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Re: Problem Plant Tank to S. Pushak
> * To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
> * Subject: Re: Problem Plant Tank
> * From: Stephen.Pushak at saudan_HAC.COM
> * Date: Thu, 18 Jul 1996 14:22:58 PDT
> * In-Reply-To: <199607180739.DAA21238 at looney_actwin.com>; from
> "Aquatic-Plants-Owner at ActWin_com" at Jul 18, 96 3:39 am
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> John Lobingier wrote a long description which I'll summarize:
Hi Steve. I didn't write a long description. :)
> Before increasing lighting levels and adding CO2 injection things
> appear to be growing slowly but ok and now some leaves are yellowish,
> get pale and drop off despite fertilization with trace nutrients
> and potassium. Nitrate levels are measured at 12.5 mg/l. He didn't
> say so but it sounds like the tank still is heavily stocked with
> Angelfish and presumably are well fed.
Thank you for helping me out. I know my letter was long so you probably
did not see that this 55 gallon tank does not contain the Angelfish
anymore. It now contains 8 rummy nose, 8 cardinals, 5 serpaes, 4 small
clown loaches, 8 rasboras, 2 cory cats, 2 ottos, 2 kuhli loaches, and 4
ram cichlids.
> The symptoms you describe sound like a deficiency of nitrogen or
> potassium. Perhaps the test kit is not giving an accurate reading
> of nitrates? You could test it to see what reading it gives for
> distilled water or tap water. Distilled water should be zero and
> tap water should be much lower than 12.5; if not then the test kit
> is giving misleading results. I don't know what all those other
> things are in your filter. In my tanks I use only a mechanical
> filter pad or nothing at all and I use PMDD every day. I've had
> symptoms similar to the ones you described with my high lighting
> before using PMDD although I have much less fish than you. It has
> made a dramatic difference. Perhaps something chemical in your
> filtration system is interfering with the nitrogen test and/or
> interfering with the plants ability to get nitrogen somehow.
> Steve in Vancouver
My nitrate test kit is made by Tetra. I checked the nitrate level today
in the tank and it still reads 12.5 mg/l. I then tested my tap water and
got a nitrate reading of 0 mg/l. I am trying to figure out why you
thought my nitrate test kit was giving me misleading results. Do you
think I need more nitrate? The media in my filter that you are unfamiliar
with is all mechanical and biological. I am not using any chemical media
now per advice from the list. I had someone suggest to me that I add 1
drop of iodine per each 12.5 gallons of my tank water everyday. What will
iodine do? Thanks again!
John