My nitrates read almost at 0

patoloco · Feb 18, 2006

This morning I did my routinal water test change in a 50 gallon tank. Ammonia read 0, nitrites read 0 and I was surprised to have a nitrate reading of <5ppm. My tap water comes with 5ppm.

The tank is planted (it has 5 unknown plants and 10 giant valisnerias in a pebble gravel ), and I was surprised these would take out the nitrate so efficiently. Fish load is 11 fish, 1 srhimp and 1 crayfish.

This is my first experience with planted tanks, and I would want advice on how could this affect the need for the water changes.

YuccaPatrol · Feb 18, 2006

I would still suggest doing regular routine water changes regardless of very low nitrate readings. Fish produce other wastes that are harmful to them and we mostly use nitrate as an indicator that everything else is building up as well.

But it is neat to see that plants take up the nitrates and keep the water better than it would be without them. . .

kveeti · Feb 18, 2006

It won’t affect the need at all. As YuccaPatrol said, nitrates aren’t the only pollutants that are built up in a tank, they are just the easiest to test for. So you still need to do water changes to get the rest out. Many people with planted tanks do 50% to “reset” the nutrient level each week.

MidnightPyro · Feb 18, 2006

What's your water change schedule and how many (what kind of) plants do you have in your tank?

Nitrates are considered a macro nutrient for plants (most important nutrient) along with Phosphate and Potassium. Most medium-fast growing plants will consume nitrates faster than the nitrogen cycle spits them out unless your tank is overstocked.

Most people with planted tanks actually ADD nitrates among other things with KNO3 (Potassium Nitrate). Depending on your current water change schedule, I wouldn't suggest laxing on water changes to get nitrates to go up. Plants keep ammonia/nitrite/nitrate down very well, but there's a lot of things that only water changes can fix.

Roan Art · Feb 18, 2006

Pat,

Yes, like MidnightPyro said, nitrates are a macro for plants. Water changes are necessary to keep the plants healthy as well as they NEED nitrates to grow.

Keep an eye on things, because if your nitrates constantly read 0, you could develop a real algae problem in the tank. Once the plants consume the nitrates, they stop growing until they can get some more. That opens the door for algae.

Do you have an idea of what your PO4 is?

Roan

patoloco · Feb 19, 2006

I don't have a test for PO4, since I jusr started this 50gl. tank. It sprung a leak a few weeks ago, and it was planted too, but it only lasted about a month before the emergency.

After I fixed, it was refilled, planted and fished (¿nice word?). This was my first water change in that tank, after 2 weeks of initial running, using an already working canister filter, so I had an instantly cycled tank. I have not yt developed a WC routine for this tank.

I've been using FLoraSan as an dissolved-in-water fertilizer, which claims to contain the following:
Organic compounds - EDTA, humic acids 785 ppm.
Macro elements - Fe 175 ppm, Mn 110 ppm, Zn 50 ppm, B 40 ppm, K 30 ppm.
Anions - SO4 275 ppm, Cl 45 ppm.
Micro elements - Co 5 ppm, Cu 3 ppm, Mo 2 ppm, I 1 ppm.

I also used it before when I tried to plant another tank, but the inhabitants were gardeners themselves and kept uprooting the plants daily.

As an initial guess I'll try a 25% weekly and see how things go.

Roan Art · Feb 19, 2006

patoloco said:
I've been using FLoraSan as an dissolved-in-water fertilizer, which claims to contain the following:
Organic compounds - EDTA, humic acids 785 ppm.
Macro elements - Fe 175 ppm, Mn 110 ppm, Zn 50 ppm, B 40 ppm, K 30 ppm.
Anions - SO4 275 ppm, Cl 45 ppm.
Micro elements - Co 5 ppm, Cu 3 ppm, Mo 2 ppm, I 1 ppm.

Hrm, macros are KNP: Potassium, Nitrogen (nitrate), Phosphate
The rest of those "macros" are micros. I'm not totally hep on ferts as yet, but I see no phosphates in that list and they are important.

Can you post in the Plants Forum? No P could = algae.

Roan

patoloco · Feb 19, 2006

Thanks Roan. I will keep an eye on my tank and see the results. As far as I know, the LFS where they use florasan in their heavily planted exhibition tanks have no algae problems. Also, according to a friend of mine that works there, their only mainteinance routine is regular water changes and no glass scraping to remove algae.

I will do some Internet research too.

Thanks a lot. :read:

Roan Art · Feb 19, 2006

No problem.

Very possible their tap water has phosphates in it. Mine has 2 ppm, a fair amount, so I've no need to add PO4 to my tank at all.

Roan


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My nitrates read almost at 0

patoloco

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YuccaPatrol

Over-filtered

kveeti

Easily amused

MidnightPyro

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Roan Art

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patoloco

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Roan Art

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patoloco

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Roan Art

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