Algea and PMDD

[Mike Charlton <mike at rook_dyndns.org>]

Hi all.

About 2 weeks ago I started adding PMDD to my tank.  I had been using
kent fertilizer and I was battling a small green algea/cyano bacteria
problem.  I've never had any measurable amounts of nitrate in my
tank and so I figured my tank was a good candidate for PMDD (especially
since I live in Ottawa).

Anyway, I've been adding them for about 2 weeks now and I have gotten
rid of the cyano bacteria completely.  Unfortunately, I have a huge
problem with pelt algea.  Today I looked into the tank and noticed some
filament algea as well.

I'm having a hard time keeping my nitrate levels at a measurable level.
Lately I've been adding 5 ml of 0.5 molar KNO3 to my 180 liter tank
per day (about 0.8 ppm NO3).  This seems like alot to me.  I'm using
aquarium pharmaceutical's nitrate test.  Is it perhaps faulty?

I've also been trying to measure my phosphate levels.  Unfortunately my
AP phosphate test is vitually useless. I seem to have less than 0.5 ppm
phosphate, but I'm not sure that this information is useful to me :-).

So after all that preamble, I'd like to get some advice.  Should I assume
that my plants are still nitrogen limited and that the increased algea
growth is due to the fact that I have been adding nitrate while there is
still lots of phosphate in the water?  Or should I assume that my test kit
is faulty and cut back on the nitrate (If I've done my math right, I'm
currently adding 10 times the suggested amount)?

I'm going to get some other test kits.  Are there any that people suggest
(I'd like to stay in the $20 range)?  Does anyone know where to get a
good test kit in Ottawa (mail order to ThatPetPlace.com took over 2 weeks
last time)?

             Thanks in advance,
                  Mike

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