Nitrate and Iron Question

[FishRunner]

Just done a water test and everything is great except for Nitrate (Not Nitrite, thats fine) and Iron. My test results for Nitrate where around 45/50 mg and i have no iron at all in my water. So i have bought a bottle of Iron supplement and Nitrasafe (think is called that) Is iron important to a tank? also not sure whats causing my nitrate levels, i have read it could be food high in proteins, any ideas?

 

[Feline]

Nitrate is the end process of a nitrogen cycle, and it can only be get rid of by water change, and by plant consumption.

Iron is needed by plants, so if u don't have any, I don't think the lack of iron would be a problem.

 

[Lithril]

Yup you're better off doing a partial water change to bring the levels of Nitrate down and then add your iron supplement. I know very little about the iron side of it so have no idea whether to add supplements or whether there are any other ways off boosting the levels.

 

[Alien Anna]

Do check your tap water for nitrate - it could well be the source of your high nitrates. The only answer then is to use RO water or to put a ton of plants in your tank to use up the nitrates.

 

[FishRunner]

thanks, just bought some more plants for now, hope this will work aswell as a 20% water change but i have an outbreak of ick now probrably from the ammount of nitrate.