Why is Easy Green raising my nitrate level?
Plants need more than light and water. They also require the right nutrients to provide them with the basic building blocks they need to grow new leaves, roots, and other vital elements.
Macronutrients
There are many nutrients that plants require in large quantities, such as potassium, phosphorous, and nitrogen.
micronutrients
are nutrients that plants need in trace amounts (such as iron, boron, and manganese). Traditionally, it was thought that fish poop and uneaten fish food were sufficient sources of nutrients for plant growth, but in reality, they do not contain all these necessary nutrients in the right ratios or amounts. Therefore, we developed Easy Green as an easy, all-in-one fertilizer to help keep plants healthy and well-fed.
Easy Green’s goal, as you can see from the above list of nutrients, is to increase nitrate or nitrogen so that your plants have enough nutrients. The percentages of potassium, phosphate and nitrate are actually higher than the rest, because these are macronutrients your plants require greater amounts. Easy Green can be added to increase the nitrate level as measured using a water test strip. It is important to use enough Easy Green to achieve a nitrate level of 50 ppm.
Are high levels of nitrate dangerous?
Ammonia and Nitrite can be toxic to animals even in small amounts. However, nitrate is much less toxic. Research paper titled Nitrate toxicity to aquatic animals found that nitrate levels rose to 800 ppm in a study before they were fatal for guppy fries. As a rule of thumb, we recommend keeping aquariums at 50 ppm nitrate and below.
If you have a fish tank that is heavily stocked with animals and/or does not have a lot of aquarium plants, the nitrate level produced by fish waste can naturally climb to 50 ppm and above. In this situation, many hobbyists are tempted to stop using Easy Green since it will increase the nitrate even higher. But withholding fertilizer could cause the plants to be deficient in other nutrients. To prevent this from happening, use the following instructions:
1. If nitrate is 50 ppm or above, do a 50% water change (or multiple 50% water changes every four days) until nitrate reaches 25 ppm at most. 2. One pump of Easy Green for every 10 gallons water. Give the water a rest for a few hours before testing it again. 3. Your goal is to achieve 50 ppm of nitrate. If the nitrate level is still low, you can repeat Step 2. You will continue to apply fertilizer until it reaches 50 ppm. 4. Wait 3-4 days and test the water again. If nitrate is already at 75-100 ppm, you will have to do another 50% water change. Consider removing some fish or adding more plants (especially fast-growing ones) to decrease the rate at which nitrate is produced.
Are Low Levels of Nitrate Dangerous?
While fish and other aquatic animals are not affected by a lack of nitrate, plants absolutely need it to grow well. Without nitrate, plant leaves will turn yellow (especially starting at the leaf tips) and eventually melt away because the plant is consuming nutrients from its old leaves at the bottom in order to make new leaves at the top.
Signs a nitrogen deficiency
To avoid starving your plants, you can do 1 pump of Easy Green for every 10 gallons. The following frequency is recommended:
– Dose once a week for low light aquariums. – Dose twice a week for medium light aquariums.
However, if you find that your plant leaves are still turning translucent and developing holes, a customized dosing method may be needed, based on the nitrate level of the water.
1. If nitrate ranges from 0-25 ppm, then add a full dose of Easy Green (according to the instructions above). After waiting a while, test the water again. 2. If nitrate is still below 50 ppm, repeat Step 1 and keep dosing fertilizer until you reach that level. 3. Wait 3-4 days and test the water. To reach the goal of 50ppm nitrate, you can use Easy Green again.
You will soon be able to determine your personal dosing schedule by recording the dates and amounts of Easy Green you used. Just be aware that as plants and fish grow larger or are removed from the aquarium, this changes the amount of nitrate that is needed, so keep an eye on the growth of the plants and test your water to adjust the schedule as needed.
The bottom line is don’t be alarmed if your nitrate readings are higher than 0. Nitrate is good for plants and even essential. Therefore, we created Easy Green as a beginner-friendly fertilizer so you don’t have to measure out a ton of supplements. Add 1 pump to 10 gallons and you are good to go.
The following articles provide more information:
Which Planted Tank Fertilizer Is Right for You? Nutrient Deficiencies: Why Your Aquarium Plants Are Dying
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