Is overfeeding an acceptable way to kick up nitrogen while fish are small?

[Jeffrey Ihara]

My nitrates are zero and my plants are getting chlorotic--I think it's all because my fish stock aren't eating and pooping enough. They're small (catfish fingerlings, minnows, loaches and crayfish), and the water is still quite cool. 

I fed the cats this morning but the sinking wafers are mostly disintegrating on the bottom--and I'm thinking, "Great. At least this will kick up my nitrogen a bit." I'll look forward to seeing if I get any readings on NH3, NO2-, NO3- tomorrow.

[Alex Veidel]

Well, just because your catfish ate all your pellets, doesn't mean your attempt at overfeeding failed. Well, technically it does, since you haven't "overfed" them, but the more they eat the more they poop. So just feed them more until you nitrates are at acceptable levels. They can choose how much to eat and then whatever is left you know is too much.

Jeffrey Ihara said:

Thanks, Pat.

My first attempt at overfeeding failed. The little cats cleaned up all the pellets I left on the bottom yesterday evening. As of this morning, all nitrogen metrics still at zero. I may have to try adding the cow as you suggested.

[Jeffrey Ihara]

Added 15 fat bullheads today. It took me and a friend 20 minutes to catch 'em But before I tossed them in, I thought, "Wouldn't it suck if these (free) fish ate my stock of $3 channel cat fingerlings?" So I spent the better part of an hour trying to net the little channel cats out of my 275 gallon IBC to transfer into my sump tank with crayfish and weather loaches--until they get big enough to hold their own against the bullheads. I got 8 and the other 4 were too fast and by then the water was too murky for me to see them. 

In any case I now have some fish stock, so let the nitrates pour in and the plant growth re-commence!

[Tom Dumas]

Bravo Jeffrey you are off to a good start.  If that doesn't work to your satisfaction add a few nutrients to the system.  Koi safe fertilizer products and others will fit the bill.  Remember just increased nitrates doesn't satisfy all these requirements.  Tom

[Jeffrey Ihara]

Yeeah Thanks. 

My problem so far has been that without nitrates it wasn't even possible to evaluate other nute deficiencies, and I was enjoying watching my fish in the clear water. I have a feeling more fish will mean that my water will be generally more turbid (no more seeing clearly to the bottom of the IBC), in which case I won't be bummed about compromising visibility if I have to add something like Maxicrop plus.

[nimrod bash]

nutrients flow is not NO3 concentrations many people worry about it too much

a very healthy system can has 0 ppm NO3 and has a huge flow of nutrients to the plant's

so don't worry about it

a good nutrient supplement which is always safe to use is humus

it take time lake any non chemical fertilizers to be available to the plant but it is the good way

to try and balance your system

excess of fish food may harm the fish the same way as eating 5 k"g of meat will harm a human ...