Low Nitrates and Alk but high phosphates

[cconnolly]

Adding 50 ppm of nitrate (and consuming it) will boost alk by 2.3 dKH.

I only added 15ML over 3 days. Ill keep an eye on it.

 

[Saltyanimals]

Adding 50 ppm of nitrate (and consuming it) will boost alk by 2.3 dKH.

Did not know that! So folks that are trying to raise nutrients specially NO3 should hold off on any alk adjustments simply because it'll raise along with the NO3 raise. ??

I feel like I should have known this, but it has never came up in any of my own water testing. i.e. I been yoyoing with NO3/PO4 trying to keep it up myself (2-8pm so far) yet never observed the Alk jump. However simply math tells me a 5ppm raise (10% of 50ppm) should raise dKH + 0.23 dKH (10% of 2.3 dKH). Maybe that was too small of a dKH raise for me to noticed and not write off as alk fluctuations throughout the day.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Did not know that! So folks that are trying to raise nutrients specially NO3 should hold off on any alk adjustments simply because it'll raise along with the NO3 raise. ??

I feel like I should have known this, but it has never came up in any of my own water testing. i.e. I been yoyoing with NO3/PO4 trying to keep it up myself (2-8pm so far) yet never observed the Alk jump. However simply math tells me a 5ppm raise (10% of 50ppm) should raise dKH + 0.23 dKH (10% of 2.3 dKH). Maybe that was too small of a dKH raise for me to noticed and not write off as alk fluctuations throughout the day.

Many folks do not realize it, and on a one or two day basis, its too small to notice.