Water Results

[Sime]

hi,
sorry to keep rambling on about this but I'm desperatly trying to lower my nitrates as i've been getting rather a lot of algae. Anyway, I've been reading for the last few days about various things and all i'm unsure of is pH - how it lowers itself.

ive just done a 20% water change so tested my water from the tap and in my tank (before hand). the results are as follows.....

Tap water:
NO3 - 25
NO2 - 0
GH - 16
KH - 6
pH - 8.3 <-- that seems rather high?

Tank water:
NO3 - 60
NO2 - 0
GH - 16
KH - 8
pH - 7.8

I think I'm right in saying I'd be best to add some CO2? This would make my plants grow faster and therefore use more NO3 up?

Can someone who knows more than me give those readings a run over and give me their opinions / actions they would take?

PS - my tank has just over 2 wpg, its a 12 (UK) gallon and has 8 hours of light per day (4 hours on, 4 off then 4 on again) and is mainly hygro, ludwigia, swords and vallis.

thanks for your help, i'm enjoying this forum heaps

 

[Angry_Platy]

With the lighting level you have it is not imperative that you use carbon dioxide. You could try adding more plants which will help use up the nitrates as well.

I know there are nitrate removing products on the market but have never needed to use them so have no idea what they are called. I have the opposite problem of not enough nitrates. Mine tend to sit at around 5ppm. I still get slight algae though but nowhere near as much as I used to before using fertiliser.

 

[Sime]

thanks,

the trouble is im full of plants now already

and my nitrates are still that high using Nitra-Zorb which is meant to lower them. im a bit stuck, i dont see what else i can do!

 

[Slyspy]

Water changes. If you have 25 in tap water and 60 (with remover) in the tank then you need to do more frequent water changes. Also try some more plants, especially fast growing stuff like hornwort. I would say aim for about 10ppm for a healthy, plant friendly tank. I'm going to have to start fertilizing one of mine cos my betta just can't do the job all by himself lol, but the other heavily stocked/planted tank ticks over by itself with minimal water changes and interference from me.

 

[jimbooo]

if i were you i'd definatly add co2 (sorry to contradict others.) the tank in my sig is a Juwel rekord 60 (12G) same as yours. i have 12.5ppm nitrate in tank and 25ppm in tapwater. the added co2 will lower your ph slightly but will allow the plants to utilise the nitrate (as well as other nutrients) more readily as you said. co2 does not directly effect algae at all either so the plants will get the upper hand.

the nutrafin kit will do the job nicely (i have one on mine).

on top of that maybe get some otto's or Amano shrimp to keep the remaining algae in check.

good luck

 

[Sime]

thankyou jimbooo - your tank is super!

i seem to be doin ok at the moment for algae, touch wood. i saw a nutrafin kit in the lfs for about £20 - would this be the one you have?

heres a pic of my tank too - just to show you what its like as im quite please so far

i thought about DIY CO2 but now i think i'll get a proper one so that i can read the instruction etc properly.

 

[jimbooo]

wow you managed that without co2... get it get it get it. you'll have an awesome tank in a few weeks.

the £20 Nutrafin kit is the one i think it's called "natural plant system" and to be honest it's a lazy mans diy kit. exactly the same system without the effort and a stronger bottle than an old coke bottle so less likely to go bang!!

i'd say a trip to the LFS is in order.
oh and dont buy any reagent refills, use up the ones supplied and then use a diy mixture you get even more co2 then.