java ferns

mousey · 04-04-2006, 04:14 PM

I guess this question could also go in the general section.
I have a 5 gal tank that houses 3 panda cories, 3 female guppies and 4, 1/4 inch platy fry.
There is a storm coming and the fish are nuts.
Just to make sure it is the weather and not water issues I checked the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels. The test kits are all within a month of purchase and have been reading accurately as far as I know Eg the nitrate tester showed 20ppm last week on one tank.
All my readings were 0 on the 5 gallon.
I read that java ferns suck nitrates up. I am wondering if this is why the reading is at 0?
There are 2 small javas and 4-5 1 or 2 inch vals in the tank.
Should i add a couple more guppies to the tank to try and get the nitrate levels up?
Mouse

Fishboy93 · 04-04-2006, 04:23 PM

Could be, also depends on how often you do water changes....

**Damon** · 04-04-2006, 09:44 PM

Java ferns use up NO3 (nitrate) just like any other plant but not much. I would not add more fish to the tank. Its crowded as it is.

mousey · 04-04-2006, 09:48 PM

I wonder how to explain the 0 nitrate-- how can that be?
Someone suggested getting a fert with nitrogen in it. Any ideas what brand of fert that would be?
I do not want to add my own concoction of ferts-- prefer to use ready mix!

lotsoffish · 04-05-2006, 03:04 AM

Your tank sounds like it is running great, why add nitrate?

mousey · 04-05-2006, 02:06 PM

well all my other tanks show about 20 ppm of nitrates. Also I read that if you grow live plants they need some in the water to fuel themselves.
Who else do we know that have 0 nitrates?
I was just wondering why.

**TheOldSalt** · 04-05-2006, 06:20 PM

Most folks would LOVE to have 0 nitrates. Zero is the ultimate, usually unattainable goal!
Java Ferns are slow growing anyway, so there's really no point in poisoning your fish just to make them grow a tiny bit faster. Your tank is producing nitrates already, just not TOO much. It seems that you have acheived the difficult feat of creating a perfectly balanced aquarium, which is rare & really nifty. Why mess with it?

DigiDan · 04-27-2006, 07:32 PM

java fern and java moss are the same right?

where can i purchase it? cuz i went to my local pets store, not petco, and they dont have it...

bpswim90 · 04-27-2006, 08:21 PM

Wait... if you had zero nitrates... does that mean you would never have to do water changes?!

DigiDan · 04-27-2006, 09:03 PM

wait thought, what about ammonia and nitrites?

what is the difference between nitrites and nitrates?

**Damon** · 04-27-2006, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bpswim90

Wait... if you had zero nitrates... does that mean you would never have to do water changes?!

No. While NO3 levels may reach 0, that doesn't mean that your TDS would not climb, or your PO4 readings. Also, without fresh water, there is nothing to reset the balance in your tank of the many, many other elements being produced and consumed.

**TheOldSalt** · 04-28-2006, 08:06 AM

Java Moss & Java Ferns are two very, very different things. You can get either or both very easily on Aquabid.com if you can't find it in a store. Being in California, you'll find that a lot of things are illegal to sell in stores that are
perfectly fine outside the PRK. ( People's Republik of Kalifornia )

The difference between nitrite & nitrate is an oxygen atom. This difference gives each molecule very different properties, giving nitrite the ability to bond to hemoglobin like carbon monoxide does while making nitrate a handy plant fertilizer.

Not everything noxious in your tank gets broken down into ammonia & nitrate,and the plants don't absorb everything, either. Water changes are still needed to eliminate these other things.

DigiDan · 04-29-2006, 01:49 AM

i did know that whole difference with nitrites and nitrates with the oxygen atom, but i wanted to know their properties....

and why is java moss and ferns illegal in california?

**TheOldSalt** · 04-29-2006, 06:45 AM

I'm not sure that they are illegal in CA. It wouldn't surprise me, though, since so many other common things are verboten in the Golden State.
Durned hippies.

ron v · 04-29-2006, 07:00 AM

Mousey, how long has your 5 gal. tank been set up. Zero reading for all three nitrogen parameters usually means cycle has not started and ammonia has not been produced in sufficient quanity to show up. Zero nitrates in a lightly planted established tank is impossible without 100% water changes and then only for a short period of time.

04-04-2006, 04:14 PM	#1
mousey Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 789 User Feedback: (0)	java ferns I guess this question could also go in the general section. I have a 5 gal tank that houses 3 panda cories, 3 female guppies and 4, 1/4 inch platy fry. There is a storm coming and the fish are nuts. Just to make sure it is the weather and not water issues I checked the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels. The test kits are all within a month of purchase and have been reading accurately as far as I know Eg the nitrate tester showed 20ppm last week on one tank. All my readings were 0 on the 5 gallon. I read that java ferns suck nitrates up. I am wondering if this is why the reading is at 0? There are 2 small javas and 4-5 1 or 2 inch vals in the tank. Should i add a couple more guppies to the tank to try and get the nitrate levels up? Mouse

04-04-2006, 04:23 PM	#2
Fishboy93 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Ft. Myers, FL Age: 15 Posts: 658 User Feedback: (0)	Could be, also depends on how often you do water changes.... __________________ 29 Gallon Reef

04-04-2006, 09:44 PM	#3
Damon Aquatic Naturalist Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Dayton, Ohio Age: 32 Posts: 14,982 User Feedback: (0)	Java ferns use up NO3 (nitrate) just like any other plant but not much. I would not add more fish to the tank. Its crowded as it is. __________________ For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. Member of the AGA (Aquatic Gardner's Association) Member of the IBC (International Betta Congress)

04-27-2006, 07:32 PM	#8
DigiDan The Weirdo Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Los Angeles County Age: 19 Posts: 19 User Feedback: (0)	speaking of java ferns java fern and java moss are the same right? where can i purchase it? cuz i went to my local pets store, not petco, and they dont have it...

04-27-2006, 08:21 PM	#9
bpswim90 hola Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Missouri Age: 17 Posts: 101 User Feedback: (0)	Wait... if you had zero nitrates... does that mean you would never have to do water changes?! __________________ My Ten Gallon Journal 10 Gallon: 7 Glowlight Tetras Amazon sword, Anacharis, Java Fern, Wisteria, & other stuff ... 36w CF lighting (11 hours daily) and ghetto CO2 5 Gallon QT: Empty + needs to be cleaned

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04-04-2006, 09:48 PM	#4
mousey Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 789 User Feedback: (0)	I wonder how to explain the 0 nitrate-- how can that be? Someone suggested getting a fert with nitrogen in it. Any ideas what brand of fert that would be? I do not want to add my own concoction of ferts-- prefer to use ready mix!

04-05-2006, 03:04 AM	#5
lotsoffish Banned Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: N. Tonawanda NY Age: 46 Posts: 188 User Feedback: (1)	Your tank sounds like it is running great, why add nitrate?

04-05-2006, 02:06 PM	#6
mousey Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 789 User Feedback: (0)	well all my other tanks show about 20 ppm of nitrates. Also I read that if you grow live plants they need some in the water to fuel themselves. Who else do we know that have 0 nitrates? I was just wondering why.

04-05-2006, 06:20 PM	#7
TheOldSalt Darth Ichthyos Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,233 User Feedback: (6)	Most folks would LOVE to have 0 nitrates. Zero is the ultimate, usually unattainable goal! Java Ferns are slow growing anyway, so there's really no point in poisoning your fish just to make them grow a tiny bit faster. Your tank is producing nitrates already, just not TOO much. It seems that you have acheived the difficult feat of creating a perfectly balanced aquarium, which is rare & really nifty. Why mess with it?

04-27-2006, 09:03 PM	#10
DigiDan The Weirdo Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Los Angeles County Age: 19 Posts: 19 User Feedback: (0)	wait thought, what about ammonia and nitrites? what is the difference between nitrites and nitrates?

04-28-2006, 08:06 AM	#12
TheOldSalt Darth Ichthyos Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,233 User Feedback: (6)	Java Moss & Java Ferns are two very, very different things. You can get either or both very easily on Aquabid.com if you can't find it in a store. Being in California, you'll find that a lot of things are illegal to sell in stores that are perfectly fine outside the PRK. ( People's Republik of Kalifornia ) The difference between nitrite & nitrate is an oxygen atom. This difference gives each molecule very different properties, giving nitrite the ability to bond to hemoglobin like carbon monoxide does while making nitrate a handy plant fertilizer. Not everything noxious in your tank gets broken down into ammonia & nitrate,and the plants don't absorb everything, either. Water changes are still needed to eliminate these other things.

04-29-2006, 01:49 AM	#13
DigiDan The Weirdo Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Los Angeles County Age: 19 Posts: 19 User Feedback: (0)	i did know that whole difference with nitrites and nitrates with the oxygen atom, but i wanted to know their properties.... and why is java moss and ferns illegal in california?

04-29-2006, 06:45 AM	#14
TheOldSalt Darth Ichthyos Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,233 User Feedback: (6)	I'm not sure that they are illegal in CA. It wouldn't surprise me, though, since so many other common things are verboten in the Golden State. Durned hippies.

04-29-2006, 07:00 AM	#15
ron v Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Alabama Age: 61 Posts: 1,123 User Feedback: (3)	Mousey, how long has your 5 gal. tank been set up. Zero reading for all three nitrogen parameters usually means cycle has not started and ammonia has not been produced in sufficient quanity to show up. Zero nitrates in a lightly planted established tank is impossible without 100% water changes and then only for a short period of time.

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