Twas the Night Before Christmas . . .

[travis simonson]

and what to my color-blind eyes did appear, but a FedEx package with a photometer

Come on, it was funny, wasn't it?

In any case, I just ordered a nitrate photometer because I am so desperately colorblind that I simply can't read any of the crappy (or even the good LaMotte) test kits. Supposedly, all I have to do is take a water sample, zero the test meter, add the reagent, and, voila! NO3 readings are nailed. If this meter works as well as it claims it does, I'm in like Flynn More later . . .

 

[SparKy697]

Can you provide a link with info on the one you bought?

 

[Doog]

I'm also color blind. Link! Link! Link! Link!

 

[travis simonson]

LINK

 

[kaaikop]

Please let us know how this thing works out!
We loves gadgets!

 

[donk1667]

a little pricey but if it works im color blind too

 

[7Enigma]

Heck man that's expensive! Congrats if it works though, I'd love to have a more exact idea of my nitrAtes when below 20ppm...

 

[travis simonson]

It is kind of expensive, but I've probably spent that much on NO3 test kits that I've been unable to read accurately over the past three years, so if it can give me accurate results, I will be happy Its margin of error is 0.1 ppm, which is much more accurate than any test kit I've ever seen. I haven't gotten a chance to use it yet but I will let you guys know when I do.

 

[travis simonson]

I've been using the photometer for about a week now and I am very impressed. I was surprised to find out that my tank was running at about 30 ppm of NO3, rather than the 15 ppm or so that I assumed it was. I have since quit dosing NO3 and have watched the levels steadily drop. I've also found that my tap water runs at about 8 ppm NO3, which is much higher than I suspected. From the results I'm seeing with this thing I am being led to believe that most people's NO3 levels are higher than they suspect. I know mine sure were

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Cool, I may have to get one. I'm in the same boat as you, spend too much on test kits that aren't producing the results we need. And with the colors so close on the nitrate test kits, it's tough to know sometimes.

 

[tropicfishman]

hey for the well being of my tanks and fish, I would buy it, especially if I was like you all and color blind. I should get one just simply because my API kit is hard to tell the colors lol

 

[donk1667]

kool i wont have to ask my wife what it is lol

 

[JDogg]

i'm not color blind, but i would probabaly benefit for that as well :?

 

[kaaikop]

Cool, thanks for sharing this info. Travis, we were all "anxious" to know if this worked...
In the meantime, I've been looking around on the web, and can advise it's worth to look
around (scientific equipment shops), I will share a link when I have the time to get back at it.
I am also very fed up with the close colors on the cheapo test kits, impossible to tell.

 

[kaaikop]

Oh and Travis, you have so much success with your tank...
perhaps you DONT want to reduce NO3??? I mean if the fish is OK, and the plants are thriving...
perhaps 30ppm IS the way to go? just wondering...

 

[Hoovercat]

Well, kaai the reasoning is that lower nitrates bring out the colors on red plants.

 

[travis simonson]

kaaikop, I'm constantly curious and always looking to try new ways of doing things with my tanks. I've never been able to accurately keep NO3 in the <10-15 ppm range to see what sort of effects it will have on my plants, but I've read many sources that claim <10 ppm NO3 and 1-2 ppm PO4 will really bring out some interesting colors in a wide variety of plants. I'm working on it right now just to see. So far, I'm seeing some great color in my P. stellata "Fine Leaf" and L. glandulosa, with NO3 in the 10-15 ppm range. I'm going to try to get it below 10 ppm to see what happens