High nitrates

[Edward B]

I have a 60 gallon tank with three thriving plants ….(Java fern , jungle Val , pogostemon stellatus octopus ) all in easy planters . One delhezi bicher . Use aquarium coop liquid fertilizer and root tabs . Do 40% water changes once a week . Nitrates are consistently high 200 ppm . Please help . 

[Native Keeper]

what's the fish stocking?

[Edward B]

One bicher 

[Guppysnail]

I do not use root tabs or all in one fertilizer but other that can help will most likely need to know how many tabs and how much fertz. 
 

There is one easy thing I can tell you to check…that’s happened to me.  If you use api liquid test kit and forget to shake or do not shake enough then all future tests will be much higher reading than it should. The reagent “crystallizes” or something to that affect.  You drop out drops that are mostly water when not shaken then the water to actual reagent ratio is off.  I hope that makes sense.  Best of luck I hope someone can help you on here.

[keddre]

Double-check your test kit, PetSmart will usually test for free. Also, I recommend not dosing easy green because it adds nitrogen (nitrates) (as well as other stuff) and it's not going to be needed too heavily with your plants; maybe look at a micro-nutrient only fertilizer like Flourish. Lastly, how is your jungle val potted? If it's still in rockwool and your adding root tabs, the rockwool can be soaking in the root tab and leaking out into the water

[Ken Burke]

On 4/29/2022 at 10:43 AM, keddre said:

Double-check your test kit, PetSmart will usually test for free. Also, I recommend not dosing easy green because it adds nitrogen (nitrates) (as well as other stuff) and it's not going to be needed too heavily with your plants; maybe look at a micro-nutrient only fertilizer like Flourish. Lastly, how is your jungle val potted? If it's still in rockwool and your adding root tabs, the rockwool can be soaking in the root tab and leaking out into the water

Agreed.  Always get a second opinion if your tests are not making sense, or are way off scale.  I would add, double check the tap water.  From other posts, that can be a source of nitrogen