[AGA Member] nutrition Test kits....

["John G. Glaeser" <jglaeser@wisc.edu>]

Amit Brucker asks: "Is there a way to measure nutrition deficiency?"

I use Hach digital Pocket Colorimeter  kits: #46700-02 Nitrate; 
#46700-16 Iron and #46700-06  Phosphate.  Maintaining this range seems 
to work: 10 - 20 mg/L Nitrate, 0.15 - 0.25 mg/L Iron and 0.5 - 1 mg/L 
Phosphate. I use Kent Freshwater Plant (Fe, K20, Cu, Mn, Mo, Zn) and 
ProPlant (N, B, Mg, S). I figure if my Iron and Nitrate readings are 
OK, the other components are OK.

Story: Once a week I added 60 ml of both Iron and Nitrate to a very 
brightly lighted heavily planted 125 gallon aquaria. Yet, plants showed 
signs of nutrient deficiency every week and algae problems existed. Did 
testing and discovered nutrients were used up half way through the 
week. So, for a half a week they were starving!  After reducing light 
level by I/3 and thus reducing plant's metabolic rate, once a week 
dosing of 15 - 20 ml of both Iron and Nitrate maintained acceptable 
nutrients levels. Plants looked better and algae problems vanished.

John

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