Re: LaMotte Nitrate Reading

[Jared Weinberger <jared at brainyday_com>]

Yes, the numbers for each of the eight references in the LaMotte 
"comparator" are Nitrate-Nitrogen. Since we in the hobby report "nitrates" 
you do multiply by 4.4 when monitoring to keep you nitrates your chosen 
target range. I very much like this low-range Nitrate kit -- it's 
especially good at the low end of its 0-44 ppm (nitrate) range, with 
references for 1, 2, 4, 9, 18, 26, 35 and 44 ppm (nitrate, rounded). So the 
kit measures 0-10 ppm Nitrate-Nitrogenthat we can convert to nitrate when 
reporting.

If you had appreciably levels of nitrite in your test water, you would need 
to perform a set to inhibit the nitrite from being included in the nitrate 
test. Of course cycled tanks shouldn't have any nitrite around, and I just 
take my readings to be all from nitrate.

Jared


Bob Olesen asks <<Could anyone who has a LaMotte low range nitrate test kit 
tell me if the results displayed are the actual Nitrate in ppm that we 
commonly refer to or if, as the instructions in the kit seem to indicate, I 
need to multiply this figure by 4.4? For our purposes, what, exactly is the 
difference between Nitrate nitrogen and an NO3 reading? It states "nitrites 
interfere at all levels."... What's up with that? >>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jared Weinberger
http://www.brainyday.com/jared