Zero Nitrates

leafs

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About a week ago I set up my planted tank and my nitrates are zero. I'm using a filter that was running in another tank so I didn't have to cycle again. I'm assuming that the test kit isn't totally accurate so I'm not 100% sure that it's zero. Is it advisable to add Potassium nitrate right now or wait and see if the nitrates rise? The tank is a 29 gal. and is not heavily planted. I have a few swords, Moss, Crypts and Anubias. I've dosed with Tropica Mastergrow and nothing else. I've read the pinned topic on fertilizing but it seems a little daunting to me. My C02 is around 30ppm and my lighting is 2.2 watts a gallon. I have Flourite mixed in the substrate with gravel. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
Get a new test kit before you add anything, old / perished tests aren't just inaccurate, they're completely useless.
 
Liquid Nitrate kits have a life span of around 6 months, strip tests are somewhat unreliable at the best of times.
 
I never knew that they only last 6 months. They should have expiry dates on them I get higher readings in my non planted tank so I don't think it's the kit. It's just hard to read anything below 5 ppm. My tank is cycled and is fairly stocked. Where would I be able to get Potassium nitrate? Is it easy to mix?
 
a mail order garden supplies store. i dont know of any in canada but you should be able to find one.

edit: yep, just get some RO water from the LFS mine charges 5p per litre.. just weigh out your powder and chuck it in a bottle with the RO water and shake and shake and.... you get the idea...
 
Thanks Jimbooo. Theres a garden center close by. Can I use distilled water instead and how much powder do I mix?
 
garden centres wont sell it. it's more a commercial large scale landscaping gardening company that would purchase it not your average shopper.

hence online garden supply companies would sell it.

it's the kind of thing nurseries would buy to fertalise a 2 acre greenhouse or rose bushes etc...

hang on..... found one

the csm+b is worth a buy as well that will provide all the "trace ferts" you need. it's simmilar to seachem flourish.

i only use pot.nitrate and csm+b (you may need pot.phosphate as well but i dont) no need to buy any other liquid ferts at all. the only thing you may want to add it root tabs to the substrate but the above will cover all the liquid side.

for dosings read the EI article. it's big but will explain it properly for you and also links to a calculator to work out the weight of powder needed etc... you'll then discover that i didn't really find that link, i nicked it from there..LOL
 
One more question. I know your not suppose to raise the nitrate level too quickly, but would 1 ppm a day be ok until I get the level up to around 5 ppm and then try to maintain this level?
 
i'm probably not the best person to ask as i went from 0 to 10ppm in one day. ... then read the ei thread again and realised what i'd done.

i didn't loose any fish though.

pm zig, he'll be the best person to ask how it SHOULD be done.
 
Just add it slowly initially Leafs, start off with 1ppm on day one 2ppm on day 2, and maybe 2ppm for a couple more days once you get the reading up to 5ppm, after that id start adding the no3 in increments of 3-4ppm until you reach the desired level which ideally should be around 15ppm, if you have a good plant load and enough light and co2 the plants will be useing it up as you go along (but each tank is different as to the uptake rate, it could be 1-2ppm no3 per day or it could be more or even less) if theres no fish in the tank just add it straight in.
 
Thanks Zig. I bought some potassium nitrate today. Can I mixed it with distilled water? I do you fish in the tank at the moment.
 

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