[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Nitrate addition?



Hey, All:

I have recently added light to my 5.5 gallon tank, increasing the level to 
30 watts total (two 15W Philips Agro-lites).  This has not only caused an 
increase in plant growth, but has, as you can imagine, spured the algae on 
quite a bit.  The particular trouble algae is a long, branching, pale green 
type that seems to grow in single, branching strands all around the leaf 
margins, preffering the higher light areas to lower ones.  I have three 
small *true* SAE's in the tank, and they pass it up.

I have tested the water, and it shows no nitrate (Aqua Pharm test kit).  I 
am debating adding nitrate to shift the system to phosphate limited, and 
wanted your input (I have sodium nitrate in granular form).  My fears are as 
folows:

-Will the initial high phosphate AND high nitrate state cause a bloom of 
algae?

-I use Seachem's Discus Buffer and Neutral Regulator to stabilize the pH 
(6.6-6.8).  These are phosphate based buffers, so will the pH be in danger 
of rapid swings as the plants and algae consume phosphates?  I have tried 
the combination of Seachem's non phosphate Acid Buffer and Alkaline Buffer, 
but have not found these to be as stable as the ones I am using now.

Thanks for any ideas,
Matthew Shaffer

______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com