"blank" wrote in message
u...
Hmmm. I'm beginning to think I have misunderstood the role of nitrate in
an
established planted freshwater aquarium. My ammonia level is almost
always
zero (or so it appears from my Aquarium Pharmaceuticals test kit.) But
recently I have noticed newsgroup responses indicating that some nitrate
is
good for the plants.

Nitrogen (nitrate) is essential for plant growth. It's one of the big three
N-P-K Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Pottasium that are the ingredients in all
fertilizers. Plants also need some other ingredients in a fertilizer,
normally called Trace elements.

For best plant growth you should maintain around 5-10ppm Nitrate, but of
course you need to also ensure adequate reserves of the other 2 of the big
three as well as trace elements. You also need sufficient light (more than
2 watts per gallon is good) and sufficient dissolved CO2 in the water.

It's all a big juggling act that many folks spend countless hours attempting
to achieve.


Graham.