Target phosphate levels

M

maniki

AC Members
Oct 1, 2008
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I'm currently cycling my tank, a 15 gallon with 36 watts of normal fluoro light.

It's quite well stocked with cabomba, myriophyllum tuberculatum and vallisneria (plus some little bits of h. difformis and ceratopteris).
http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo10/jdaus_photo/14112008.jpg

Water parameters are:
Ph: 8.1
Gh: 15
Amm: 0
NitrIte ~1 ppm
NitrAte 10 ppm
Phosphate: 0.5 ppm

(I get 10 ppm of nitrAte from the tapwater)

I noticed that growth had stopped a few days ago, that was when I first checked the phosphate levels, which were at zero. I've boosted them up to where they show up on the test kit (0.5), but should I be aiming for higher than that?
 
Recommended Target levels have changed over the past few years.
I still stick with a Target range for phosphate of 1/2 to 1 mg/l in the aquarium.
My experience has shown that low diminishing FE levels stunt/slow growth.
In ever instance that I've witnessed this, N03 levels stayed about the same. This tells me that Iron is needed for the plants to uptake Nitrogen.
 
Thanks for the responses, I don't have co2 so i'll stick to the low end of the range, just under 1 ppm.

I was thinking it might be iron deficiency.. i've been dosing traces when I change the water, but as I can't find an iron test kit i'm a little wary about overdosing..

I think the plants must be getting their nitrogen mostly from ammonia rather than nitrate, as the nitrate levels have stayed constant..
 
I remember reading some discussions on overdosing Iron earlier this year on another forum. I personally have never pushed the envelope to a maximum level. I tend to look for the minimums. At any rate I used a Seachem FE test kit to get a ball park idea.
 
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