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Re: Lamotte nitrate kit



>Recently there has been comments re multiplying
>LaMotte Nitrate test kit
>reading by 4.4 to get ppms NO3 reading.
>Question. Should one be using the multiplied result
>to determine dosing with
>KNO3? 
>I have tanks that read 6pmm on octet comparator and
>have been dosing from
>that reading. 6ppm multiples out to 26.4ppm which
>would be considered bit
>high. I have been dosing the amount of KNO3
>recommended for gallons, wattage
>and compressed CO2. They don't act like tanks with
>too much NO3 in that
>growth is good with almost no algae.
>TIA
>June

I would really like to know the answer to this as
well.
I have been using a Seachem nitrate kit that has been
showing about 5ppm.  The last two tests have come out
an orangish pink color that matches nothing on the
color slide.  I asked Tom Connors to bring his Lamotte
kit to our board meeting last night and he did.  I
wanted to see it for myself before investing.  The
comparator looks neat and probably way easier to read
than the Seachem (which IMO does make a good phosphate
kit).  Tom tested my water and said that it came to
17.6ppm.  You multiplied it by 4.4, right Tom?  Could
the Seachem kit be that off? 

I had some beard algae show up when the Seachem kit
gave a 0 reading.  Since then I've been adding 1 gram
kno3 per day, which has given the aforementioned 5ppm
reading on the Seachem kit.  Beard algae I removed
from java fern leaves, the spray bar, and val has not
returned.  I still find a little on Blyxa aubertii
leaves and on the one Isotes I have.  Nowhere else. 
That's weird.  Since upping the kno3, I have had some
actual green spot algae show up on the glass (not the
green dust that disappeared with increasing kno3).  

So, I've had a little beard that has persisted while I
thought N and P were under control.  If I really did
have 17.6ppm nitrate, wouldn't I have a lot of hair
algae or worse?  I do have 2 flag fish (which I
suspect of eating Hydrotriche) and 2 SAEs, but it
seems like 17.6ppm would give them too much to handle.
 On the other hand, there is the GS and the small
quantity of beard.

I don't get it.  Assuming the Lamotte kit is right,
where can I get one now that Petwarehouse is out of
buisiness?  

June:  What formula did you arrive at to determine
kno3 dosage?  

Thanks, Cavan (living grey slime free in Pittsburgh)

PS  Can anyone PLEASE help me with the pinhole issue? 
Thanks.  I just dumped another 5ml of Flourish
Potassium in today.  Maybe the whole bottle
tomorrow....         




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