10 gallon tank

SCMurphy · Post by **SCMurphy** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 2:02 am

I do add nitrogen, it is part of my mix, it is in the form of urea when I make the mix but I don't know what it might change to while it sits in the bottle.

JLudwig · Post by **JLudwig** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 3:45 am

[QUOTE=SCMurphy] I do add nitrogen, it is part of my mix, it is in the form of urea when I make the mix but I don't know what it might change to while it sits in the bottle.[/QUOTE]

Very interesting. Since you do have soil, I also wonder how much denitrification you have going on, since you clearly have conditions which allow iron reduction, NO3 reduction happens at a higher potential... I need to take you out for a few beers and pick your brain a little

Are you giving the talk this meeting?

Jeff

SCMurphy · Post by **SCMurphy** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 3:52 am

[QUOTE=JLudwig]
Very interesting. Since you do have soil, I also wonder how much denitrification you have going on, since you clearly have conditions which allow iron reduction, NO3 reduction happens at a higher potential... I need to take you out for a few beers and pick your brain a little

Are you giving the talk this meeting?

Jeff[/QUOTE]

Denitrification? In a tank that heavily planted? Surely you jest.

No, Rick asked me to switch to giving a talk in May.

SCMurphy · Post by **SCMurphy** » Wed Jan 21, 2004 7:17 pm

Oh my God! Sean used a test kit!

Evening tests with everything pearling:

pH 7.6
KH came in between 100 and 120 ppm or between 5.5 and 6.7 degrees
GH came in between 100 and 150 ppm test strip or 9 degrees titrated (161 ppm)
NO2- 0 test strip
NO3+ 20 ppm test strip
NH3- 0.25 ppm titrate
PO4 0.1 ppm titrate

Morning tests:

pH 6.8 test strip
KH came in at 100 ppm test strip
GH came in between 100 and 150 ppm test strip
NO2- 0 ppm test strip
NO3+ 20 ppm test strip

Marsha Finley · Post by **Marsha Finley** » Wed Jan 21, 2004 10:32 pm

ph down in am... do you run co2 overnight?
or, what causes that?
M

SCMurphy · Post by **SCMurphy** » Wed Jan 21, 2004 11:42 pm

[QUOTE=Marsha Finley] ph down in am... do you run co2 overnight?
[/QUOTE]

Yes.

JLudwig · Post by **JLudwig** » Thu Jan 22, 2004 7:46 pm

[QUOTE=SCMurphy]
pH 6.8 test strip
NO3+ 20 ppm test strip
[/QUOTE]

Okay, I'm about to forget everything I've ever read about growing
aquatic plants, as it seems to be wrong... I have only ever been able
to get R. wallichii or L. arcuata (I assume thats what is in back) to
color up 'Amano style' much the way you have it by starving the tank
of nitrate. At 20ppm NO3 all of my rotala species go green. Is the
NH3 spike due to a shot of fert or does your substrate produce this
during the day?

Anyhow, you've managed to obtain a level of plant health (the
diandra is impressive) I'm still chasing after, very nice. I just broke
down my 15, going with a substrate probably halfway in fertility
between what you have with soil and plain gravel, we will see how
this does... this will be my first setup with some organic matter and
very small particles in the lower substrate from day one.

Jeff

SCMurphy · Post by **SCMurphy** » Thu Jan 22, 2004 8:49 pm

When are you doing this Jeff? I'm doing some set ups very soon, maybe we could get together, I'll show you the substrate. Pre-May demo. The Nitrate is from the fert mix dosed a few days before.

jerseyjay · Post by **jerseyjay** » Thu Jan 22, 2004 9:07 pm

[QUOTE=SCMurphy]
NO3+ 20 ppm test strip[/QUOTE]

Hey Sean.

I have been preaching about the same thing for a while now.
First let me ask you which NO3 test kit do you use ?. You mentioned test strip so I will assume AP, right ?

If so then I would strongly advise double checking with more accurate, like LaMotte or Hach.

My african cichlid tank has heavy fish load which is needed to distribute aggression. Down side to this is very frequent water changes or very high NO3 levels. High NO3 levels are not deadly unless they stay constant w/o any intervention.

I skip those water changes now and then, and so far fish don't mind plus they breed as well.

I decided to check my NO3 in that tank w/ AP (brand new) test and to my huge surprise I got 0ppm. With such high fish load it was obvious that something was incorrect. I went to my other house and got LaMotte test kit which has a scale from 0-10 NO3-N = 0-44ppm NO3. After testing I got 44ppm and counting, which was more believable.

AP and other "low end" test kits are useless in 0-10ppm range IMO.

SCMurphy · Post by **SCMurphy** » Thu Jan 22, 2004 9:16 pm

Other than the LaMotte test kit what were you getting at Jay? You lost me before and after this.

[QUOTE=Jay Luto] If so then I would strongly advise double checking with more accurate, like LaMotte or Hach.
[/QUOTE]

I actually picked up three different test kits, and got consistant readings between them. I'll give you the list tonight when I get home and another set of test readings.

10 gallon tank

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