to do with algae growing.


----------



## Eugine Thomas (20 Feb 2015)

ian_m said:


> We know know nitrate and phosphate levels have nothing to do with algae growing.



I didn't know that: can you explain? I guess you need to have too much light before anything can happen; but I thought phosphate would fuel any algae outbreak to be the best it can be (in a cruel way for aquarists). I'm interested. Tell me more. Thanks.

What do you think it is; what's it actually doing?


----------



## Jose (20 Feb 2015)

Eugine Thomas said:


> Does anybody know what this stuff actually is? How does it work? Is it safe?
> Easy Balance can replace the refreshing action of a water change. By using Easy Balance, you can reduce the frequency of water changes, to a minimum of once every 6 months. By reducing the number of stressful water changes, and adding essential elements to the aquarium, Easy Balance also helps to maintain improved fish condition. In addition, Easy Balance contains elements for encouraging healthy plant growth, and it actively reduces nitrate and phosphates, thus helping to control algae.



No need to use these things, even if you want to believe their lies.


----------



## ian_m (20 Feb 2015)

High nitrate & phosphate levels do not cause algae in your tank (and pond and lake and river) contrary to what people believe.

If you are Estimative Index dosing you will be running your tank at 7ppm nitrate and 1ppm phosphate and hopefully if done right will be 100% algae free.

I once had a pump failure and dosed 1litre of EI solution into my tank giving nitrate of 230ppm and phosphate of 70ppm. Tank ran for days before I realised, fish not bothered, plants still grew and absolutely no sign of any algae.


----------



## Eugine Thomas (20 Feb 2015)

ian_m said:


> I once had a pump failure and dosed 1litre of EI solution into my tank giving nitrate of 230ppm and phosphate of 70ppm. Tank ran for days before I realised, fish not bothered, plants still grew and absolutely no sign of any algae.




...but if all the energy from your lights had not been used by your plants...then you'd have had an algae bloom (_and it would be worse if phosphate were present_). Surely.


----------



## Jose (20 Feb 2015)

The point is: High phosphates do not cause algae spikes (nor does any nutrient (except maybe ammonia)). Other things cause algae spikes like CO2 fluctuations, between many others. Once you already have algae in your tank then it is fed by nutrients in the water, so the more nutrients the faster algae grows. There is no easy way of giving the plants exactly what they consume, so the only option is to give them more. So you have to control algae through other methods, and not through nutrient limitation.


----------



## Eugine Thomas (20 Feb 2015)

Jose said:


> So you have to control algae through other methods, and not through nutrient limitation.



So what else is there to be concerned with in regard to algae control (other than lighting)? Carbon dioxide: why? I wouldn't want to fluctuate that anyway, but...

What other issues should I be aware of?


----------



## Paulo Soares (20 Feb 2015)

Eugine, 

You´re posting and posting and asking questions about this and that.. separately. 
I´m not following you. What is the purpose? Do you intend to start a tank? 
Why dont´you open a Thread with the purpose and all the questions?

If your purpose is to start a tank you shouldn´t be asking things isolated and mainly looking at them as if they act isolated. Everything in a tank works in harmony.

And i think you should also give a very good reading by topics (FERTlization, Light, etc) 

I think your ideas are a bit confused. (i read all your three threads)

Best regards


----------



## ian_m (20 Feb 2015)

These articles should answer your questions...
http://www.ukaps.org/index.php?page=ukaps-articles


----------



## ceg4048 (20 Feb 2015)

Eugine Thomas said:


> So what else is there to be concerned with in regard to algae control (other than lighting)? Carbon dioxide: why? I wouldn't want to fluctuate that anyway, but...
> 
> What other issues should I be aware of?


As Paulo mentions, check the Tutorial section of the forum.
You'll need to fundamentally re-program your perspective on algae. Plants and algae interact in a way that is completely different than what people have been led to believe, and that's why there is so much trouble.
Check this thread and the links contained in it. http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/can-someone-explain-rubisco-to-me.31443/

Cheers,


----------



## Eugine Thomas (20 Feb 2015)

ceg4048 said:


> As Paulo mentions, check the Tutorial section of the forum.
> You'll need to fundamentally re-program your perspective on algae. Plants and algae interact in a way that is completely different than what people have been led to believe, and that's why there is so much trouble.
> Check this thread and the links contained in it. http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/can-someone-explain-rubisco-to-me.31443/
> 
> Cheers,



Thanks for that article, "ceg4048". Interesting.


----------



## Eugine Thomas (20 Feb 2015)

I read those articles "ceg4048": has anyone experimented with developing a more efficient method for delivering the nutrients straight to the roots (and storing them there?); for example, what about using vermiculite? I use vermiculite fifty-fifty with soil; largely because it's excellent at storing nutrients for when the plants need them; it also has the benefit of lightening the soil so that you can add more substrate than usual (giving the plants a larger volume of soil for the roots to grow in), without causing anaerobic collapse.


----------



## ian_m (20 Feb 2015)

Eugine Thomas said:


> read those articles "ceg4048": has anyone experimented with developing a more efficient method for delivering the nutrients straight to the roots (and storing them there?); for example, what about using vermiculite?


Please read again, you are having a fundamental misunderstanding taking you down the path to disaster. With EI plants are already maxed out with nutrient supply and the uptake is limited by controlling the light. Yes you can use nutrient filled soil, if you want too, but wont gain much. The original research, by Tom Barr, showed what these levels were and is what EI is based upon.

Yes people have experimented with loads of different substrates (vermiculite floats ?) and in the end dosing the water column achieves the best, most reliable and measurable levels of aquatic plant feeding.


----------



## GlassWalker (21 Feb 2015)

Back on the original question, I did end up with a part bottle of the stuff when I bought a used tank in the past. I can't be sure of everything in it, but it does contain some KH source, and some "nitrate reducing" granules which didn't do anything of the sort when I tried it in both an empty test tank, as well as a fish only tank. It didn't hurt, but also didn't provide any obvious beneficial function other than an expensive KH source if you had bought it new.


----------



## Eugine Thomas (21 Feb 2015)

GlassWalker said:


> Back on the original question, I did end up with a part bottle of the stuff when I bought a used tank in the past. I can't be sure of everything in it, but it does contain some KH source, and some "nitrate reducing" granules which didn't do anything of the sort when I tried it in both an empty test tank, as well as a fish only tank. It didn't hurt, but also didn't provide any obvious beneficial function other than an expensive KH source if you had bought it new.



Thanks.


----------



## Eugine Thomas (21 Feb 2015)

ian_m said:


> Please read again, you are having a fundamental misunderstanding taking you down the path to disaster. With EI plants are already maxed out with nutrient supply and the uptake is limited by controlling the light. Yes you can use nutrient filled soil, if you want too, but wont gain much. The original research, by Tom Barr, showed what these levels were and is what EI is based upon.
> 
> Yes people have experimented with loads of different substrates (vermiculite floats ?) and in the end dosing the water column achieves the best, most reliable and measurable levels of aquatic plant feeding.



Okay. Thanks. This is new to me.

As for vermiculite floating: not if you treat it beforehand by saturating it with water (it will take a few days if you use water that is hot).


----------

