What is the reason Easy Green raises my nitrate levels?
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
are nutrients that plants consume in large quantities (such as nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium), whereas
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 is to increase nitrate (or nitrous oxide) so that plants can eat enough. Because these nutrients are macronutrients, your plants require more of them, the percentages for nitrate and phosphate are higher than others. Easy Green can be added to increase the nitrate level as measured using a water test strip. In fact, the goal is to dose enough Easy Green until the nitrate level reaches 50 ppm.
Are High Levels of Nitrate Dangerous?
While ammonia and nitrite can be toxic to animals at even trace amounts, nitrate is considerably less toxic. A research paper entitled Nitrate toxicity to aquatic animals showed that nitrate levels could be raised to 800ppm before becoming fatal to guppy fry. 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. Many hobbyists feel tempted to stop using Easy Green because it will cause an increase in the nitrate. Withholding fertilizer can cause plants to lose other vital nutrients, as well as nitrate. These are the steps to prevent this:
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. Wait a few hours and test the water again. 3. You want to get to 50 ppm nitrate. If nitrate is still too low, repeat Step 2 to keep dosing fertilizer until you reach 50 ppm. 4. You can then wait for the water to cool down and test it again after 3-4 more days. The water must be changed 50% if the level of nitrate has not dropped below 75 to 100 ppm. Reduce the production of nitrate by adding fish to your aquarium or plants that are fast-growing.
Are low levels nitrates 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 and symptoms of nitrogen deficiency
You can avoid starving your plants by using 1 pump Easy Green per 10 Gallons of water. We recommend the following frequency:
– Dose once a week for low light aquariums. – Dose twice a week for medium light aquariums.
If your plants are still turning translucent or developing holes due to lack of water nitrate, you may need to adjust the dosing.
1. Add Easy Green to your water if the nitrate level is between 0-25ppm. Let the water sit for a few more hours before you test it again. 2. If nitrate remains below 50ppm continue with Step 1 and continue dosing fertilizer till you reach this level. 3. Allow the water to sit for 3-4 days before testing it. Dose Easy Green again if needed to reach the goal of 50 ppm nitrate.
Record down the dates you fertilized the tank and the amounts of Easy Green used, and soon you should be able to figure out your custom dosing schedule. 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.
Bottom line: do not be alarmed if you see nitrate readings higher than 0 ppm. Nitrate is good for plants and even essential. Easy Green was created to be a beginner-friendly fertilizer. Add 1 pump to 10 gallons and you are good to go.
For more information, see the following articles:
Which plant-based fertilizer is right for you? Nutrient Deficiencies: Why Your Aquarium Plants Are Dying
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