Easy Green and detective nitrates?

[Jay4speed]

Hello Everyone,

Should I be able to see if Nitrates go up immediately after adding Easy Green? Or does it need time to complete through the Nitrogen cycle? Wasn't sure if I was adding direct Nitrates or not?

Background:

The tank is a 16 Gallon Fluval Spec AIO with Fluval 3.0 light and CO2. I have a carpet of dwarf hair grass, 2 cypt parva, and around 6 Anubias nana petite, as well as a Bonsai tree with a canopy of Monte Carlo. For the volume I assume it's a good amount of plants? Bio load is 6 Cherry Barbs, 3 neon Tetras, about 10 shrimp and a snail. I was doing 50% water changes once a week. I was dosing 2 pumps Easy Green 1x a week and the plants were showing signs of struggle. I've increased to 3 pumps 2x a week (gradually) for the past 2 weeks. Plants are improving getting very green. Still I have nitrates at 0 ppm. Tonight I dosed and checked Nitrates again about 1 hour after dosing and it still reads 0 ppm. This let me to wonder if it has to be processed by the nitrogen cycle before registering as Nitrates? 

After reading some posts it seems I may need to slow down my water changes?

Thank you, I'm new and learning. 

Jason

 

Edited February 28, 2021 by Jay4speed

[FrozenFins]

No, the nitrogen in the easy green won't have anything to do with the nitrogen cycle. 

The nitrogen cycle grows bacteria that will turn the amonia - nitrites - nitrates.  In the nitrogen cycle we are not "growing" nitrogen in the water colum, but bacteria in your filter and other surfaces that converts what was mentioned above.

If your plants are looking well, looking green and don't seem to have any nutrient defeciancies but are growing well, I would continue with your dosing scehdule, you could increase it to 4 pumps per week if you are still a little concerned. 

[CT_]

To answer your question directly, one pump per 10g should increase nitrate readings by 3ppm.  So 0 to 3ppm may not be detectable by your kit.  Also just incase remember to shake the heck out of bottle 2 in the api nitrate test and to follow all the directions.  The nitrate test is easy to get false negative readings.

[Jay4speed]

@CT_ Wanted to follow up and let you know that you were 100% on the money. My nitrates were not reading because I neglected to shake my bottles prior to testing. While my original API test kit would not show a reading, I went out and got test strips which would show 40ppm. I know test strips aren't the most dependable so I went and bought a second nitrates test kit. Lo and behold it registers 40ppm too. Not shaking the bottle must have screwed it up. Thanks guys appreciate the help. 

[KBOzzie59]

A quick test.

Bottom is 10 mL water from my aged water barrel.

Middle 10 mL aged water, 1mL Easy Green (shaken not stirred).

Top 100% Easy Green.

edit: CooP test strips

Edited April 6, 2021 by KBOzzie59