Zero nitrates and struggling plants

[dangerflower]

Short version: what is the best way to raise nitrate levels in a low tech tank to support better plant growth and combat nasty algae?

I have two 10 gallon planted tanks, one that's been going for a little over a year and another that I set up 4 ish months ago. I've been struggling with low nitrate levels in these tanks the whole time I've had them. I pretty much always get a reading of zero ppm when I test. The tanks are definitely cycled, and it's not a faulty test (I've gotten nitrate readings during cycling) and I do shake the crap out of the bottles before doing the tests. These tanks both have looooots of plants and smaller bioloads (one is just a betta, 2 nerites, and shrimp; the other is shrimp, a mystery snail, and some recently-added juvenile medaka) so I'm assuming that the plants are just using up any nitrate before it can build up. 

My betta tank, the one that has been set up for a year, seems to have reached an equilibrium where the plants are pretty happy, but the newer tank is a mess. Lots of algae, stagnated plant growth, melty plants. I'm especially sad about my brazilian pennywort, which I thought was going to be an easy plant that would take over everything but instead it keeps melting at the base and all of its leaves are getting really pale. And the curly val, which is just a melty mess at the back of the tank and not growing at all. 

I use Easy Green fertilizer once or twice a week and root tabs under the root feeders. I don't know if the algae situation and poor plant growth is being caused by the low nitrate or something else, but I'm wondering what the best way is to raise nitrate levels in a low tech tank? Most of the information I can find only talks about high tech tanks, and I see a lot of warnings about not over fertilizing low tech tanks. Should I be adding more easy green? Or doing fewer water changes? I usually do a 10% water change once a week.

[nabokovfan87]

your floating plants might be choking out the other plants from thriving.

Root tabs is the go-to for this type of tank.

I would start with giving the plants on the bottom more access to light from the floaters, add more easy green and stay above 20 ppm

On 3/15/2022 at 2:05 PM, dangerflower said:

so I'm assuming that the plants are just using up any nitrate before it can build up.

 

Yes, I totally agree. Especially with low aquatic life and a lot of plants, There is some high demand in those tanks for more food.

Edited March 15, 2022 by nabokovfan87
added quote

[HH Morant]

Dude! There are no fish in your aquariums!

Get some fish!

They will mess up your water parameters right away!

[dangerflower]

@nabokovfan87 okay cool, so it is okay to keep adding easy green until I see nitrates? I wasn't sure if that would cause a catastrophic algae situation.

I tend to like to keep a lot of floating plants because they block some light and I can get away with having my lights on for longer... but I'm also realizing that the light on the tank in question is less powerful than the light on my other tank where that system works out well. I'll experiment with taking some away.

@HH Morant 😂 there are actually 12 rice fish in this tank, but they are just teeny babies and not doing a significant amount of pooping yet haha. But yeah I did start this tank with the intention of it being a shrimp and snails only set up and then I was like, nope I need some fish in here. 

[nabokovfan87]

On 3/15/2022 at 3:19 PM, dangerflower said:

@nabokovfan87 okay cool, so it is okay to keep adding easy green until I see nitrates? I wasn't sure if that would cause a catastrophic algae situation.

I tend to like to keep a lot of floating plants because they block some light and I can get away with having my lights on for longer... but I'm also realizing that the light on the tank in question is less powerful than the light on my other tank where that system works out well. I'll experiment with taking some away.

yes, absolutely.

Let me see if I can find one of cory's old videos. But 20-40 ppm is about where you want to be for a planted tank. For a high tech, you stick to the high end of that.  At about 6:41 in the video below they discuss algae and dosing.

Edit: They discuss Easy Green specifically just after the hour mark.
 

And here is an "updated" version specifically calling out the 40 ppm threshold:

As for the light itself, keep in mind that the plants on top are getting direct light without much refraction and without having to go to a certain depth. Those plants will generally do well if you have fertilizers going.  For some of the other plants you have there, especially those showing deficiencies, it would make sense that light can be an issue (it absolutely might not be) but it makes sense that it would be because of how dense the cover is. If the tank below was all low light plants, and all the leaves were healthy, I would think everything is fine. But showing deficiencies, I think giving some access to light will help the plants perk up a bit as well as making sure everyone (top and bottom) has some food to nibble on.

Edited March 15, 2022 by nabokovfan87
updated link

[dangerflower]

@nabokovfan87 thank you!

[AndreaW]

I think I'm having the same issue in my 10G Betta tank. I did one pump of Easy Green 2 days ago and today there were 0ppm Nitrates on my test. I added another pump after the test. 

Should I add multiple pumps of Easy Green at a time, or should I space it out and see if I can get my nitrates up to 20ppm gradually?

[Jungle Fan]

As @nabokovfan87 said Easy Green All In One increased, and add root tabs for your swords, and crypts (next to them about an inch away, not directly underneath, or touching their roots so they won't get root burn).   Also the floaters are fertilizer hogs. in any tank that has slight nitrate problems that aren't a result of neglected maintenance a couple of floaters that will multiply in a hurry added will take care of the problem, they are great at nitrate removal.

Edited March 17, 2022 by Jungle Fan

[JoeQ]

I have a lightly stocked tank and struggle to keep nitrates up, so I bought some seachem nitrogen to supplement instead of dosing tons of easy green. I'll probably add this to my next Amazon order to try as well, it seems like a better product, with better dosing guidelines. 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001LUH5ME/ref=ox_sc_act_image_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Edited March 17, 2022 by JoeQ

[JoeQ]

On 3/17/2022 at 1:41 PM, AndreaW said:

I think I'm having the same issue in my 10G Betta tank. I did one pump of Easy Green 2 days ago and today there were 0ppm Nitrates on my test. I added another pump after the test. 

Should I add multiple pumps of Easy Green at a time, or should I space it out and see if I can get my nitrates up to 20ppm gradually?

See my post above, i forgot to tag.