Product: Easy Life Nitro
Introduction:
With a deficit or a wrong ratio phosphate-nitrate, the products Nitro or Fosfo can be used to bring back the content of NO3 and/or PO4 to the desired value.
The Golden Triangle is the symbol for the relation between plants-light-macronutrients-micronutrients with the light at the top. It is not for nothing that the factor light stands in the top: the amount of light namely determines the need and the absorption speed of a plant with regard to nutrients.
It is clear that with a lot of light the plant wants to grow faster and thus can use up more nutrients than in average lighted aquaria. Of course the need also depends on the type of plants: really fast growing water plants such as Vallisneria sp. can take up much more nitrate and phosphate than the so-called slow growing water plants (marsh plants) such as Anubias sp.
All nutrients are important
Plants have a need for all nutrients. That means that healthy growth without algae is only possible if all conditions are complied with: light-CO2-N-P-K etc. If there are elements missing, then the growth will start to falter or can even stop.
Algae and leakage of sugars
If the growth falters, processes are not finalized and plants will start to ‘leak’ sugars. It is just these sugars which activate algae spores and algae to grow. Algae are much less sensitive to the deficit of or the lack of a nutrient and therefore the matter is to offer all elements from the Golden Triangle to prevent (algae) problems.
Redfield-ratio: NO3 versus PO4
New views teach us that nitrate and phosphate are not a reason for algae formation. It is precisely a lack of these macro elements which lead to algae formation, again by the leaking of sugars from the plant. Of course a very high content of phosphate (>2,0 mg/l) does give algae problems, but a value of 0,5 - 2,0 mg/l PO4 is acceptable and not a reason for algae formation.
Normally the plant is provided with N and P by the feeding of fish or waste. However, with little fish, scant feeding or many plants and light, precisely a deficit of these macro elements can occur. Many people direct the content of NO3 versus PO4 through the Redfield-ratio (try Googling on Redfield-ratio!) to neutralize a deficit. The Redfield-ration is the ratio between C-N-P, in the ratio 105-16:1. In practice we use the ratio between N and P (16 : 1) and convert that roughly to the water values nitrate and phosphate.
With introduction of additional nitrate (Easy-Life Nitro) and phosphate (Easy-Life Fosfo) the correct ratio can be achieved and a deficit is prevented.
Dosage:
Nitro
10 ml per 500 litres increases NO3 concentration by 2.0 ppm and K concentration by 1.3 ppm. Phosphate free. |
