NPK, etc

[hforney]

I have a 55g planted tank with pressurized [acronym:ce93a62ffb="Carbon dioxide"]CO2[/acronym:ce93a62ffb]. My tank is 3 months old. Now that I have my plants and [acronym:ce93a62ffb="Carbon dioxide"]CO2[/acronym:ce93a62ffb] what should I be testing the water for? I am dosing micronutrients, phosphate, and potassium. Should I also add nitrogen? I think at this point I should start testing the water so I will have a better idea of what I should or should not add.

What are the [acronym:ce93a62ffb="Parts per Million"]ppm[/acronym:ce93a62ffb] ranges for all items I should monitor.

I have made it this far with all the help from members here with what I consider good success.

Thanks to all

[travis simonson]

I recommend maintaining nitrate levels of 10-15 [acronym:0a82d84d00="Parts per Million"]ppm[/acronym:0a82d84d00], phosphate levels around 1 [acronym:0a82d84d00="Parts per Million"]ppm[/acronym:0a82d84d00], and dosing a total of 10-20 [acronym:0a82d84d00="Parts per Million"]ppm[/acronym:0a82d84d00] potassium per week. Nitrogen is definitely your most important nutrient. If levels drop to zero/near-zero you can have a nasty algae outbreak. The same can also happen with excessive nitrate levels.