Hi y'all,
I am puzzled about NO3 levels that I am getting from my test kits
lately. I tested my water a number of times with relatively new
Aquarium Pharmaceutical's test kit and a brand new Salfert's test kit,
and the results are consistently high around 30 to 40 ppm. I have
been sticking to Tom Barr's recommendation on the tank maintenance and
I never had a problem until this year (this tank was set up in 2000.)
I stopped adding KNO3 for two weeks or so and the NO3 level dropped to
10 to 15 ppm range, but some of my plants look really nitrogen
deficient now. I think my fish load is moderate (20 cardinal tetras,
5 harlequin rasboras, three or four coridoras, two SEA and a few more
small tetras) for a heavily planted 75 gallon tank (equipped with four
55W PC's and a pressurized CO2 system.) I have not changed
fertilizing or fish feeding regimens over the 5 years. Is it time to
clean substrate (100% Fluorite) drastically or change out my 5 years
old media in my Eheim 2026? I cannot really figure out where my extra
nitrate is coming from. My tap water contains less than 5 ppm of
nitrate (it usually read 0.)
Tomoko
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