Uptake/dosing problems.

b4tn

Junior Poster
Sep 14, 2005
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1
Stuttgart, Germany
I have been having issues dosing KNO3. I am having algae issues even with over 30ppm of CO2. I have pretty much determined the issue is with KN03. Here is the problem. I will do a 50% water change and dose 15ppm KNO3 and 1.5PPM of PO4. Just to verify this I will take measurements. The next day I will test and KNO3 will be nearly 0 and PO4 will be at or around 1ppm. It has been like this for a couple weeks now. It seems the only way I can keep KNO3 above 10 ppm is to dose about 15 PPM per day. I read the EI method and to be honest it kind of lost me. I would have to dose 20 ppm or more every other day to keep KNO3 at a decent level. which seems to me to be very excessive! Any suggestions?

All my tank parameters and pictures are here
http://plantgeek.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5476
 

Laith

Lifetime Charter Member
Lifetime Member
Jan 24, 2005
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Geneva, Switzerland
Re: Uptake/dosing problems.

I'm adding about 12mg/l of NO3 every day in my tanks and I have 3wpg.

In looking over your setup (and your pictures) I'm wondering what in the world is in the LFS recommended nutrient "mud" that you have under your gravel?

Is this like a Dennerle Deponit or JBL Aquabasis plus? I've used both of these and found them frustrating because bizarre things start happening and I have no clue exactly what's in them. So I've since dropped these types of undergravel nutrient layers and just use Flourite.
 

Laith

Lifetime Charter Member
Lifetime Member
Jan 24, 2005
182
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Geneva, Switzerland
Re: Uptake/dosing problems.

Your wood may also be playing games with your CO2/KH/pH relationship.

Raise your CO2 higher. As long as the fish aren't looking stressed out or gasping at the surface, you're fine.
 

b4tn

Junior Poster
Sep 14, 2005
13
0
1
Stuttgart, Germany
Re: Uptake/dosing problems.

Yup, its the dennerle Deponit Mix 200. It came in a large bucket and lists:
Molybdene
Zinc
Magnisium
Calcium
Potasium
Aluminum
sodium
Lithium
VanadiumI
Iron
And many others in German :lol:

They had several different base substrates including the JBL and some other more expensive ones and the guy said this is the best he has for a nutrient rich substrate.

I really wish I could get my hands on eco complete or something like that but it just isnt available to me.

Its good to see someone knows what I have though :lol:
 

b4tn

Junior Poster
Sep 14, 2005
13
0
1
Stuttgart, Germany
Re: Uptake/dosing problems.

Thanks for the advice. I am a bit nervous about upping CO2 My KH has always been 7 and has never changed and when I do 50% water changes my PH rises to 7.4. But, I decided to give it a shot. For my fishes sake though I don’t think I will go any more than 40 ppm. That brings my PH down to 6.7. But it has been slowly dropping all day today and the fish don’t seem to mind.
 

Cornhusker

Guru Class Expert
Jan 23, 2005
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Re: Uptake/dosing problems.

:) b4tn, you may be just the candidate for tom's new substrate he is coming out with. it sounds like this product may be the cat's meow. after his testing this should be the answer to alot of problems related to substrates. i use flourite,onyx sand and ec. ec has to be strained very good to get out large shunks to suit me. i've found that plants may start a little faster in eq but it allso seems to get dirty very easy. seachem is still the best. :) :) regards,cornhusker
 

Tom Barr

Founder
Staff member
Administrator
Jan 23, 2005
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Re: Uptake/dosing problems.

b4tn said:
Thanks for the advice. I am a bit nervous about upping CO2 My KH has always been 7 and has never changed and when I do 50% water changes my PH rises to 7.4. But, I decided to give it a shot. For my fishes sake though I don’t think I will go any more than 40 ppm. That brings my PH down to 6.7. But it has been slowly dropping all day today and the fish don’t seem to mind.

You can see my response on PG.
If you add CaCO3, how can the KH be the same? If must change or the plants/tank are consuming it.

It still seems like CO2.

Ruling out nutrients is a fairly straight forward process.
That leaves you with CO2 as the variable.

Just be careful when lowering your pH beyond the theoretical ppm level and you should be fine.

Then when the fish respond negatively, simply raise the pH up just a little.
Also, make sure there is some surface movement, seems counter productive but does improve the tank health and allows the fish some relief should the plants not use the CO2 during the day.


Regards,
Tom Barr
 

b4tn

Junior Poster
Sep 14, 2005
13
0
1
Stuttgart, Germany
Re: Uptake/dosing problems.

Actually I am not dosing CaCO3 unless you mean CaCO2. THis is the trace mix I am using. and it is very little, about 5 ml of the below mix 3 times a week then a water change.

500 mL Water
1 TBL MgSO4 (Magnesium Sulfate) = Mg + 0.03 ppm/mL or Mg + 0.6 ppm/20 mL Dose
1 TBL Plantex CSM + B (Iron and Traces) = Fe + 0.0025 ppm/mL or Fe + 0.05 ppm/20 mL Dose
1 TSP Iron Chelate
1 TSP CaCO2


I was wondering about my KH also so I bought another test kit. Both kits read 7 dkh whenever I measure. It never changes.

You mentioned water movement, all I have is my Fluval canister filter. Should I get a another power head for surculation? Or maybe add an airstone?