Nitrate vs. Phosphate

[HARO]

My water test kit measures the usual Ph, nitrite, and ammonia, but not nitrate. Instead, there is a test for phosphate. I realize that both phosphate and nitrate have to be removed, either by plants or by water changes, but what, essentially, is the difference between these two? :dunno:
John

 

[dieselplower]

Phosphates are not actually bad for fish. The reason you don't want high phosphate levels is because algae thrive on it.

 

[Mmathis]

I think they're both by-products of the breakdown process....?

 

[adavisus]

Over 30ppm nitrates cause a toxic effect in freshwater, below that they are beneficial to plant health, a fertiliser...

Regards, andy
http://swglist.wordpress.com/
http://www.pinterest.com/adavisus/pondering/

 

[bettasngoldfish]

My water test kit measures the usual Ph, nitrite, and ammonia, but not nitrate. Instead, there is a test for phosphate. I realize that both phosphate and nitrate have to be removed, either by plants or by water changes, but what, essentially, is the difference between these two? :dunno:
John

Good question! I recently bought a pond test kit and didn't realize until it arrived in the mail that it didn't have a nitrate test. I guess I assumed it was the same as the aquarium test kit (which I had but it was old and I wanted to replace it)

I'm interested to hear what others have to say.....

 

[crsublette]

N - P - K .... 3 major limiting nutrients plants need to thrive.

N - Nitrogen (including Nitrate nitrogen) One of the primary nutrients a plant needs to survive.

p - Phosphorus (root growth and for new plant growth and help with other nutrients)

K - Patassium (essentially to aid in the absorption of other nutrients so to create buds, flowers, and fruit)


Yep, all these nutrients can be present as a decomposition byproduct depending on what is being decomposed.


Phosphate being the cause of algae blooms is a myth. It is the potential nutrient imbalance triggered by phosphorus that causes algae blooms dependent on the dilution of other toxins. There are ponds with incredibly high nitrates and high phosphates that never have major algae blooms.

Throw away the phosphate test kit.

Phosphate test kits we have access to are very unreliable and the test results become skewed after just a minute of the test being done. Even though the box says it tests for total phosphate, this is not true due to the methodology they use for the test. These test kits actually are only testing a very small portion of phosphates that are used by algae or plants, that is orthophosphates, rather than testing the "total active" phosphates, which is what produces more orthophosphates. Phosphate test kits are a waste of money and only used for that "feel good" state of mind.

I guess they like including the phosphate test kit so to help make consumers into a nervous mess so to persuade them to purchase more of their products. By the way, if you use their "pH Down", then do their phosphorus test a few days later and you will find the phosphorus levels incredibly high, that is mugh higher than it actually is due to the phosphoric acid compound used in "pH Down" products and a large portion of this type of phosphorus is actually not plant soluble.

Phosphorus is incredibly complex and there are around 3~4 formations of phosphates that are always present in an equilibrium and not always available to plants. It is this equilibrium dance that makes accurate testing of phosphorus to be difficult.


Also, if the kit has the "total hardness" test, throw this away as well.


I wish those companies would remove the phosphate test kit and replace it with the KH test kit.

 

[crsublette]

Over 30ppm nitrates cause a toxic effect in freshwater, below that they are beneficial to plant health, a fertiliser...

Regards, andy
http://swglist.wordpress.com/
http://www.pinterest.com/adavisus/pondering/

I wouldn't go that far without further clarification...

If that were true, then there would be major health problems for the folks involved in the aquaculture industry and aquaponics hobby since these indviduals, between plantings and harvests, will often experience nitrates in the 80~120ppm range and sometimes higher

From what I understand, incredibly high nitrates simply stresses the fish, which then inevitably impacts their immune and reproduction system, but I never could find what organs nor how the blood is abused by nitrates so to create this stress.

The most reasonable explanation I have found is that quite high nitrates retards the nitrite oxidizing microorganisms and this would cause an increase in nitrites, which is very toxic to fish and does not take much to be toxic to fish dependent on the water's chloride concentration.

I don't think there is anything wrong with saying "above 30ppm Nitrate is toxic", but I most often read this coming from the "better safe than sorry", overly cautious individuals, which is quite fine.

 

[crsublette]

My water test kit measures the usual Ph, nitrite, and ammonia, but not nitrate. Instead, there is a test for phosphate. I realize that both phosphate and nitrate have to be removed, either by plants or by water changes, but what, essentially, is the difference between these two? :dunno:
John

Yeah, it is that sort of thing that drives me crazy. Does not make sense the manufacturer doing that, that is giving phosphate test instead of nitrAte.

I have never heard of phosphate harming fish but I have heard of how nitrAte can lead to stress for fish.

Maybe the manufacturer made too many the phosphate tests and they needed to clear their shelves of it so they added it to the kit. I don't know... :dunno: