need nitrates?

[NewObsession]

For whatever reason, it came to my attention that nitrates supply nitrogen to plants, so I tested my tank and found my nitrates are under 5ppm, maybe even 0 and that's 5 days after last w/c. So I started thinking I needed to dose nitrates ( nit4rogen?) I now realize that plants get nitrogen from Ammonia. What I am wondering is ...
If my nitrates are 0, doesn that mean plants are using all available ammonia AND nitrates and I should dose nitrogen?
Also, out of pure curiousity as I learn.... If plants are using the ammonia, does that mean there is less available for ben. bacteria colony and hence it will actually get smaller and therefore by suddenly removing plants you risk an ammonia spike?

[Mgamer20o0]

if your at 0 you should be adding ferts.
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1257519&postcount=2

[fishorama]

That's a nice summary, thanks mg. Should be a sticky, please (or is it? oops?).

[Cory Keeper]

yes, add nitrates. I'm in that situation now, and the plants are starting to die on me.

[grannylvsfish]

ok, I tested and my tank has 0 nitrates ! I tested last week and it was 5 now zero? I have java moss and java fern in my tank. I need ferts? what kind do I need to go buy?
I only have one big wad of java moss and 1 tiny fern.
Tank is 0 amonia and 0 nitrites
29 gallon tank.. 1 fire mouth in it.

[Cory Keeper]

3 options, remove the java moss, I have found this stuff likes to suck up nitrates, and if you have alot of it (I.E. a big wad) you will soon be left with none. Since you only have 1 fish, and its not an Oscar, that would be why you have 0 nitrates.

Option 2 would be add dry ferts, Rex Grigg has great prices on dry ferts http://www.bestaquariumregulator.com/

Option 3 do nothing, Your best option at this present moment, until you get more plants, nothing would be a good course.

This article is good for showing if you need to start dosing ferts. http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_nutrient.htm

[Mgamer20o0]

That's a nice summary, thanks mg. Should be a sticky, please (or is it? oops?).

its in the new plant sticky.
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=136668

[grannylvsfish]

its in the new plant sticky.
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=136668

I am either to stupid, or to old to understand one thing that page tells me. it was like looking at how to make a rocket to send to the moon. all I need to know is what bottle or brand of ferts to buy for my tank.

[Cory Keeper]

Taken directly from the Rex Grigg ferts dosing page found here.

http://www.bestaquariumregulator.com/dosing.html

Mix 1 tablespoon (16.8 grams) with 250 ml of water.
1 ml of this solution will give you 1.08 ppm of nitrates and 0.54 ppm of potassium in 10 gallons of water.

¼ teaspoon (1.4 grams) will add 22.5 ppm of nitrates and 14.26 ppm of potassium to 10 gallons of water.


I've just ordered from him and wish I had gotten some Iron too, but the ferts page is here.
http://www.bestaquariumregulator.com/ferts.html

[TKOS]

I am either to stupid, or to old to understand one thing that page tells me. it was like looking at how to make a rocket to send to the moon. all I need to know is what bottle or brand of ferts to buy for my tank.


For your tank I would add nothing. Adding ferts is really important when you have lots of plants and they are growing fast. Java moss and fern are not fast growing plants. They are using the available nitrates in your tank (trust me there are some) and that is why your tests show next to zero. That is good for you and your plant load right now. If you decide to get more plants and they are fast growers then it may be time to decide to add fertilizers. But then you really need to look at the quality of lighting in your tank and also decide whether or not you want to add CO2 as well. The is really important when adding stem plants like water sprite, hygro, etc.. that suck up tons of nutrients really fast and then die off.

[grannylvsfish]

For your tank I would add nothing. Adding ferts is really important when you have lots of plants and they are growing fast. Java moss and fern are not fast growing plants. They are using the available nitrates in your tank (trust me there are some) and that is why your tests show next to zero. That is good for you and your plant load right now. If you decide to get more plants and they are fast growers then it may be time to decide to add fertilizers. But then you really need to look at the quality of lighting in your tank and also decide whether or not you want to add CO2 as well. The is really important when adding stem plants like water sprite, hygro, etc.. that suck up tons of nutrients really fast and then die off.

I have water lettuce coming for this tank, and I am not sure but isn't this going to also suck up the nitrates? I have up'd my lights to now having 2 light strips on the tank as well. good info I am getting, still puzzled a bit but trying to understand it all :)

[grannylvsfish]

Taken directly from the Rex Grigg ferts dosing page found here.

http://www.bestaquariumregulator.com/dosing.html

Mix 1 tablespoon (16.8 grams) with 250 ml of water.
1 ml of this solution will give you 1.08 ppm of nitrates and 0.54 ppm of potassium in 10 gallons of water.

¼ teaspoon (1.4 grams) will add 22.5 ppm of nitrates and 14.26 ppm of potassium to 10 gallons of water.


I've just ordered from him and wish I had gotten some Iron too, but the ferts page is here.
http://www.bestaquariumregulator.com/ferts.html



Mix 1 tablespoon (16.8 grams) with 250 ml of water. how much water is that? I have never understood grams, Liters etc. :confused: :shakehead:
isn't there a one dose does it all fert?

[plantbrain]

Tropica makes a pretty decent all in two product.
No one makes a real all in one since the chemicals do not mix well at high concentrations.

So they split things into macro and micro ferts.

However, the commercial brands are 10000X more expensive than add KNO3 to water.

You want to pay a lot for it, that's your business.

Most tell you add 4 things:

KNO3
KH2PO4
GH booster
Trace mix.

That's the same number of things it takes, actually more, to make and bake cookies.........

Baking soda, flour, sugar etc:
We can call them sodium bicarbonate, ground wheat endosperm, sucrose.....

We add 2 cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/3 cup of sugar and so on.....

Now this is not any different than cooking when it comes to the adding of things and the complexity.

Someone that's never made cookies before can look on a recipe and figure it out, you can too. Don't let chemical names freak you out.

Computer speak could freak out most folks back 15 years ago, "what's a modem? ISP? Email?" you get the picture.

You pick things up and learn fairly quick.
But if you run from things that will help you, you only limit yourself.

There are plenty of calculators on line that can convert liters to cups/gallons etc.
3.785 liters = 1 US gallon.

So 250 milliliters is just 1/4 of a liter.
Or about 1 cup.
1 liter is a tad over 1 quart.

The ferts like KNO3 cost about 2-3$ a pound and will last a year or more for most folk's use. And you tailor the mix to suit YOUR TANK

Regards,
Tom Barr

[Cory Keeper]

about the same size as a largish prime bottle.

[zzyzx85]

Okay, to be clear on this again. What level of nitrates (in ppm) should be safe for a planted tank? I tested my tank today and nitrate is at 20 ppm.

[jpappy789]

Okay, to be clear on this again. What level of nitrates (in ppm) should be safe for a planted tank? I tested my tank today and nitrate is at 20 ppm.
That is safe for fish and perfectly fine for plants...

[grannylvsfish]

does water changes bring back the nitrates? mine was 0 nitrates last night. no amonia and no nitrites. I did my weekly water change just a few moments ago , loved it this time, I used my python and went right out the front door. it was sooooooo easy !!

[Cory Keeper]

Not unless there are nitrates in the tap water, which is unlikely. If treated with chlorimines it can add a little extra NH4 which both the plants and bacteria will use, the bacteria will convert it to Nitrates.

[grannylvsfish]

Not unless there are nitrates in the tap water, which is unlikely. If treated with chlorimines it can add a little extra NH4 which both the plants and bacteria will use, the bacteria will convert it to Nitrates.

where do I get such clorimines?

[Cory Keeper]

lemme rephrase that, if your tap water is treated with chlorimines, chloromines are harmful to fish and bacteria unless a water conditioner (such as prime) is used.