Adding Nitrate

[Evad]

So I have a planted 180gal and all it has in it is about 20-25 cories, a farowella, a yo-yo loach and two clown loaches. Eventually it will have a dozen anglefish but not for a while.

Right now I have some hair algae issues - but the plants look great. The thing is that i have ZERO nitrates. The plant suck it all up and are gasping for more. Why this surprises me is because I haven't even got CO2 hooked up yet!

Stupid question but should i really be considering buying and adding nitrates? I add flourish right now for trace but that may be adding to my algae problem since there isn't enough Nitrate to feed the plants.

Any advice or thoughts on this would be helpful.

 

[aaronnorth]

Yes if your plants need it, NO3 should be kept around 20ppm

 

[old_n07]

So I have a planted 180gal and all it has in it is about 20-25 cories, a farowella, a yo-yo loach and two clown loaches. Eventually it will have a dozen anglefish but not for a while.

Right now I have some hair algae issues - but the plants look great. The thing is that i have ZERO nitrates. The plant suck it all up and are gasping for more. Why this surprises me is because I haven't even got CO2 hooked up yet!

Stupid question but should i really be considering buying and adding nitrates? I add flourish right now for trace but that may be adding to my algae problem since there isn't enough Nitrate to feed the plants.

Any advice or thoughts on this would be helpful.

I had the same problem a few weeks ago, I dose with TPN and now I also add Seachem Flourish Nitrogen as well. I looked at the TPN+ but I already have high phosphates in my tap water (and I have a new 500ml TPN ) so I'll just add the flourish for now and see how it goes.

Neil

 

[Evad]

So I have a planted 180gal and all it has in it is about 20-25 cories, a farowella, a yo-yo loach and two clown loaches. Eventually it will have a dozen anglefish but not for a while.

Right now I have some hair algae issues - but the plants look great. The thing is that i have ZERO nitrates. The plant suck it all up and are gasping for more. Why this surprises me is because I haven't even got CO2 hooked up yet!

Stupid question but should i really be considering buying and adding nitrates? I add flourish right now for trace but that may be adding to my algae problem since there isn't enough Nitrate to feed the plants.

Any advice or thoughts on this would be helpful.

I had the same problem a few weeks ago, I dose with TPN and now I also add Seachem Flourish Nitrogen as well. I looked at the TPN+ but I already have high phosphates in my tap water (and I have a new 500ml TPN ) so I'll just add the flourish for now and see how it goes.

Neil

What is TPN? ANd why are you adding nitrogen? I have never added that before.

 

[aaronnorth]

TPN = tropica plant nutrition, if you have a look in my sig, it tells you about the different sorts of defficiencies so maybe he needs to dose N2, the main elements to dose are NPK & trace

 

[old_n07]

As Aaronnorth said it is Tropica Plant Nutrition and I was adding extra nitrogen as I had a deficiency due to the fast growing plants

Neil

 

[Evad]

As Aaronnorth said it is Tropica Plant Nutrition and I was adding extra nitrogen as I had a deficiency due to the fast growing plants

Neil

Ok I admit I am slow. Sounds like adding Nitrogen is the same or similar as adding Nitrate. I don't need to add both, correct?

Also, can I get TPN here in the states?

 

[aaronnorth]

no you dont need to add both, they are similar, you should be able to get it in the USA, i dont see why not. I think aqua essentials might, contact Richard to see.

http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/index.php?...roducts_id=1036

 

[SuperColey1]

I had the same problem a few weeks ago, I dose with TPN and now I also add Seachem Flourish Nitrogen as well. I looked at the TPN+ but I already have high phosphates in my tap water (and I have a new 500ml TPN ) so I'll just add the flourish for now and see how it goes.

Just FYI TPN+ actually has quite low phosphates in it anyway. The people who use it with good effect in UK tend also to have high phosphates in their tap water which tops up the TPN+ mix.

Those who don't have high phosphate in their tap water tend to dose a little phosphate on top of the TPN+.

Andy

 

[old_n07]

I had the same problem a few weeks ago, I dose with TPN and now I also add Seachem Flourish Nitrogen as well. I looked at the TPN+ but I already have high phosphates in my tap water (and I have a new 500ml TPN ) so I'll just add the flourish for now and see how it goes.

Just FYI TPN+ actually has quite low phosphates in it anyway. The people who use it with good effect in UK tend also to have high phosphates in their tap water which tops up the TPN+ mix.

Those who don't have high phosphate in their tap water tend to dose a little phosphate on top of the TPN+.

Andy

Cheers for that Andy, I had read so much about high phosphates and algae that I didn't want to exaggerate the problem at all.

I will get some when I have used up the TPN but the Phosphate test in the Hagen master test kit goes off the scale after 40 - 50 seconds let alone leaving it for the 2 minutes it recommends. I usually pre-mix my RO and tap water in a 30 gallon water but in the garage that is kept heated and aerated for the water changes so I have added an air operated filter with some phosphate remover in it to try and lower the levels.

Neil

 

[Dave Spencer]

Ok I admit I am slow. Sounds like adding Nitrogen is the same or similar as adding Nitrate. I don't need to add both, correct?

Nitrate is NO3 and nitrogen is N2. The N in nitrate is the source of nitrogen that plants utilise. It is the same for CO2, where the C is the carbon that plants need.

Dave.