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Is this going to be an issue?! If so would any of these solutions work?!?!

526 Views 5 Replies 3 Participants Last post by  PlantedRich
So here is my thought, since starting the 75g planted I have noticed a trend. My nitrates are slowly becoming non existent. I checked my params today and got 0 ammo, 0 nitrites, and just about 0 nitrates. I haven't done a wc this week yet.

I KNOW plants require some nitrates and I am pretty sure that I heard something about too low nitrates cause my cycle to crash. Is this true?!

So my tank is understocked by a fair bit. 64% according to AQ. I don't feed too much because I fear algae.

Plant growth for my low tech tank has been superb thus far. I guess my 2 concerns are with the more plants grow and continue to fill in the more and more nitrates keep getting sucked out. This will cause a deficiency I think, and worried about my cycled tank BB dying.

Are my concerns valid?

Here are some ways I was thinking could help prevent this, let me know what you all think.

Option 1: add more fish, this would mean more waste and thus more nitrates in the water, right?

Option 2: feed more often and bigger portions, this could be a bit risky as overfeeding fish could lead to potential health concerns right?

Option 3: add some bottled product to increase nitrates, this would mean more work and stuff adding to the tank which is the thing I want least. But if its the only way than obviously I will do it.

So which options would you all choose?

Stock is
1 golden ram
2 pearl gourami
25 cardinal
7 oto cats
and a bunch of different snails

Thanks in advanced :)
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All would work. If me I would dose for low tech to add nitrate (kno3) and phosphate (kh2po4). U only dose once a week and the stuff would cost about 10 bucks for the year. Do a search here for your amounts on your tank.

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you mean dose ferts?

I dose weekly 1 cap of flourish comp right now.

Am i right my cycle will die if i don't up my nitrates, or is this not true?
No, nitrates are at the end of the process. Your bacteria will die back depending on the amount of ammonia that is available. A higher fish load will help you there. Not a fan of flourish comp. I can be more specific in addressing need with dry frets and its cheaper.

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i found this.

http://www.theplantguy.org/Dry-fertilizers_c_27.html

i think i might go this route
No worry about the BB. They will expand depending on the amount of ammonia and nitrite rather than nitrate. They will not die out completely. That doesn't mean they are ready at all times if you were to suddenly double/triple the bio load by adding a boatload of fish, though.
I find dosing seperate dry ferts works much better for me as I can change as the tank shows I need. With liquids we get to buy a lot of really expensive water and often pay to have it shipped!
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