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Confused About N and P Reading

602 views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  Darkblade48 
#1 ·
Ok so from what I understand I want around .5 ppm of phosphate and 20 ppm of nitrate in a fairly heavily planted tank.

The thing that's confusing me is that some people are saying that because plants are using both, the actual readings in my tank should be around 0. Is this true or just a myth?

If it is true how am I supposed to know if I am dosing too much or too little?. My plants aren't showing deficiencies but I am getting a minimal amount of BGA and hair algae.
 
#2 ·
I'm not sure where you got those values for phosphate and nitrates from.

Your nitrates and phosphates should generally not measure 0 ppm either.

If you are dosing using the EI regimen (for example), as it provides an excess of nutrients, you will not need to worry about deficiencies in plants. Other methods (such as PPS-Pro) require that you monitor the plants and environment for deficiencies.
 
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