Nitrates.

Can any body tell me how to get nitrates Up!
My planted tank is reading zero!


Mark

Hi Mark,

not sure of how to get the nitrates up, so not much use to you as a response.
Just to confirm, had a similar situation in my own planted tank and it was actually down to false readings from the test kit. There was nothing wrong with the kit, just me being a Muppet If you are using an API master test kit, then you really do need to ensure you follow the instructions to the letter for the test. Ensure you shake the reagent for at least 2 minutes before use and also follow the instructions around how to add the reagents to the test sample. In the office at the minute so can’t recall if the Nitrate or Ammonia test where it states that reagent #1 should be added and well shaken into the sample before adding reagent #2, but it’s definitely in the instructions for one of them. Based on my own experience, this all makes a significant difference to the results. You would be amazed at the difference it makes to the results

If you are following the instructions to the letter, then this reply is no use to you

Cheers,

Bill.

It's the second bottle you have to shake for over two minutes.

Wish i could give you some of my nitrate

Thanks lads

It's an old kit so I bought some water to seahorse for a double check and still zero!
I'm just doing another test as i type and hold on..... Yes zero

Would more fish waste bring it up?


Mark

Mark
Throw up a few pictues of the planted tank.
What size is it and how many fish.

Try a search on the web for Potassium Nitrate (KNO3)
Should be available for aquarium use.

Greg

Hi Mark,

can you give some details on the tank size, filter type, stock – heavily or lightly, how heavily planted, co2, light levels etc. This will help in determining the best option to bring your nitrate levels up. Are you seeing any issues with Algae? Usually when the nitrates get that low, you will see algae use the available phosphates in the tank and you can find you get overrun with algae in no time.
Feeding the fish more is not necessarily the best option to increase the nitrates, it can lead to other problems, particularly if the extra food is not consumed in a reasonable timeframe.

For a planted tank you want your nitrates in the range of 5 to 15 mg/L if you are adding CO2 and have a high level of light. Under medium light intensity and added CO2, you could run up to 25mg/l.
One thing you need to keep an eye on too is the levels of phosphates in the tank, ideally you want the phosphates to be 10 to 20 times lower than the nitrates.
You could be better off adding nitrates to the tank in the form of Potassium Nitrate (KNO3), I think you can order this from Aquaworld Aquariums in the sponsors section they do a lot of supplies for dry ferts used in the EI method. I am sure you could source them elsewhere too, but I can only think of these guys off hand. If you are monitoring your nitrate levels while adding nitrates to the tank, you ideally want to monitor the phosphate levels too, at least until you are happy that things are stable.

Cheers,

Bill

I don't know how to link it but if you put in OptiWhite 66x45x45 Planted Tank Journal into the search box you'll see it..

I'm having a nightmare with algae

Mark

Sorry for the short replys Bill I'm juggling two kids here as we speak

Zero nitrates are not ideal, but most Nitrate test kits are not superbly accurate anyway....so it may be that the sensitivity of a low nitrate reading read as zero.


Now, really, you don't actually want a nitrate test kit that can read at low values anyway because what the kit actually measures is nitrites. Therefore the total nitrates shown by a test kit is actually the sum of nitrites concentration in your tank plus the sum of nitrite concentration in the test tube.

If you had a true zero nitrate in your tank, but you had, say a 0.5 mg/l nitrite then a sensitive test kit would read the nitrite as if it were nitrate and give you a result of 0.5 mg/l nitrate.

But, do you really need to raise the nitrates?

Although most higher plants prefer to use nitrate in higher pH and Oxidising conditions, there is also a tendency for plants in lower pH and in a Reducing environment to uptake ammonium and amino acids as a nitrogen source (and if those conditions get very acidic, then the plant prefers to eat meat direct from an insect).

Raising one component (eg nitrates) is not always a good idea as it introduces an imbalance into the water.

Maybe the problem you have is already due to an imbalance.....possibly use a phosphate and silicate removing filter (they are a few euro) to lower those components.
I use Manado for that in a filter.

ian

Thanks Ian I didn't want to pm you again thought you might of been hungover from last nights meeting

Is there a test for phosphate and silicate

Mark

I was in a rush to reply last night as I was just grabbing some siamese for someone, and getting to the meeting. So apologies if the reply was rushed.

Yep, there are tests for phosphates and silicates. I know JBL do them, and presume other companies sell them as well.

Personally, I wouldn't spend my money on such things unless it is suspected that they are damaging fish health OR unless you want to do some experiments and report the results back to everyone.

Money may best be spent on a phosphate filter media (JBL do that as well....it is probably called PhosEx, and probably contains Manado??? I'm only guessing on that by the way ...so don't quote me).

The silicates really only become a problem if you suspect that you have diatoms (brown 'algae').

Ian

No problems ian, i was just looking at the JBL phosphate filter media doesn't that lower nitrates?

ehhhh Mark my dear friend:-)

you have stuff from Tropica contains N and P (nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P)) and its already balanced.
If you have reading at 0 thats mean plants absorbing all and from last test I did for you P=0 and if you did fallow my last instructions all you have to do now is increase liquid daily dosage and keep using K (potassium) I give you.

I'm finding JBL tests best so far if any one want my opinion.

igmillichip is right about imbalance but not from reason I ask you to fallow some steps. WC you did in last few weeks and all treatment was to balance tank without any chemicals. Its takes time but cost noting and defo don't harm fish like all removals etc.

Do you get more algae than last time??

If you need to increasing only N KNO3 will be right stuff.

If I can good remember KNO3 contains K 38,70%; NO3 61,00% ; N 13,80%.
Max dissolve is 31g in 100ml of water in 20 Celcius.

So if you use 44g of KNO3 in 500ml of RO = in 10 liters tank increase NO3 - 5ppm

Thank you Manius