Hi all! I'm currently trying to "balance" my tank and I wanted to measure my phosphate, calcium, potassium, and iron to see if my parameters were low or high, but I have no idea where to start. I'm not sure what my parameters should be. I know you need a specific amount for your aquarium to be balanced but there's so many opinions online that I don't know which one is right. I watched Irene's video on nutrient deficiencies in planted aquariums and it helped, but I just don't get how she knew they were too low or high. She knew they were out of whack, but how'd she'd know that they needed to be lowered or increased? How do people in general know? I'm so stuck, I don't know what my parameters should be for my tank to be balanced for the elements bolded above. I so want to achieve the "balanced tank," but I need help. Desperately.
My tank's info: Freshwater, moderately planted (a lot more plants will be planted soon), fluval 3.0 light. Ammonia: 0 ppm. Nitrite: 0 ppm. Nitrate: 20 ppm. Ph: 7.6. (If you guys need the gh and kh, lmk) This tank has been established for I believe, a year or two.
Stocking:
8 harlequin rasboras
6 sterbai corydoras
5 otocinclus
2 nerite snails