nitrate levels for plants and fish...

[jd]

Hi folks,
my nitrate levels in a 120 are pretty high (for fish anyway - around 40-50),
but the plants seemt o be pretty happy - they've really taken off with the
higher levels.... anyone else having this problem? if so, what taret levels
do you shoot for?

the fish seem more or less OK - no deaths, and no real indications of
problems, but before I find some sort of nitrate scrubber, I figured I'd ask
and see what the impact on the plants would be if I lowered the levels..
thanks
-_JD

[Richard Sexton]

In article >,
jd > wrote:
>Hi folks,
>my nitrate levels in a 120 are pretty high (for fish anyway - around 40-50),
>but the plants seemt o be pretty happy - they've really taken off with the
>higher levels.... anyone else having this problem? if so, what taret levels
>do you shoot for?
>
>the fish seem more or less OK - no deaths, and no real indications of
>problems, but before I find some sort of nitrate scrubber, I figured I'd ask
>and see what the impact on the plants would be if I lowered the levels..
>thanks

I aim for about 30ppm NO3.


--
Need Mercedes parts? http://parts.mbz.org
Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home pages: http://rs79.vrx.net
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net

[Marco Schwarz]

Hi..

> my nitrate levels in a 120 are pretty high (for fish
> anyway - around 40-50)

Hmm.., I suppose 10-20 mg/l (ppm) were enough..!

But how is the nitrate level of your tap(?) water..?

What's about water changes..?

And how is this tank stocked and fed..?

--
cu
Marco

[Dave S]

"jd" > wrote in message
. ..
> Hi folks,
> my nitrate levels in a 120 are pretty high (for fish anyway - around
> 40-50), but the plants seemt o be pretty happy - they've really taken off
> with the higher levels.... anyone else having this problem? if so, what
> taret levels do you shoot for?
>
> the fish seem more or less OK - no deaths, and no real indications of
> problems, but before I find some sort of nitrate scrubber, I figured I'd
> ask and see what the impact on the plants would be if I lowered the
> levels..
> thanks
> -_JD
Even thought I've tried 2 different test kits (Seachem and Nutrafin), I
can't get mine above 3!! Silly question: If I add nitrogen, will this
increase the nitrAte level.

Thanks - Dave

[Nikki Casali]

Dave S wrote:

> Even thought I've tried 2 different test kits (Seachem and Nutrafin), I
> can't get mine above 3!! Silly question: If I add nitrogen, will this
> increase the nitrAte level.

80% of the atmosphere is N. If it hasn't yet increased your tank NO3
levels, then I'd give that a definite no!

Nikki

[jd]

the tank is fairly heavily stocked with both plants and fish. Its a
community tank - guppies, swordatils, zebra danios, tiger barbs, croy cats,
an algae eater, and a fairly dense plant population - java ferns, some
assorted swords, and some random talling plants (LFS can't tell them apart,
and I don't bother)

Lightly fed on standard flake food twice daily (the food gets eaten up
within a couple of minutes, so I pretty sure I'm not overfeeding).

I do a 50% - 60% water change every week. Well water, run through an ion
exchangeer to remove excess iron.

Whats mystifying is that this tanks has been set up for a good while, and
has been stable. I haven't changed anything, but the nitrates suddenly
spiked, so something in the tank obviously changed.

--JD

"Marco Schwarz" > wrote in message
...
> Hi..
>
>> my nitrate levels in a 120 are pretty high (for fish
>> anyway - around 40-50)
>
> Hmm.., I suppose 10-20 mg/l (ppm) were enough..!
>
> But how is the nitrate level of your tap(?) water..?
>
> What's about water changes..?
>
> And how is this tank stocked and fed..?
>
> --
> cu
> Marco

[2pods]

"jd" > wrote in message
. ..
> the tank is fairly heavily stocked with both plants and fish. Its a
> community tank - guppies, swordatils, zebra danios, tiger barbs, croy
> cats, an algae eater, and a fairly dense plant population - java ferns,
> some assorted swords, and some random talling plants (LFS can't tell them
> apart, and I don't bother)
>
> Lightly fed on standard flake food twice daily (the food gets eaten up
> within a couple of minutes, so I pretty sure I'm not overfeeding).
>
> I do a 50% - 60% water change every week. Well water, run through an ion
> exchangeer to remove excess iron.
>
> Whats mystifying is that this tanks has been set up for a good while, and
> has been stable. I haven't changed anything, but the nitrates suddenly
> spiked, so something in the tank obviously changed.
>
> --JD

Dead fish somewhere ?
Crud stuck in the filter ,plant material etc, ?
(check the hoses too)
Gravel needs hoovered ?
I'm out of ideas after that, hope you solve it.

P

[Richard Sexton]

In article >,
jd > wrote:
>the tank is fairly heavily stocked with both plants and fish. Its a
>community tank - guppies, swordatils, zebra danios, tiger barbs, croy cats,
>an algae eater, and a fairly dense plant population - java ferns, some
>assorted swords, and some random talling plants (LFS can't tell them apart,
>and I don't bother)
>
>Lightly fed on standard flake food twice daily (the food gets eaten up
>within a couple of minutes, so I pretty sure I'm not overfeeding).
>
>I do a 50% - 60% water change every week. Well water, run through an ion
>exchangeer to remove excess iron.
>
>Whats mystifying is that this tanks has been set up for a good while, and
>has been stable. I haven't changed anything, but the nitrates suddenly
>spiked, so something in the tank obviously changed.

Could be the plants ran out of something, like iron. Or it could
be your water changed chemistry. It does that out of the tap in
some places in the spring and fall.

If it were me Id change 80% of the water for two days then fertilize properly.

--
Need Mercedes parts? http://parts.mbz.org
Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home pages: http://rs79.vrx.net
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net

[Richard Sexton]

In article >,
Dave S > wrote:
>"jd" > wrote in message
. ..
>Even thought I've tried 2 different test kits (Seachem and Nutrafin), I
>can't get mine above 3!! Silly question: If I add nitrogen, will this
>increase the nitrAte level.

Hobby nitrAte test kits are woefully inaccurate.

You add Potassium nitrAte to add nitrAte, not nitrogen.

You can't really add nitrogen in the pure form.


--
Need Mercedes parts? http://parts.mbz.org
Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home pages: http://rs79.vrx.net
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net

[jd]

tried all of that, no changes....
levels are still high, but they're hanging stable..

-JD



"2pods" > wrote in message
...
>
> "jd" > wrote in message
> . ..
>> the tank is fairly heavily stocked with both plants and fish. Its a
>> community tank - guppies, swordatils, zebra danios, tiger barbs, croy
>> cats, an algae eater, and a fairly dense plant population - java ferns,
>> some assorted swords, and some random talling plants (LFS can't tell them
>> apart, and I don't bother)
>>
>> Lightly fed on standard flake food twice daily (the food gets eaten up
>> within a couple of minutes, so I pretty sure I'm not overfeeding).
>>
>> I do a 50% - 60% water change every week. Well water, run through an ion
>> exchangeer to remove excess iron.
>>
>> Whats mystifying is that this tanks has been set up for a good while, and
>> has been stable. I haven't changed anything, but the nitrates suddenly
>> spiked, so something in the tank obviously changed.
>>
>> --JD
>
> Dead fish somewhere ?
> Crud stuck in the filter ,plant material etc, ?
> (check the hoses too)
> Gravel needs hoovered ?
> I'm out of ideas after that, hope you solve it.
>
> P
>

[jd]

Tap water chemsitry is stable (and hasn't changed significantly since the
well was first drilled).

I can't think of anything the plants would have run out of after a year. I
do fertilize regularly, and the water changes should keep trace elements
plentiful.... In any case, there shouldn't be anything missing now that
wasn't missing before...

thanks
-_JD


"Richard Sexton" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> jd > wrote:
>>the tank is fairly heavily stocked with both plants and fish. Its a
>>community tank - guppies, swordatils, zebra danios, tiger barbs, croy
>>cats,
>>an algae eater, and a fairly dense plant population - java ferns, some
>>assorted swords, and some random talling plants (LFS can't tell them
>>apart,
>>and I don't bother)
>>
>>Lightly fed on standard flake food twice daily (the food gets eaten up
>>within a couple of minutes, so I pretty sure I'm not overfeeding).
>>
>>I do a 50% - 60% water change every week. Well water, run through an ion
>>exchangeer to remove excess iron.
>>
>>Whats mystifying is that this tanks has been set up for a good while, and
>>has been stable. I haven't changed anything, but the nitrates suddenly
>>spiked, so something in the tank obviously changed.
>
> Could be the plants ran out of something, like iron. Or it could
> be your water changed chemistry. It does that out of the tap in
> some places in the spring and fall.
>
> If it were me Id change 80% of the water for two days then fertilize
> properly.
>
> --
> Need Mercedes parts? http://parts.mbz.org
> Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org
> 1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home pages: http://rs79.vrx.net
> 633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net

[Marco Schwarz]

Hi..

> tried all of that, no changes....
> levels are still high, but they're hanging stable..

Hmm.., in aquaria the _anaerobe_N_elemination effectively
start at 40-50 ppm nitrate..

BTW: Please check the ion exchanger for a nitrate flush..
--
cu
Marco

[[email protected]]

jd,

NO3 test kits are pretty sad and inaccurate.
I do not suggest folks to use them unles sit's a Lamotte or you
calibrate the range of interest with a reference solution prior.

Otherwise you are aup in a huff based on a speculation the kit is
accurate...when it may not even be close.

NO3 from KNO3, is radically different than NO3 from fish loading/waste
etc.
Even high fish loads do well at 50-70% weekly water changes.

Plants like it also.

regards,
Tom Barr

Free forums and subscription based plant articles

www.BarrReport.com




jd wrote:
> Tap water chemsitry is stable (and hasn't changed significantly since the
> well was first drilled).
>
> I can't think of anything the plants would have run out of after a year. I
> do fertilize regularly, and the water changes should keep trace elements
> plentiful.... In any case, there shouldn't be anything missing now that
> wasn't missing before...
>
> thanks
> -_JD
>
>
> "Richard Sexton" > wrote in message
> ...
> > In article >,
> > jd > wrote:
> >>the tank is fairly heavily stocked with both plants and fish. Its a
> >>community tank - guppies, swordatils, zebra danios, tiger barbs, croy
> >>cats,
> >>an algae eater, and a fairly dense plant population - java ferns, some
> >>assorted swords, and some random talling plants (LFS can't tell them
> >>apart,
> >>and I don't bother)
> >>
> >>Lightly fed on standard flake food twice daily (the food gets eaten up
> >>within a couple of minutes, so I pretty sure I'm not overfeeding).
> >>
> >>I do a 50% - 60% water change every week. Well water, run through an ion
> >>exchangeer to remove excess iron.
> >>
> >>Whats mystifying is that this tanks has been set up for a good while, and
> >>has been stable. I haven't changed anything, but the nitrates suddenly
> >>spiked, so something in the tank obviously changed.
> >
> > Could be the plants ran out of something, like iron. Or it could
> > be your water changed chemistry. It does that out of the tap in
> > some places in the spring and fall.
> >
> > If it were me Id change 80% of the water for two days then fertilize
> > properly.
> >
> > --
> > Need Mercedes parts? http://parts.mbz.org
> > Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org
> > 1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home pages: http://rs79.vrx.net
> > 633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net