# best way to increase NO3???



## sasa (Apr 15, 2005)

Hi guys,

My nitrate test is showing always 0ppm. I'm using Seachem nitrate/nitrite test (I checked the test with the reference solution and it's working fine)

I'm adding NO3 thought Seachem Nitrogen, dosing per label (2.5 mls per 40 gallons) my tank is 77 gallons so I'm dosing around 5 mls twice a week.

* phosphorus is around 1.7-2.0ppm
* ammonia 0
* Ph 6.8
* KH 5.0
* GH 9.0
* CO2 24ppm

My tanks is medium plated, and I only have 3 SAE's and some cherry shrimps. (no fish food because I'm trying to get rid of some hair algae)

Any help will be really appreciated!

sasa


----------



## josh (May 1, 2005)

What is the reference solution suppose to read at? If at 0 then that is not going to be a very accurate test. Maybe your plants are using it all up or maybe increasing it by 25% and so on...


----------



## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

Let a cat pee in your tank? 

sasa, when I used Seachem Nitrogen on an 80g system I was dosing 10mL 2x/week. It's likely that your plants are taking up the nitrogen before you can test for it and that you're not dosing enough for the test to read. Try dosing 10mL and testing 5 minutes later.

Regards,
Phil


----------



## sasa (Apr 15, 2005)

Josh : the reference solution is supposed to read at 10ppm

Phil : I will give that a try, thanks.

sasa


----------



## Salt (Apr 5, 2005)

Remember to double your nitrate reading... only half of the nitrogen in Flourish Nitrogen is in nitrate form.

A lot of people dose Potassium Nitrate.

One of the easiest ways to increase nitrate that no one ever seems to mention... add more fish!


----------



## mlfishman (Apr 4, 2005)

*get your co2 up*

Get your co2 up over 30ppm consistently and start dosing dry Potasium nitrate, 10ppm 3x a week....remove as much hair algae mechanically as possible....the hair algae will stop growing within a few weeks....I had the smae problem.....make sure you have enough plants in there.....since i starting following Tom Barrs methods from his posts on here everything has been uphill....


----------



## mlfishman (Apr 4, 2005)

*Seachem Nitrogen*

If your dosing 5 ml 2x a week your dosing somewhere around 2 ppm....not nearly enough....


----------



## Salt (Apr 5, 2005)

mlfishman said:


> If your dosing 5 ml 2x a week your dosing somewhere around 2 ppm....not nearly enough....


Seachem Nitrogen is a complex blend of different nitrogen sources. You can't simply equate this with dosing nitrate (such as potassium nitrate) directly (well you can but you'd be wrong ). Keep in mind Seachem is a big company with lots of research and testing behind their products. Follow the instructions and you'll be fine. 

Do not overdose any Seachem liquid products. They contain a preservative that might be harmful to some fauna. (http://www.seachem.com/support/forums/showthread.php?t=95)


----------

