[APD] Need help with PMDD application

[W C <iceman_78_98 at yahoo_com>]

Hello,

I'm trying to achieve better plant growth in my 10
gallon tank by using the PMDD formula described by
Sears and Collins. So far I haven't had any luck and I
was wondering if any of you could give me some advice
on what I'm doing wrong.

A little info on my tank
10 gallon
10 harlequinn rasboras
1 Silver Molly
1 Threadfin rainbow
1 black ghost knife fish (that doesn't eat anything)
1 adult siamese algae eater that doesn't seem to live
up to its name as an alage eater.

plants:
watesprite, chainsword, java fern, dwarf hairgrass
(slowly dying), brazilian pennywort, and banana plants

No CO2 injection. Did that once and it was too much
trouble. 

Temperature around 80 degrees F

I've separated the PMDD components into separate
bottles. Since my nitrate in the tank was
non-existent, I started added KNO3 first. Everyday, I
would put around 2-4 drops. After week, the nitrate
remained the same so I started increasing the dosage
of KNO3 and the nitrate readings would still stay the
same. No matter how much I put in there the nitrate
wouldn't change. I used Aquarium Pharm nitrate test
kit. The test kit seems to be correct. If I just test
the KNO3 solution by itself, it gives a reading of
40ppm. So I don't know what's going on in that tank.
Are the plants sucking up the nitrates faster than I
can give it or are the bacteria in my filter
converting them? I also started to put a few drops of
the other PMDD components into the tank. And so far
all I've been getting is some hair algae growing on
the plants and a brown film growing on the walls of
aquarium. Some kind of bacteria or algae I guess. And
the only plants that did had some growth were the
chainsword and water sprite. Everyone else is slowly
dying.

I just can't understand that with tank this small and
with so much fish, why would the nitrate be close to
zero.

You guys got any ideas.

Thanks

-WC


		
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