Nitrate test

[Mar23]

Could someone help me read this test result? I have a hard time telling them apart and I am working on lowering my nitrates. It looks like 40 or 80. I can't tell the difference in the chart. Thank you!



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[Stacey W.]

Looks possibly between 40 and 80. To be sure I usually take it outside and flip the card around so it's on a true white surface.

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[coralbandit]

Doesn't really matter what the exact number is ?
Looks like the tank needs a 50%+ water change.
Then you can test after and possibly have readable safe level?
The trick is to test exactly the same way every time.
That way the real number matters not.
You just compare to last reading.
You are looking for yellow orange IMO not any shade of red?
Hope this helps without answering the question!

You are a solid 80ppm IMO .

 

[ScotJudd]

Hi. Obviously your nitrates are too high, any colour going into the red zone is bad. However, if you really want to know the reading you can mix tank and tap 50/50, test it and double the result.


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[Mar23]

Hi. Obviously your nitrates are too high, any colour going into the red zone is bad. However, if you really want to know the reading you can mix tank and tap 50/50, test it and double the result.


Sent from my iPad in West Yorkshire, U.K.

Good idea. I know that either way they are high, but I am trying to calculate how much and how often to change water to get to a safe level. I need to see how much they go down with a 50% change, so I can adjust accordingly. That's why I need an accurate number. If I do a 50% and it reads 20, I won't know if it went down 20 or 60. I need that info to get on a better wc schedule. I wish there was a reusable, digital monitor out there that reads all of this accurately.


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[ScotJudd]

Once you get below 40 you can easily judge how much water to change to reach your goal. I keep my tank between 10 and 20, below 10 is too much hard work although it drops considerably when I'm away and the tank is on minimum feeding.


Sent from my iPad in West Yorkshire, U.K.

 

[Mar23]

Once you get below 40 you can easily judge how much water to change to reach your goal. I keep my tank between 10 and 20, below 10 is too much hard work although it drops considerably when I'm away and the tank is on minimum feeding.


Sent from my iPad in West Yorkshire, U.K.

Thanks. Working on it. ?


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