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Re: [APD] Hiccup

I believe Robert T. Ricketts wrote this email section below:
> Stuart Halliday wrote, in part:
> 
>> I've now got a tank with zero ammonia, 0.5-1ppm of nitrite and 10ppm of
> nitrate.
> 
> The pH/KH are?  Below pH ~6.5, the nitrification bugs' growth slows down.
> Below ~pH 6.0 they may arrest, but not die.

Basically the same as I stated they were at the start.

pH is 7.6
KH is 5d

> Temperature plays a role as well.

Steady at 25.1C-27.2C by my electronic thermometer.

> He further wrote:
> 
>> I'll wait until the nitrite goes to zero and then start this tank again.
> But this time I'll add pure calcium >carbonate and sodium bicarbonate to get
> the GH and KH up.
> 
> If the KH/pH is too low, it may not go anywhere.  I don't think that
> Ca++/Mg++ are involved in these processes.


GH is 6d

I added a little GH mainly because most peoples water is a little hard.

> Be sure to shake the test kit reagent bottles very, very well.
> Nitrite/nitrate kits are notorious for settling out and under-reporting.

Oh yes, the kit for nitrate is very particular. Bottle #2 30seconds before 
using and 1 minute shake within the test tube. Then a further 5 mins of waiting.

I use a electronic count down timer.


You know, I even tried taking a colour photograph of the tubes and a white 
reference and colour balanced the photo in Photoshop.

I estimate it should be possible to make a DIY colorimeter to get a very 
accurate reading.

But the shape of the cylindrical tubes makes taking a accurate colour photo 
near impossible. So a round petrel dish which could hold 5ml at the same 
depth as the diameter of the tubes should make it possible to place item 
under a normal domestic USB bed scanner.

Then a scan of the dish after the 5 mins could be made.
Software then could read back the exact colour and therefore the reading of 
iron/nitrate/nitrite/pH/Ammonia all with a $100 scanner.

Professional colorimeters cost $200 per chemical.

The theory is sound.

-- 
Stuart Halliday
http://mytriops.com/
200 Million years in the making...
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