new api freshwater master kit

[abrahamavelar]

well since i was getting the same readings no matter wat i did i decided on returning the test kit and got a new one and im doing the nitrate test right now

 

[maxwellag]

well since i was getting the same readings no matter wat i did i decided on returning the test kit and got a new one and im doing the nitrate test right now

I have the same kit and its great, but for some reason the tube caps started to leak on me. I would normally be ok with that but the testing chemicals are skin and eye irritant and one is corrosive, so I am kinda upset about that

 

[abrahamavelar]

nitrates are still high, i did this week since thursday 3 50 percent water change and today i was gonna do a 50 but ended up doing about due that filter would leak and the readings are still high, what can i do about it, as substrate i got sand, and fish seam healthy and not bother by the nitrates, also i got plants in there

should i remove sand in my next pwc???

and at the lfs they tested my water and seamed that it was just barely high but as they said i was still in the safe zone

 

[abrahamavelar]

I have the same kit and its great, but for some reason the tube caps started to leak on me. I would normally be ok with that but the testing chemicals are skin and eye irritant and one is corrosive, so I am kinda upset about that

same here they always leaked on me the fresh and salt water kits i thought it was only me

 

[maxwellag]

nitrates are still high, i did this week since thursday 3 50 percent water change and today i was gonna do a 50 but ended up doing about due that filter would leak and the readings are still high, what can i do about it, as substrate i got sand, and fish seam healthy and not bother by the nitrates, also i got plants in there

should i remove sand in my next pwc???

and at the lfs they tested my water and seamed that it was just barely high but as they said i was still in the safe zone

If you lfs uses strips to test then its probably inaccurate... I use to use strips and could never tell the color because I had to pull it up out of the water and it made the colors drip... so they were too dark to read on the chart

 

[Fishguy2727]

Test your tap water too. That should give you an idea of what you are putting right back in. You could also test bottled water, that is a good control.

 

[abrahamavelar]

If you lfs uses strips to test then its probably inaccurate... I use to use strips and could never tell the color because I had to pull it up out of the water and it made the colors drip... so they were too dark to read on the chart

they used the strips and some nitrate liquid test i couldnt read the brand

Test your tap water too. That should give you an idea of what you are putting right back in. You could also test bottled water, that is a good control.

ive done that and it gives me 0 and its really getting me annoyed i pretty much used alittle bit over half the prime dechlorinator bottle i bought this week and the test resukts acre coming out about the same should i start adding things to the tank like de nitrate things???

 

[abrahamavelar]

also ive heard that hornwort will remove some of the nitrates is this true???

 

[maxwellag]

also ive heard that hornwort will remove some of the nitrates is this true???

A lot of plants will. They use it as sort of a nutrient

 

[abrahamavelar]

ok im going to look for some of them!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Fishguy2727]

Any plant will remove nitrate and phosphate, but it usually takes a good amount to have a significant effect. And it does NOT remove all the other things that build up in low water quality. Growth inhibiting hormones, dissolved organic compounds, and others all lower water quality, the only one we have test kits for is nitrate. Fortunately nitrate correlates well with all these other things, unless you have a well planted tank.

But plants are always good, get some.

 

[abrahamavelar]

Thx u, I have a few plants n I even added some java fern yesterday, also my nitrates r high n ive neen doin a few 50% water changes and yesterday I did one 75% but that was due to the filter but still nitrates show the same result and I even returned the kit thinkin it was a bad one but it gives me the same results, now I went to a lfs m they told me it was due that I have sand as substrate is this true

 

[Fishguy2727]

No, that is not true. If anything gravel is more likely to cause excessive nitrate because if you do not vacuum it all that debris simply rots and is broken down, producing a lot of nitrate and phosphate. This is true of any filter as well. If you do not maintain your filters every month they will turn in to nitrate factories. Because sand is finer there is a lot less space between the grains. This means there is very little space for debris to collect and end up producing nitrate.

Are you sure your tap water is 0 nitrate? That is almost never the case.

 

[abrahamavelar]

Yeah amd its not only tap its rodi water

 

[Fishguy2727]

Then something is wrong.

1-I would never do water changes with just RODI water. This puts nothing back in the water, not even the good and essential stuff.

2-If you test and the nitrate is x, then do a 50% water change with RODI water, the nitrate after the water change should be half of x. So if it started at 80ppm and you do a 50% water change with RODI water, the nitrate after the water change should be 40ppm. If this is not the case (or at least close) something is off. Either the water isn't really RODI, your nitrate to begin with is way off the chart (not actually 160 but much higher, so even with big water changes you are not getting back down to within the range of a test kit), or you aren't doing the test right (too many drops, letting it sit too long, etc.).

 

[abrahamavelar]

Well I tested the rodi n tap water and seems fine but the weird thing is that fish look happy n actually I seen my fish tryin to mate

 

[Dale_I]

I don't mean to sound rude or insensitive, but are you color blind? I am, and I ask my wife to verify the color chart for me a lot. Is there someone who might be able to verify your tests? The differences between 20ppm and 40ppm on the API charts can be difficult to discern.

 

[abrahamavelar]

Yes I have my sister n mom help me n it ia confusing but it turns a light red