# Acceptable Nitrate Levels?



## pejerrey (Dec 5, 2011)

Depending on your lights, co2 and substrate... This is what I have been told.

CO2 25-30ppm

NO3 5-30ppm (some livestock is sensitive)

PO4 1-3ppm (more doesn't hurt)

K 10-30 ppm

Fe 0.2-0.5 ppm

Mg 5-11ppn


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## Amazon (Oct 7, 2009)

Thanks pejerrey, just what I was looking for.

I have loaches which are supposed to be sensitive to NO3. I was amazed they showed no ill effects of my slacking...thank goodness.

If don't run CO2, should I still add a drop checker? How else would one know if carbon levels are sufficient? hmmm...


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## bradlgt21 (Mar 24, 2010)

I still try to keep it below 20. But anything below 5 is to low for plants. I like being in the 5-20 range but I have gotten to 40+ before and had no ill effects.


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## WendyRob (Feb 9, 2012)

Amazon said:


> Thanks pejerrey, just what I was looking for.
> 
> I have loaches which are supposed to be sensitive to NO3. I was amazed they showed no ill effects of my slacking...thank goodness.
> 
> If don't run CO2, should I still add a drop checker? How else would one know if carbon levels are sufficient? hmmm...


Excuse my noob question, but can you please tell me what a drop checker is?


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## pejerrey (Dec 5, 2011)

My kuhlis are doing good with 15-20ppm... I mean, they look happy to me. But they can't smile or cry right? Lol! They are hungry and colored if that helps.


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## BBradbury (Nov 8, 2010)

*Nitrate Levels*



Amazon said:


> Hi
> 
> Wondering what a target nitrate level is for a planted tank w/fish.
> 
> ...


Hello...

Most fish will be fine for quite a while with nitrates consistently in the 40 ppm range. Lower than this is better. If you remove and replace half the water in the tank every week, you won't have to worry about the water chemistry, because there won't be enough time for pollutants to become a problem before the next large water change.

Just what I do.

B


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## Centromochlus (May 19, 2008)

WendyRob said:


> Excuse my noob question, but can you please tell me what a drop checker is?


It's a glass reservoir that you put in the aquarium. Inside is a mixture of bromethymol blue (pH test kit regent) and 4DKH water. The liquid inside changes color based on your pH/how much CO2 you're injecting.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

If you aren't adding CO2 a drop checker is of no use to you. The CO2 level in the water will be in the range of .5 to 3 ppm from CO2 in the atmosphere. That is enough if you have low light, just enough light for plants to grow.


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## WendyRob (Feb 9, 2012)

AzFishKid said:


> It's a glass reservoir that you put in the aquarium. Inside is a mixture of bromethymol blue (pH test kit regent) and 4DKH water. The liquid inside changes color based on your pH/how much CO2 you're injecting.


 Thank you!


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## Amazon (Oct 7, 2009)

Thanks guys!!


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