[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
nitrate
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1999 06:48:46 -0400 (EDT)
From: Ed Street <br at ldl_net>
Subject: Re: Nitrate
Hello,
>This is my conclusions on possible sources of nitrates in the tank (why
>your tank is reading 50ppm.
>B) A bad test. Some test kits will have known agents that reacts badly
>with them. You could even have a contaminated test. I would advise
>running several samples and checking it with other sources, i.e. tap
>water, distilled water, etc..
I was hoping for a bad test. I checked it with my tap- 0 nitrates. I
checked it with water from Eddie's tank (taiwanese blue lobster) and his
water showed 20ppm. He always has a corpse stashed somewhere, so I was
expecting readings higher than the tank in question. No other tanks in
the house showed more than a trace. Sigh. Its gotta be working right,
no?
Its a fresh Aquarium Pharm kit. Only one the LFS carries.
>D) Fish food. Fish food does contain nitrates. Over feeding may >result in nutrient buildup.
I've just about stopped feeding since I planted that tank in a serious
way about 2 months ago. They're still fat, and don't particularly beg,
so I know they are eating something in there. Any frozen food gets
thoroughly rinsed first.
>E) Filters. Filters will litteraly become nitrate farms if not handled
>properly. Media change very often is required to keep the numbers in
>check as with water changes. The common practice of over sizing >filters
>is usually a no-no for maintaining nutrient levels that are adequate >(like nitrate)
This is something for me to consider. I regularly (monthly) tear into
the canister (Fluval 303 on a 60 gallon long), but don't do more than
give rotating parts of it a good scrubbing. So- the bacteria that
produce the nitrate don't get adequately removed in this way? Just
chuck the sponges or ceramics occasionally and start over? Boil them,
maybe?
>F) Fertilizers. Overdosing. Need I say more?
I haven't added any fertalizer yet. Just ordered the stuff to make my
own PMDD yesterday- hence the purchase of the nitrate test kit. I
wanted to see what was in there before I formulated the drops. You
shoulda been here for the questioning I got from the pharmacist when I
asked for some of that stuff.
>G) decomposing material. Stuff like mulm, dead leafs, dead fish, fish
>waste, etc.. will eventually turn into nitrates. The biggest key here >is water quality and water changes ;)
Couldn't help yourself, eh? HAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!
The only decomposing thing in there right now is the new crypt I found
when out of town this last weekend. Its leaves *WERE*, when it had them,
pink, longish and narrow and thick/stiff looking. Green veins, but pink
stems. Pale, creamy pink. Any hints what I might have here?
>I believe that I am missing a few key factors here but I hope you get >the
>picture ;) Honestly it can be any one of the above or a combination
>thereof.
>Hope this helps,
>Ed
Well, someone else has mentioned off-list that it could be a nutrient
imbalance that keeps the plants from utalizing the nitrate. This is the
thing I, as a neophyte at this, am grappling with. I have surfed The
Krib till my eyeballs bleed. I have wrestled with all the rest of the
pages mentioned on this list. I go to bed in the wee hours feeling like
an utter idiot. What method would I use to determine what is missing?
Other than high nitrate, and one melted crypt, what would I be looking
for to figure this out? My lotus lillies are sending out one and a half
huge leaves a day. The cabomba piauhyensis was planted less than 2
months ago, and its a forrest. It seems like I am doing all the right
things, but something unexpected always goes wrong while my back is
turned, and it drives me crazy to not know the answer why. Maybe its
because I am convinced you all know exactly what you are
doing....(snicker!)
Thank you Ed and Steve-
Marci