Nutrients - The Nutrient Company

[ADW1988]

Sunday is the day I will be carrying out the long- awaited overhaul of my tank. Lots of deliberation and planning has gone into it to ensure I get it right.
 
I'm going to have a moderate to heavy planted tank with bogwood.
 
My Nitrates are high according to my API test kit (solution based kit) which I am going to get a second opinion on as it says my tap water is very high in Nitrates (I shake the second bottle like mad as it says) but think I may have a dodgy Nitrate test. The test strip I had said it was about 20ppm but I don't trust that. API says upwards of 80PPM.
 
So before I go on too long setting the scene, if indeed my Nitrates are q high, would it be best to use :
 
TNC lite as it doesn't contain Nitrate or phosphate but is for lightly planted tanks.
 
OR
 
Should I use TNC complete despite having high Nitrates (if indeed that is the case) seeing as I want moderate- heavy planting.
 
Thanks,
 
Will hopefully do a journal too

 

[the_lock_man]

On the actual question you are asking, I will defer to those with greater specialist knowledge.
 
However, the issue with the API nitrate test is it giving a zero result, when there is nitrate there, not giving a result which is too high. That said, no hobbyist tests are massively accurate. The legal max for nitrate in the UK is 50ppm, but mine is regularly 30-40ppm.

 

[ADW1988]

On the actual question you are asking, I will defer to those with greater specialist knowledge.
 
However, the issue with the API nitrate test is it giving a zero result, when there is nitrate there, not giving a result which is too high. That said, no hobbyist tests are massively accurate. The legal max for nitrate in the UK is 50ppm, but mine is regularly 30-40ppm.

 
ahh ok cool thanks, so I can assume that the readings I get are right.. I wouldn't want to add Nitrate to already high Nitrates I imagine

 

[SO19Firearms]

TNC Complete and presume your Nitrates are zero. And don't worry about "High Nitrate"
 
IMO

 

[ADW1988]

TNC Complete and presume your Nitrates are zero. And don't worry about "High Nitrate"
 
IMO

 
Thanks Firearms

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Heavily planted tanks often need to have nitrate added as the plants consume it all and actually need more. The more fast growing plants one has, the more nitrate they will consume. Also, you may not not to do any cycling on a well planted tank. Between the ammonia being used by the plants and the nitrifying bacteria that come in on them, it is often possible to plant the tank, give the plants a few weeks to establish and then start to stock.
 
Unless on is experienced in this area and is reasonably sure they have enough plants to circumvent the traditional cycle, one way to figure out where your plant load puts you is to do a test dose of ammonia. One can add enough ammonia to produce 2 ppm and then test in 24. the results will make it clear how things stand in relation to any need to cycle a tank to get bacteria to handle any load the plants may not. What you want to see is little of no ammonia reading as well as the same for nitrite. bear in mind when plants consume ammonia (actually they take in the ammonium form i.e. NH4 as opposed to the NH3 form the bacteria use), the plants do not create any nitrite. Nitrite levels in tanks with some plants will never be as high as with fewer or no plants.  This will also act to reduce the nitrate levels from those normally expected if the tank was more lightly planted or had no live plants at all.

 

[l_l_l]

I second what TTA is saying.
I actually have to dose Nitrates in my heavily planted tanks as they stop growing, lose leaves if I don't.

 

[ADW1988]

Heavily planted tanks often need to have nitrate added as the plants consume it all and actually need more. The more fast growing plants one has, the more nitrate they will consume. Also, you may not not to do any cycling on a well planted tank. Between the ammonia being used by the plants and the nitrifying bacteria that come in on them, it is often possible to plant the tank, give the plants a few weeks to establish and then start to stock.
 
Unless on is experienced in this area and is reasonably sure they have enough plants to circumvent the traditional cycle, one way to figure out where your plant load puts you is to do a test dose of ammonia. One can add enough ammonia to produce 2 ppm and then test in 24. the results will make it clear how things stand in relation to any need to cycle a tank to get bacteria to handle any load the plants may not. What you want to see is little of no ammonia reading as well as the same for nitrite. bear in mind when plants consume ammonia (actually they take in the ammonium form i.e. NH4 as opposed to the NH3 form the bacteria use), the plants do not create any nitrite. Nitrite levels in tanks with some plants will never be as high as with fewer or no plants.  This will also act to reduce the nitrate levels from those normally expected if the tank was more lightly planted or had no live plants at all.

 
 

I second what TTA is saying.
I actually have to dose Nitrates in my heavily planted tanks as they stop growing, lose leaves if I don't.

 
cool thanks will bear that in mind and believe I will go for the TNC complete that contains the Nitrate and phosphate... my tank is already cycled so will be just changing the scape.
 
Thanks for the help all..

 

[TwoTankAmin]

The difference betweem the two Tropica products is based on one's fish load. Fish wastes will generate the N and P so one fert has them and the other doesnt. If one has decent stocking and not high tech planting, you often don't need more N and P. But if you have decent planting levels and a light fish load, you likely need to add these and the fert. with them is better.
 
I have used Tropica's fert. without the N and P for over a decade. I started with MasterGrow and when they were about to rebrand it as Plant Nutrition, I bought the 5 litre size on clearance sale. By the time it ran out they were close to the current rebranding. Because I am downsizing plantings and tank numbers I did not get a big bottle and was buying smaller ones as needed. Then it vanished. The latest incarnation looks to be much pricier to use but I have not examined this closely.
 
About 2 years ago I messed around with dry ferts to make what was supposed to be a recipe that fairly well approximated the MasterGrow. I used if for a few months and realized my plants were not as "happy" as they had been with the Tropica stuff. As a compromise I have since used about a 50/50 mix of the two. This cut down on the cost some. I assume I will eventually need to give the newest incarnation a try. I know it will be good, just not sure how economical.

 

[ADW1988]

The difference betweem the two Tropica products is based on one's fish load. Fish wastes will generate the N and P so one fert has them and the other doesnt. If one has decent stocking and not high tech planting, you often don't need more N and P. But if you have decent planting levels and a light fish load, you likely need to add these and the fert. with them is better.
 
I have used Tropica's fert. without the N and P for over a decade. I started with MasterGrow and when they were about to rebrand it as Plant Nutrition, I bought the 5 litre size on clearance sale. By the time it ran out they were close to the current rebranding. Because I am downsizing plantings and tank numbers I did not get a big bottle and was buying smaller ones as needed. Then it vanished. The latest incarnation looks to be much pricier to use but I have not examined this closely.
 
About 2 years ago I messed around with dry ferts to make what was supposed to be a recipe that fairly well approximated the MasterGrow. I used if for a few months and realized my plants were not as "happy" as they had been with the Tropica stuff. As a compromise I have since used about a 50/50 mix of the two. This cut down on the cost some. I assume I will eventually need to give the newest incarnation a try. I know it will be good, just not sure how economical.

 
Cool, yh I was looking at the Tropica stuff.. Comes with good recommendation from what I've read. I'm planning on having a heavy planted tank in due course but will be moderate to start with.. I'm not overstocked so may start on the one without and go on to the complete. Just want to get cracking on sunday and change it all round.