20-04-2003, 06:21 AM
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Timing: NO3 addition/measurement
(SLEngst) wrote in message ...
Need help with logic, timing of addition of NO3 additives vs. measurement
of NO3 levels after addition. Is addition most beneficial in the AM?
No, it doesn't matter when during the day any nutrients is dosed.
I want
to attain 5 ppm (I'm up from zero to 0.2ppm). At what time, relative to nitrate
addition, should I be doing the measurement? Directly after addition? or some
period of time later, say 12 hrs? 24 hrs?
About 15-30min will be okay.
The consensus would be to add macronutrients twice a week, but build up slowly
so avoiding fish shock. Starting at under 1/2 dosage one M. praecox hit the
dirt (gravel).
I've had large additions and never any trouble with any species of
fish. I'd suspect something else. Fish get funny at much higher levels
of NO3, generally, planted tanks are VERY LOW NO3.
You mentioned 0.2ppm of NO3. There are extremely few, if any kits,
that will give this resolution and they are pricy(over 60$ etc). The
Lamott kits will get to about 1ppm or so but remember, multiply by 4.4
to get NO3, most kits are gauged for N, not NO3.
Should I use daily additions to build up? (Light's dawning - I
had to tear down, clean and replant the tanks maybe a month ago, perhaps I over
cleaned the flourite? and hence the value of my N additions seem zilch until I
build up some mulm?)
should be okay.
Advice has it that extra fish food = any additional PO4 needs. My PO4 is close
to my goal for NO3 at 5 ppm. What ratio of NO3/PO4 are the fish + feed
providing? (Assume fish load and feeding are correct) What levels are they
providing? Any rule of thumb?
Not really, fish food is a poor source and difficult to measure. Often
it does not add enough PO4.
A 10:1 ratio is what is present in aquatic plants(N:P).
Dumb question 6 or 15 - Seachem's Nitrogen. They state their product is
some form of ammonia???
Bound ammonium.
If you are using this to get the NO3 levels then there might be
something going on with the fish and the levels of this product.
Would residual nitrogen from that source not be picked
up by NO3 testing (La Motte kit)? I get zero on NH4 measurements, as well.
Not sure but it could be the cause of the issue. I don't like to dose
with stuff I cannot test or forms I know are not common in aquatic
systems.
KNO3 and fish food for the NH4 is good enough for me. Cheap too.
Plants have always done great.
Regards,
Tom Barr
Frustrated with continued zero NO3 readings I switched to KNO3 and got small
but measurable NO3.
Any help on these questions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance, Sharon.
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