dosing.....how to allow for water change?

[Tiggs]

only just stated dosing so not upto the right level of nitrate, etc just yet........but when i am how does a water change effect stuff?

if i have 10ppm nitrate and dump 30% of the water do i assume i need to add enough for 3ppm at the same time?

 

[rdd1952]

You shouldn't have to add any nitrates unless your tank is very understocked. Nitrate is the end result of the nitrogen cycle. If your tank is fully stocked, the fish should produce enough waste to keep the nitrate level up, maybe even higher than it needs to be. Maybe I'm missing something here though.

 

[George Farmer]

Maybe I'm missing something here though.

[snapback]845275[/snapback]​

There is - http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=99689

What you say is true to a degree. However if one has high light, lots of CO2 and high plant bio-mass then dosing nitrates is often needed due to the high nutrient uptake rate - even in a "well" stocked set-up. My tank uses up approx. 30 to 40ppm nitrate per week - it is not understocked either (34G with 28 Cardinals, 2 Rams, 2 SAE, 8 Otos, 10 Amano shrimp.

Tiggs - You do need to compensate for your water changes by dosing extra.

 

[rdd1952]

Thanks very much for clarifying that.

 

[Tiggs]

ok.....thought so.


i may just go with 15% water changes every other day which will lessen the impact and doesnt take that long anyway.