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high nitrates in tap water

4K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  Diana K 
#1 ·
I have over 40ppm of nitrates in my tap water, so i dont feel i should be adding any more nitrates to my tank. can i use the pps pro formula without putting in any potassium nitrate? should i replace it with something else i.e. use more potassium sulphate or something else, or just stick to the formula minus the nitate?
any help much appreciated
wayne
 
#2 ·
I think you nitrates are too high for PPS. If you really want to try you're best off replacing it with potassium sulphate or potassium chloride. Reducing nitrate would be better or maybe EI is something for you.
 
#3 ·
Hi yo-Han
Thanks for your reply, what would be the best way of reducing nitrates other than using ro water?. Don't really like the idea of 50% water changes that go with ei, I find the 20% weekly change in my 300 litre tank enough.
As my tank is low light 105 watts of t8 light to 300 litres do you think I might be better off stopping dosing excel and stop dosing ferts altogether?
Thanks wayne
 
#4 ·
Why would you stop dosing all together? If you ate too much hamburgers (too much nitrates) do you think it would be wise to stop eating at all? No, you're body (the plants) will suffer from not enough nutrients and do even worse.

By changing only 20%, you'll only add 8 ppm for the total amount of water each week. With enough fast growing plants I don't think nitrates will be a problem. Maybe only when filling it with new water, NO3 will be high.
There are all kinds of resins that adsorb nitrates. Usually called something like nitrateminus, you might use that at the start or keep using it if nitrates keep being high.
 
#5 ·
Hi again
I probably worded that wrong, I was thinking somewhere along the lines of stop using excel and just adding trace elements and pps pro recipe minus the potassium nitrate once a week. But I'm not sure how much to add? Do you think the daily dose of 6.5ml would be enough for a low light non excel tank?
Thanks wayne
 
#6 ·
Actually, your water is not really fit as human drinking water. The EPA recommends no more than 10 ppm nitrate N. That corresponds to 44 ppm as NO3, which is where your water is at.
Most tests do not look at nitrites and just lump them together as nitrates. If a lot of your N is in the form of nitrites your water could be very unsafe!
I'd suggest getting an RO system. It would be good for your fish and yourself as well!
 
#7 ·
Ditto Ray-
With water like that I think you have more important things to worry about than aquarium plants.

However, in answer to your original question:
Think about fertilizing the tank as a way to supply the nutrients plants need.
It is not about a single method or product. It is a concept.

1) What do the plants need? (Long list, about 16 elements)
2) What is already being supplied? Water, nitrogen,...
3) What is left? Supply that in the right doses.

So yes, your basic concept of 'do not add more N, but still add the other things' is right.

How you do that, in what doses is up to your.

If you look into the EI method, but do not want to do such large water changes, here is how I handle it:
Dose less. Monitor the tank (NO3, mostly). Alter the formulas accordingly.
 
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