Who is the Nitrate hog?

[Spar]

I have been having trouble keeping my Nitrates up this past week for some reason based on my normal dosage routine.

i.e. I put in 10ppm yesterday and it was zero by the end of the day. Dosed again today 10ppm and just tested as zero as well (not 8 hours later).

Obviously easy to fix, but just curious as to which plant is suddenly taking in so much NO3.

I tested the testkit out on a gallon piture of water and tested right, so it isn't that.

I have:
Java Fern (lots of it)
Jungle Val
Corkscrew Val
Red Tiger Lotus

The odd thing is that prior to this week I couldnt keep my NO3 down based on my normal dosage routine. The only thing different now is that I cut my PO4 back. Accidentally had PO4 at 32ppm, and now back down to 2ppm. Think the extreme excess of PO4 was screwing up the NO3 uptake somehow?

[Georgiadawgger]

Interesting...I would suspect your test kit, but since you ran a control that rules that out...

I would suspect your Java Ferns...are you seeing a lot of new growth and the "clear parts" on the leaves to indicate leaf growth? In my experience JFs and moss were nitrate hogs for me. I would also suspect your vals too.

[aquaverde]

Supposedly, addition of PO4 will drive more NO3 uptake, if the plants were PO4 limited. Maybe in really high amounts, the plants were growth-inhibited. How's that for a totally ignorant guess?

Anyway, I should think the users of the NO3 would become obvious at trimming time. Java fern is the only "slow" grower in the tank that I see.

[cich]

Originally Posted by Georgiadawgger

Interesting...I would suspect your test kit, but since you ran a control that rules that out...

I would suspect your Java Ferns...are you seeing a lot of new growth and the "clear parts" on the leaves to indicate leaf growth? In my experience JFs and moss were nitrate hogs for me. I would also suspect your vals too.

I would also think Java Fern because I've heard that they love high nitrate levels. And since they're so green and so leafy, it doesn't suprise me that they require more nitrogen.