BGA/Cynobateria Solved ?

[tubamanandy]

Hi-tech tank with CO2, good light, EI etc etc

Been struggling for month with BGA issues despite weekly water changes, EI, decently lighting, big ext filter, good circulation etc etc. Decided to check my NO3 (Nitrate) level today and its virtually unreadable using a couple of different test kits.

I know low NO3 levels are linked with BGA but I thought standard dosing of EI added Nitrate ?

Can someone clarify this ? If not, can you recommend what I should be adding to my water and when ?

 

[sWozzAres]

yes EI adds nitrate, enough that you can't run out so it sounds like something is up with your dosing!

Check if your test kit shows any nitrate in the tap water? If it does then you can rule out the test kit as being wrong.

 

[tubamanandy]

Does correctly dosed EI usually add enough Nitrate or do most people need to supplement ?

 

[sWozzAres]

Does correctly dosed EI usually add enough Nitrate or do most people need to supplement ?

It's based on maximum plant uptake so if dosed correctly you can't run out.

 

[DRG93]

If you are dosing fertilisers using the Estimative Index method then there's not a problem with your ferts unless you have calculated the dosing incorrectly.

 

[alto]

Been struggling for month with BGA issues despite weekly water changes, EI, decently lighting, big ext filter, good circulation etc etc. Decided to check my NO3 (Nitrate) level today and its virtually unreadable using a couple of different test kits.

I know low NO3 levels are linked with BGA

I have always run my tanks with virtually no Nitrate & rarely experience BGA so don't take that "link" as a given
Generally there are several contributing factors, but if only one is easily measured - it becomes simple to perceive that factor as determining ...

My all means, increase your nitrates & see what happens - but don't get too focused on that one factor.
You might pick up a new nitrate kit (especially an alternate brand) to confirm the apparent non-existent nitrate level.

Check if your test kit shows any nitrate in the tap water? If it does then you can rule out the test kit as being wrong.

I have zero nitrate in my tap water so how would this confirm anything about the nitrate kit in question???

 

[sWozzAres]

I have zero nitrate in my tap water so how would this confirm anything about the nitrate kit in question???

Think about it, his test kit shows zero in the tank, if he can get his test kit to show non-zero then it's not faulty, but if he tests the tap water and that also shows zero then it's inconclusive which is why I included the caveat "If it does [register some value]"

 

[Chris Jackson]

I have not found BGA to be consistently a nitrate issue. In one non EI based tank extra KNO3 definitely seemed to help. In another EI tank it certainly didn't and infact reducing ferts in that tank helped significantly. I have found it to be worst in areas of lower flow that are also prone to accumulating grud...and even more so in higher light With other scapes it's never been an issue whatsoever regardless.

However I can say that in my experience trying to get rid off it by starving it with frequent large water changes and no ferts absolutely made it significantly worse... So too little nitrate don't help....but neither does too much?

So many variables....keeps the hobby interesting..