High Nitrate due to Ferts

[The Red-Tailed Shark]

First of Hi, I am new to the forum !
So basically I have a very heavily planted tank( I think) with many fast growing plants, hygrophilla, Elodea and stargrass. The Tank is 64l. I does 2ml easycarbo daily. And currently 5ml of the APF Dry Salt Mix.The problem is I have 40-80ppm Nitrates. Tap water have 0-5ppm. Current inhabitants ; 1 Dwarf Gourami and 2 otos.. I am also planning to have High stocking rate. Future planned stock : 3 Dwarf Gouramis, 3 Peacock Gudgeons, 6 Cardinals and 2 otos. Since it is 40-80 now and and am planning a few more fish, I think I should lower the Nitrate now as well as the fact I want the Healthiest fish possible ! IK plants do best with macro and micro nutrients so was wondering if there is anything I could do to lower Nitrate/ any plant foods not caintaining Nitrate but everything else ?
Water change 2x 35% a week.
Could I use Easylife Profito instead ? Will my plants still grow well ?
Thanks and hope you understand 🙂

 

[Andy D]

I would say the best thing to do is use the search function in the forum and search for 'high nitrates'. You will come across many threads like this one - http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/ferts-causing-high-nitrate.16092/

Take your time to read through them and pay attention to what Ceg and Darrell say. They are the experts around these parts. 🙂

 

[Andy D]

Also take a look at this thread - http://forum.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/showthread.php?t=112786

Look at my test results on nitrate. It certainly demonstrates a point you will come across time and again on here about the pointlessness about using test kits due to inaccuracy.

 

[The Red-Tailed Shark]

Ah, Thanks for the link to those two 🙂
So ultimately, the test kits are not the best, My actual nitrate is prob only around 20 ?
And that it is fine-ish so far. Wha tif I did 50/50 with Complete and light ? So would still get nutrients and a little macro and nitrate. As I think my fish will provide enough for the plants ?

 

[Andy D]

So ultimately, the test kits are not the best, My actual nitrate is prob only around 20 ? ?

Who knows! That's the issue. 🙂

And that it is fine-ish so far. Wha tif I did 50/50 with Complete and light ? So would still get nutrients and a little macro and nitrate. As I think my fish will provide enough for the plants ?

Can you just confirm exactly what fert you are dosing? In the original post you mentioned APF Dry Mix and now you mention Complete and Light which makes me think you are using TNC.

Ultimately I would not worry about it. Even dosing EI levels (http://www.ukaps.org/index.php?page=dosing-with-dry-salts) will only add 20ppm nitrate to the tank.

What is important is to do a 50% water change each week to remove waste and keep levels in check.

 

[The Red-Tailed Shark]

right now am Using APF Dry but nearly finished, so wondering when I have to buy now bottles.
And am doing between 70-80% weekly so would think water changes aint a problem.

 

[Andy Thurston]

I used to use complete and first started dosing EI with it. 3x the bottle dose is the same as ei. If your happy using dry salts its cheaper to buy those but if you just have a small tank 1l of complete lasts ages and is a convenient way of dosing ei reasonably cheaply

I wouldn't worry too much about nitrates for your fish. A couple of members have accidentally overdosed ferts without killing their fauna. If you were keeping/breeding sensitive fish or shrimp then it would be worth worrying about too much ferts but then you probably wouldn't dose as much light or liquid carbon either

 

[ian_m]

A couple of members have accidentally overdosed ferts without killing their fauna

It was me....

I ran at nitrates over 350ppm for a couple of days after dosing pump emptied 1litre of EI macro mix into tank.....no fish issues, all quite happily shoaling around looking for food...shame plants didn't go ballistic, but then dosing EI is providing the max the plants will ever use, so dosing more than EI makes no difference.