You are only adding 10-11ppm at a time, 2-3x a week.
Not 30-40ppm all at once.

Regards,
Tom Barr

www.BarrReport.com

Jim Conklin wrote:
wrote in message
ups.com...
CO2 30ppm is fine for any fish.

Well I do a 75% water change every third day or so. (I use a Python
which makes water changing very easy.)

Then you no longer need to test for the NO3 etc if you do more than 50%
weekly.

My pH is always around 6.2. I dose
with KNO3 about 3/4 teaspoon twice a week or so. I don't want to go too
high with it as I've heard anything above 20 ppm is not good for the
fish.

This is not true and unfounded, basically pure speculation and no
research into the issue whatsoever with respect to KNO3.

It's that matter or fact and that simple.

How do I know?
Because I've done wide ranges of KNO3 dosing and measure fish and
shrimp effects.

I've gone to 120ppm + of NO3 derived from KNO3 without any issues to
Apistos, Rare plecos, Discus, SAE's, Cardnials, Rummy's, Emporers,
Pencil fish, Dojo's, stingrays, cory cats, synodontis, a dozen tetras,
hatchets etc etc etc.

No issues after a week.

Shrimp: amano shrimp died (LD 50) after 4 days at this concentration.
No fish losses or decernable health issues.

When I started to add more KNO3 it would climb to near 40ppm. Are you
saying that the test kits/strips that say 20- 30 ppm are not that
accurate?

Test strips?(shudder).......

Hoohoo, hheee, hahahaha, hak cough hack..........
Errr, yep...............

How should I judge then? Never tried the 'black bag' approach, I'll
buy
some tomorrow and give it a try. Thanks for the help.

JC

Well, the simple answer is since you are doing water changes, say 50% a
week, you will never buld beyond 2x the weekly dosing.

So if you dose 40ppm a week, if no plant uptake occurs at all, the max
build up will be 80ppm after several weeks.

Larger % will drop this closer to 40ppm obviously.
More frequent water changes will also reduce this.

In general, 30ppm a week is plenty for most.

Clean the filters good and gravel etc also.

Regards,
Tom Barr

www.BarrReport.com

Thanks again, I'll give it a try. I feel strange adding KNO3 to 30-40 ppm.
But I'll give it a try and report back.

Jim