# Help with EI dosing and Nitrate



## ah_Dan (Jul 25, 2010)

My tank had been running for 4 months and recently I notice death to one oto and missing cherry shrimp. So finally got a Api master test kit. Tank is 9.5Gallon with Eco-complete.
I have been dosing:
KNO3 1/8 tsp x2 /week
KH2PO4 1/32 tsp x2 /week
1tsp Equilibrium during water change
40%wc weekly
CO2 1bps 4dkh drop checker is greenish yellow

Yesterday:
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 80-160ppm!!! (hard to read) 
PH 7.2
GH 3.4
KH 4.8

So today I did 50% wc and Nitrate is still 40-80ppm (waited hours before testing)

There is only 1 Oto, 7 cherry shrimps and lots of plants as of now. Is the high nitrate causing missing shrimp? Those cherries has been dropping eggs, had been 4 months and still no shimplet.

Should I continue with KNO3? I thought planted tank should have low nitrate. Need some advice.

Thanks!

TANK








Today Nitrate Test


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## user_error (Aug 15, 2010)

um, maybe stop dosing the KNO3? at least cut it down and keep watching your levels only add when you get it to where you want it to be and keep it in that zone...

i'm no expert so i don't know, i do water changes all the time in my planted shrimp tanks but i al most never add much ferts other than equilibrium, i think shrimp are supposed to make a lot of waste as it is if i remember correctly...?

GL solving the issue


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## Kitsune (Jul 17, 2010)

1 bubble per second of C02 on a 9 gallon tank is quite a bit... (unless its gassing out at a fast rate). Plus greenish yellow means more than 25 ppm.... Even if your tank was densely planted I wonder if that's too much Co2 for the fish....Actually, what kind of Co2 are you using? Yeast based or pressure tank?

I also find that your nitrate being so high (and zero of nitrite and ammonia) is weird considering you do a 40% weekly water change... Sorry, I'm not a nitrogen cycle expert, but I know there are people on this forum who can tell you exactly what those numbers mean.


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## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

I overstock my tank, that's why one of my tank have insanely high nitrate, but either way, i dun dose nitrate at all in my tanks.
Im guessing it's from the missing shrimps that causes ammonia and nitrite then turned into nitrate by your biomedia, that's why nitrite and ammonia is at 0! Or it could be overfed food, or it could also be because when you dose nitrate, you can have screwed up readings!

Anyways, im no expert so correct me if im wrong =) and im sure Gary will step in soon, just give him some time!~


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## Captured Moments (Apr 22, 2010)

Mmmm.. I don't know much about shrimps. Are they more sensitive to nitrate than fish? Question is whether the dissapearance of your cherry shrimps and your oto is due to the nitrate level or to some other unforeseen factors. It doesn't look like a high light tank so the plants may not be able to use all the nitrate that you are dosing and so it is slowly creeping up despite your 40% water change weekly. Perhaps try reducing the KNO3 dosing or dose only 1x a week and continue with the weekly w/c. I think your Co2 level is OK. Looks like the Co2 is simply diffused out via a glass diffuser.


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

i double user errors suggestion.

first water change 50 %, then take a reading, end of the week, take a reading again to see if it dropped, then adjust EI accordingly


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

First of all, I would not panic just yet. Check your test kit with a known Nitrate concentration using KNO3. Inorganic nitrate is not going to kill your fish at those levels. Second of all, I'd up the water changes to 50% per week or more, or 40% twice a week. The fact that you brought it down to 80 ppm after a 50% water change sounds like the kit is accurate though. Do the water changes until you get down to 30 ppm or less and then start dosing half of what you're dosing now and monitor the nitrate closely.


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## ah_Dan (Jul 25, 2010)

Thanks for all the help guys.

So I stop dosing only KNO3 for the week, slightly increase lighting and did my 50% weekly wc on monday. This time I heavily vaccuum the substrate and add aqua plus as usual.

Did the test today, every thing is fine except that Nitrate is still red from the test tube. (I am bad at reading color, didnt see much color difference between 40ppm and 80ppm on the API card).

So feeding time today, I only see 2 shrimps left... (1 pellet/ 2day) It is very discouraging to see the plant thriving but the shrimps dying. Would really like to know whats killing my shrimp before I spend more $$ on crs which I would love to have.

I will probably add some hornwort and see if it helps.

Kitsune: CO2 is pressurize and on 1 hr before light on and off. 
2wheelsx2: What you mean to do known Nitrate concentration using KNO3.

Nitrate result:


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

I mean make up a solution in water to a certain concentration and measurement it with your kit to see if your kit is accurate. For instance, .25 g of KNO3 in 1 gallon of tap water should give you 38 ppm nitrate measurement.


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