# nitrate high!



## john arnold (18 Sep 2018)

Hello

Im getting about 80 ppm nitrate levels, amm 0, nitrite 0, pressurized co2, heavily planted, dosing 20 ml of aquascaper complete from aquarium gardens in a 240l tank , ido 50% water change every week sometime bit more, im thinking this is the fertz, not a lot of fish in there and amano shrimp are all fine so do i need to worry because my new tank 140 l  is also 80 ppm with no fish in??


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## Edvet (18 Sep 2018)

No worries, as long as it is from dosing ferts  and not from breaking down lots of ammonia/nitrite.


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## HiNtZ (18 Sep 2018)

I'd say just keep on top of your phosphates (make sure they don't bottom out) and the tank should chew through the nitrate.

Having looked at the dosing guidelines for the product it says that indicated doses are assuming you have high plant biomass. Even then the recommended as far as I can see for your 240 per day is 10ml for medium light and 25ml per day for high light.

Are you doing 20ml a week or 20ml a day? How powerful are your lights..... CO2?


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## john arnold (18 Sep 2018)

Im doing 25 ml a day as the bottle says so, i have a Fluval 3.0 plant 59 watts and pressurised co2, in my new tank thats 140l i have a twinstar 600ea  15 ml a day no fixh but its 80 ppm so must be the fertz, the fortz have phosphates in if i remember right


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## HiNtZ (19 Sep 2018)

john arnold said:


> Im doing 25 ml a day as the bottle says so, i have a Fluval 3.0 plant 59 watts and pressurised co2, in my new tank thats 140l i have a twinstar 600ea  15 ml a day no fixh but its 80 ppm so must be the fertz, the fortz have phosphates in if i remember right



Hmmm - I'm not sure what to suggest as far as reducing ferts. I usually find that's a bad idea. The tank looks mint either way. I'd just go with big regular water changes and probably stick to 20ml a day. I'd also feed the fish less. maybe once every two days until you get on top.

According to the data sheet, there are phosphates in there. I like the fact that it says it is a "complete fertiliser" when it actually genuinely is! Most of the "complete" ferts you see, on the back label it will say "nitrate and phosphate free"  - well that's not complete then.... is it lol

Tank looks great, you're definitely doing something right.


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## john arnold (19 Sep 2018)

Thanks but now the water is starting to turn green arrr


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## Siege (19 Sep 2018)

Don’t trust your API test kit. Hobby test kits aren’t that exact and the nitrate one is the worst of them. 

I wouldn’t bother testing, as long as your housekeeping is good and plants look healthy don’t worry.

Re green water, Think about your co2, are you injecting enough? Does the co2 come on well before the lights? Is the flow adequate?

This is a useful guide 

http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm


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## john arnold (19 Sep 2018)

Yeah i had co2 coming on hour before lights but have been recomemdedto put it on 3 hrs before, circultion is good all plants are swaying
Cheers


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## HiNtZ (24 Sep 2018)

If you're getting green water, then reduce lighting intensity - or, have a black out for a couple days while doing a water change.


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## dw1305 (24 Sep 2018)

Hi all, 





john arnold said:


> Thanks but now the water is starting to turn green arrr


Chuck some Amazon Frogbit or Water Lettuce in, it will suck up nitrates, reduce light intensity and isn't CO2 limited. I always have spare floating plants if you can't find any for sale locally.

cheers Darrel


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## john arnold (26 Sep 2018)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all, Chuck some Amazon Frogbit or Water Lettuce in, it will suck up nitrates, reduce light intensity and isn't CO2 limited. I always have spare floating plants if you can't find any for sale locally.
> 
> cheers Darrel


Ok cheers i have a uv steriliser im picking up today so will give that a go and yeah think i will try get hold of some frogbit


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## john arnold (1 Oct 2018)

The uv filter has cleared up the green wster so all is haplt now and im smiling, i did grt sone water lettuce stuff with the roots hanging down looks pretty cool i think


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## ian_m (2 Oct 2018)

The UV will degrade micros, probably all in one ferts as well as liquid carbon, so you can't run it near any times you are dosing.


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## Aquahorti (2 Oct 2018)

ian_m said:


> The UV will degrade micros, probably all in one ferts as well as liquid carbon, so you can't run it near any times you are dosing.


To be more correct, the UV will photo degrade the chelates https://www.researchgate.net/public...ects_of_Irradiance_Wavelength_and_Temperature


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## X3NiTH (2 Oct 2018)

Which isn't necessarily a bad thing considering the half life of EDTA in the dark is 36 years.


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