Nitrates

[djlen]

I have been getting zero readings on my nitrates for a few weeks now. Should I be adding nitrates back into the tank, and if so, what's the best way to do this? I thought I read somewhere that we should maintain 5ppm. I imagine the plants are using them up......lots of plants!!!
Len

[Sumpin'fishy]

Yes, add them. I believe most people use KNO3 from a gardening supply shop.

[kveeti]

I had the same problem, never any nitrates showing up in just one of my planted tanks. I read on here about adding KN03, which is the ingredient in stump remover. (There is a thread further down here on that in particular.) I know it's just a fertilizer and the concentration is what makes it a "stump remover" but it was still hard for me to add it into my tank last week! But I did to get a small reading (less than 5). Today, before my water change, my reading was back to 0 so I added a granule more than last week.

Just as an interesting side note, when I did a search on potassium nitrate (KN03) to add to my tank, a couple of good reading sites that came up told me various methods of using it to make smoke bombs, LOL. (Oh, boy, fun at the cottage next summer!) KN03 apparently is the same as saltpetre.

Anyhow, I'll let the experts explain the "whys" I just thought I'd chime in my experience.

[Richer]

KNO3 can indeed be used as explosives. Thats why its used as stump remover... it essentially burns the stump to make it easy to remove. I believe it was also a big ingredient in the Oklahoma bombing... =\.

-Richer

[djlen]

Well, I don't want to bomb anyone......just to know how much to dose if it ever stops raining here long enough to get over to Home Depot to pick some up....
Len

[wetmanNY]

The entertaining source of nitrate!

[Richer]

Try 1/4 teaspoon of KNO3 per 20-30 gallons of water and work from there, increasing, or decreasing dosage as needed. Refer the the freshwater archives at the bottom of the main forum page for more info on nutrient dosing =)

-Richer

[Godslayer]

Actually the bomb ingrediant is Ammonium Nitrate. I have gotten weird looks asking for potassium nitrate regardless.

Bob