low nitrates?

[houndour]

Have been testing my water everyday.

pH 7
kH 5-6
iron 0.5 - 1.0
Nitrates approx 8
nitrites 0
ammonia 0
phosphates (cant remember off top of my head, but within recommended level for planted tanks according to booklet)

I added the "free" nutrafin liquid fertiliser to see if it would up nitrates...(doesnt say on bottle what it contains). But nitrates were still 8ppm.

Should I be adding nitrates in the form of fertiliser or do water changes less frequently, or same but smaller water changes? (currently do 2 buckets a week...approx 25-30% of tank).

Thanks,
Sam

 

[zig]

Im not sure, but you are within the recommended levels of 5-20ppm of nitrate, go below 5 and you would have to take some action, but i think your levels are ok.

 

[jimbooo]

personally i'd miss a water change and test after 2 weeks (if you can bear the wait).

one other thing multinutrient fertalisers (ie the one that comes with the hagen kit) will not contain nitrAte as most people have too much already. if you keep dosing this you'll endup with excess of the other nutrients. (abit like your iron problem)

if the later water changes dont work you could add specific nitrate ferts but as i dont need them cant really advise (gf225's your man there)

 

[houndour]

I'll test my water just before my next water change. If still low, I'll leave it a few days and test again.

 

[DaHerb_what_herb]

are there fish in the tank or is it simply just plants at the moment?

 

[houndour]

fish and plants