what are good levels for nitrates in planted aqua?

[Dave M. Picklyk]

I just got a nitrate tester kit and found out that my 48 gal. has about 7-8
mg/L of nitrates. Is that getting pretty low for plants? My 15 gal. has
absolutely no traceable amounts of nitrates...this means that all the
available nitrogen is being used and that possibly some are starving for
nitrogen. What can I do to add more nitrates into the system?

THANX!!!

[Jim Miller]

http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_dosage_calc.htm

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Remove NOSPAM for email replies
"Dave M. Picklyk" > wrote in message
...
I just got a nitrate tester kit and found out that my 48 gal. has about 7-8
mg/L of nitrates. Is that getting pretty low for plants? My 15 gal. has
absolutely no traceable amounts of nitrates...this means that all the
available nitrogen is being used and that possibly some are starving for
nitrogen. What can I do to add more nitrates into the system?

THANX!!!

[Dave Millman]

Also http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_nitrate.htm

[Dave]

"Dave M. Picklyk" > empowered us with this mighty blow
against the Patriarchy:

> I just got a nitrate tester kit and found out that my 48 gal. has
> about 7-8 mg/L of nitrates. Is that getting pretty low for plants? My
> 15 gal. has absolutely no traceable amounts of nitrates...this means
> that all the available nitrogen is being used and that possibly some
> are starving for nitrogen. What can I do to add more nitrates into the
> system?

http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_nitrate.htm

[Jason Judkins]

Dave, I would add a school of community fish. They help maintain a balance
that plants need... The fish waste is converted into ammonia and nitrates
that the plants will use. Acutally, if your tank is well planted, you don't
even need carbon to filter stuff like ammonia etc... I haven't used carbon
in about 6 months, and any traces of ammonia are still gone, and my water
seems to be well balanced (I do inject co2 though).

Anyway, add some more fish to the tank, they will bring up the nitrate
levels for you.



"Dave" > wrote in message
...
> "Dave M. Picklyk" > empowered us with this mighty blow
> against the Patriarchy:
>
> > I just got a nitrate tester kit and found out that my 48 gal. has
> > about 7-8 mg/L of nitrates. Is that getting pretty low for plants? My
> > 15 gal. has absolutely no traceable amounts of nitrates...this means
> > that all the available nitrogen is being used and that possibly some
> > are starving for nitrogen. What can I do to add more nitrates into the
> > system?
>
> http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_nitrate.htm

[Richmond]

> that the plants will use. Acutally, if your tank is well planted, you don't
> even need carbon to filter stuff like ammonia etc... I haven't used carbon
> in about 6 months, and any traces of ammonia are still gone, and my water

My concept about using carbon is different. I use carbon on my
internal filter. But I dont change it (never). They are really a
wonderful home for my bio bacteria.

Dominic

[kush]

Richmond > wrote ...
>
> I use carbon on my internal filter. But I dont change it (never).

I think that eventually that carbon will become overloaded with toxins and
become harmful.

[tcbiii@NOSPAMearthlink.net]

> "Dave" wrote in message

> > > I just got a nitrate tester kit and found out that my 48 gal. has
> > > about 7-8 mg/L of nitrates. Is that getting pretty low for plants? My
> > > 15 gal. has absolutely no traceable amounts of nitrates...this means
> > > that all the available nitrogen is being used and that possibly some
> > > are starving for nitrogen. What can I do to add more nitrates into the
> > > system?
> >

Use can use KNO3 to add more.
NO3 test kits are seldom decent, Lamott is one of the few that are
relatively consistent.
5-10ppm or so is a good range to shoot for.
Regards,
Tom Barr

[Philip Ash]

" > wrote in message
om...
> > "Dave" wrote in message
>
> > > > I just got a nitrate tester kit and found out that my 48 gal. has
> > > > about 7-8 mg/L of nitrates. Is that getting pretty low for plants?
My
> > > > 15 gal. has absolutely no traceable amounts of nitrates...this means
> > > > that all the available nitrogen is being used and that possibly some
> > > > are starving for nitrogen. What can I do to add more nitrates into
the
> > > > system?
> > >
>
> Use can use KNO3 to add more.
> NO3 test kits are seldom decent, Lamott is one of the few that are
> relatively consistent.
> 5-10ppm or so is a good range to shoot for.
> Regards,
> Tom Barr


The UK magazine Practical Fishkeeping ran a comparison last month, using
known concentrations of NO3.
It was *scary* how wrong the test kits can be.

Phil.

[Marcin Baranowski]

At the beginning I want to say hello to everyone. After a few weeks of
lurking I finally decided to write something :)

> The UK magazine Practical Fishkeeping ran a comparison last month, using
> known concentrations of NO3.

Could you write something about the results? I actually use the Salifert
Profitest NO3 and in my opinion it's quite precise (tested in a laboratory)
and it's relatively cheap (at least in Poland).

Marcin Baranowski

[Anton]

> My concept about using carbon is different. I use carbon on my
> internal filter. But I dont change it (never).

This brilliant concept imho may soon result in influx of all the toxins it
now holds right into the aquarium water, and your fish will suffer from
severe toxication.

[Chuck Gadd]

On Thu, 30 Jan 2003 17:18:07 -0800, "Anton" >
wrote:

>This brilliant concept imho may soon result in influx of all the toxins it
>now holds right into the aquarium water, and your fish will suffer from
>severe toxication.

This is an unproven myth that carbon will somehow "release" everything
it absorbs if left in too long....



Chuck Gadd
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua

[Aqua]

> This brilliant concept imho may soon result in influx of all the toxins it
> now holds right into the aquarium water, and your fish will suffer from
> severe toxication.

The current carbon in my tank internal filter is little more than one year
old. There is absolutely no casualty due to so called "toxins".

--
Thank You

Dominic
http://www.dlink.org/aqua

[Rich Conley]

the carbon just stops absorbing, any small amounts of toxins it releases are
already in your water anyway.

Aqua wrote:

> > This brilliant concept imho may soon result in influx of all the toxins it
> > now holds right into the aquarium water, and your fish will suffer from
> > severe toxication.
>
> The current carbon in my tank internal filter is little more than one year
> old. There is absolutely no casualty due to so called "toxins".
>
> --
> Thank You
>
> Dominic
> http://www.dlink.org/aqua