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LaMotte Kits, phophate-limited question
Frustrated with several test kits and pleased with the
LaMotte CO2 kit, I ordered their Iron, Nitrate and Phosphate
Kits. Note that they make two different phosphate kits.
#3231 has a range and readings of 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8,
1.0, 1.5, 2.0 ppm. LaMotte #7416 has 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3,
0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0). They use different test methods
(ascorbic acid for the #3131 and stannous chloride for
the #7416 I think). The #7416 is not on the LaMotte website
yet. I saw it in a That Pet Place catalog.
I chose the 0-1 ppm range kit, since SeaChem says to change the
resin when the phosphate gets to about 0.1 ppm. Also, I figure
that to test my tap water and it is between 1 and 2 ppm I can
dilute my sample with distilled water. (There is a mistake on
my LaMotte comparator: the 0.4 reference is marked 0.1).
I am starting to add 0.5 M KNO3 to make the tank phosphate
limited. My reading is about 1 ppm nitrate (converting from
from nitrate-nitrogen). Here is my question. Is there an
optimal nitrate value that I need to determine and maintain,
or is any low reading, say 5-10 ppm OK?
BTW, while the Tetra nitrate test was useless for me, I
find their KH and O2 kits very good.
Thanks,
Jared