Ok, this may sound odd, but I have noticed a contradiction between
changing water to remove accumulated nitrate and then adding nitrate
in various forms via some type of fertilizer. What part of the big
picture am I missing?


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"James Ervin" wrote in message
...


Ok, this may sound odd, but I have noticed a contradiction between
changing water to remove accumulated nitrate and then adding nitrate
in various forms via some type of fertilizer. What part of the big
picture am I missing?

Change water to remove nitrate in an unplanted tank. Most planted tanks
have low nitrogen, you change water to limit the odd crap that tends to
build up.

Bob

This is an explanation I read a while back, I think it is reasonable.
Changing water does more than eliminate nitrate. It eliminates many
dissolved organic compounds (DOCs) in the water which over time
accumulate and harm fish. Nitrate levels are an indicator of DOC
accumulation. Nitrate by itself, and at modest levels, does not harm
fish and is essential for plant growth. A water change when nitrate
levels are high will dilute out the DOCs, however in some tanks
nitrates may need to be added back to keep the level high enough for
adequate plant growth. For tanks where low nitrates are not a
problem, many fertilizers do not contain nitrate.

Not the best rephrasing - read better from the original source... but
I can't remember what that is.

Ok, this may sound odd, but I have noticed a contradiction between
changing water to remove accumulated nitrate and then adding nitrate
in various forms via some type of fertilizer. What part of the big
picture am I missing?

Plants. If you have a high-tech, high-light tank with a lot of fast-growing
plants, they will use up nitrate faster than the fish and bacteria can generate
it. So people with such tanks have to add nitrate.

For the average tank, with a few slow-growing, low-light tanks, or none at all,
the nitrate tends to build up, and must be removed with water changes.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

Makes perfect sence......now it fits. Nitrate is a marker for a need
to change water for the more potent DOCs.

Thanks.



On 16 Apr 2003 12:10:36 -0700, (cindy) wrote:

This is an explanation I read a while back, I think it is reasonable.
Changing water does more than eliminate nitrate. It eliminates many
dissolved organic compounds (DOCs) in the water which over time
accumulate and harm fish. Nitrate levels are an indicator of DOC
accumulation. Nitrate by itself, and at modest levels, does not harm
fish and is essential for plant growth. A water change when nitrate
levels are high will dilute out the DOCs, however in some tanks
nitrates may need to be added back to keep the level high enough for
adequate plant growth. For tanks where low nitrates are not a
problem, many fertilizers do not contain nitrate.

Not the best rephrasing - read better from the original source... but
I can't remember what that is.



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"James Ervin" wrote in message
...

Makes perfect sence......now it fits. Nitrate is a marker for a need
to change water for the more potent DOCs.

Thanks.

If you don't have plants. If you do there may not be any direct
relationship between nitrate and misc. DOCs and other material which may
build up in the water. Hence most people change water regularly, even
people who have stable heavily planted tanks generally change water at least
once in a while.

Bob

"Robert Flory" wrote in
gy.com:

Change water to remove nitrate in an unplanted tank. Most planted tanks
have low nitrogen, you change water to limit the odd crap that tends to
build up.

....and replenish trace elements.

~Empty

--
'You're not friends. You'll never be friends. You'll be in love till it
kills you both. You'll fight, and you'll shag, and you'll hate each other
till it makes you quiver, but you'll never be friends. Love isn't brains,
children, it's blood... blood screaming inside you to work its will. I may
be love's bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it.'
Spike

James Ervin wrote:
Makes perfect sence......now it fits. Nitrate is a marker for a need
to change water for the more potent DOCs.

No it isn't! Planted tanks will generally have little or no nitrate (if none
is added). Does that mean there is no DOC accumulation? Absolutely not!

--
Victor M. Martinez

http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv

Right, but the thing is, if the tank has the right organisms in it, they consume
a lot of the DOCs (filter shrimp, snails, etc...). The more diverse the tank is,
the less maintenance it needs.

"Victor M. Martinez" wrote:

James Ervin wrote:
Makes perfect sence......now it fits. Nitrate is a marker for a need
to change water for the more potent DOCs.

No it isn't! Planted tanks will generally have little or no nitrate (if none
is added). Does that mean there is no DOC accumulation? Absolutely not!

--
Victor M. Martinez

http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv

Rich Conley wrote:
Right, but the thing is, if the tank has the right organisms in it, they consume
a lot of the DOCs (filter shrimp, snails, etc...). The more diverse the tank is,
the less maintenance it needs.

Absolutely! That's why I have 2 kinds of snails and 3 kinds of shrimp in my
tank.

--
Victor M. Martinez

http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv

Wonderfulll...someone whos not afraid of snails...

"Victor M. Martinez" wrote:

Rich Conley wrote:
Right, but the thing is, if the tank has the right organisms in it, they consume
a lot of the DOCs (filter shrimp, snails, etc...). The more diverse the tank is,
the less maintenance it needs.

Absolutely! That's why I have 2 kinds of snails and 3 kinds of shrimp in my
tank.

--
Victor M. Martinez

http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv

On Thu, 17 Apr 2003 15:02:56 +0000 (UTC),
(Victor M. Martinez) wrote:
No it isn't! Planted tanks will generally have little or no nitrate (if none
is added). Does that mean there is no DOC accumulation? Absolutely not!

My choice of words was off a bit.........I ment to imply that in a non
planted tank, the accumulation of Nitrate would also signify the
accounulation of DOC, in a planted tank, you you to assume...........




James Ervin
Remove SPAM to email me.

Right, but the thing is, if the tank has the right organisms in it, they
consume
a lot of the DOCs (filter shrimp, snails, etc...). The more diverse the tank
is,
the less maintenance it needs.

Yes, that is my thinking too. I use as diverse population as possible. Ghost
shrimp, dwarf crayfish, clams, and MTS snails. At partial water change time I
siphon up som eof the detritus so it never accumilates beyound what i thing
looks natural.

Moon
remove nospam from e-mail to send to me, I grow trees in aquariums like bonsai.
I breed dwarf crayfish, great for planted community tanks. If you can get me a
shovelnose sturgeon fingerling (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) no wild caught
please, contact me