What is the reason Easy Green raises my nitrate levels?
Plants require a precise mix of nutrients in order to get the essential building blocks required to grow new roots and leaves.
Macronutrients
are nutrients that plants consume in large quantities (such as nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium), whereas
micronutrients
These nutrients are essential for plants and can be found in trace quantities (e.g. iron, boron, or 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. Easy Green was created to be an all-in-one fertilizer that helps plants stay 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. In fact, the percentages of nitrate, phosphate, and potassium are higher than the rest because they are macronutrients that your plants need greater amounts of. Easy Green will raise the nitrate level in water tests. In fact, the goal is to dose enough Easy Green until the nitrate level reaches 50 ppm.
Are High Levels of Nitrate Dangerous?
Nitrate, ammonia, and nitrite are toxic to animals in trace amounts. 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. In this situation, many hobbyists are tempted to stop using Easy Green since it will increase the nitrate even higher. However, withholding fertilizer will end up depriving the plants of other essential nutrients besides nitrate. These are the steps to prevent this:
1. Do a 50% water change if nitrate levels are 50 ppm or higher. Repeat this four times per day until the nitrate levels reach 25 ppm. 2. Dose 1 pump of Easy Green per 10 gallons of water. Give the water a rest for a few hours before testing it again. 3. The goal is to reach 50 ppm nitrate. If nitrate is still too low, repeat Step 2 to keep dosing fertilizer until you reach 50 ppm. 4. Then wait 3-4 days before testing the water again. You will need to change 50% of the water if the nitrate level is higher than 75-100ppm. 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. Plant leaves can turn yellow, especially at the tips, and then eventually fall off. This is because the plant has been consuming nutrients from the bottom to make new leaves.
Signs of nitrogen deficiency
We recommend that you use 1 pump of Easy Green to 10 gallons water. This will help prevent your plants from starving.
– Dose once a week for low light aquariums. – Dose twice a week for medium light aquariums.
If you notice that the plant leaves are still translucent and showing signs of rot, it may be necessary to use a custom dosing system based on the water’s nitrate levels.
1. Add Easy Green to your water if the nitrate level is between 0-25ppm. Give the water a rest for a few hours before testing it again. 2. If nitrate is still below 50 ppm, repeat Step 1 and keep dosing fertilizer until you reach that 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.
Keep track of the dates that you fertilized your tank and how much Easy Green was used. Soon you will be able figure out your customized 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 is a beginner-friendly fertilizer that you can use without measuring out tons of other supplements. You only need to add 1 pump for every 10 gallons.
You can find more information in the following articles:
Which is the best planted tank fertilizer? Nutrient Deficiencies: Why Your Aquarium Plants Are Dying
Register
Recent blog posts
Is the Easy Plant LED light compatible with the Kasa Wi Fi timer? – Does the Easy Plant LED light have a sunrise or sunset mode? Is the Easy Plant LED lamp programmable via a smartphone app? – How many lumens is the Easy Plant LED light? – Does the Easy Plant LED have risers to raise up the light?