# Fertilator oddness, or is it just me?



## awrieger (May 20, 2005)

Just got some KNO3 AR grade. Finally! As it's so hard to find here I've been relying on my fish wastes, but my tanks were depleting it to virtually zero every day. Anyway.. so I calculated what I needed with the Fertilator on my two tanks and dosed...

1/4 tsp in 62.5 litre tank supposed to give me 12.76ppm of NO3.
1/2 tsp in 122.5 litre tank supposed to give me 13.02 ppm.

But I tested a few minutes later as well as two hours later and both times, the readings were virtually zero. Thought it might be the test kit, so I tried a different one (different brand) and the reading was still barely registering.

So where did the NO3 go?? The tank started with vitually no NO3, so my test reading should have been very close to what the fertilator says at just above 10ppm after I dosed, but it isn't.

So then I tried adding the same dose again twice (2 x 1/4 tsp) to the 62.5 litre tank, which should have given me 38.28ppm. But the test still only barely registered 20ppm. Why am I testing lower than the Fertilator says it should be? 

Maybe I'm doing something wrong? Or is it possble for two different test kits to be wrong?

But if it's the test kits, then it's not just the KNO3 one. Also, same thing with the PO4. The tank already had about 0.5ppm and I dosed what was supposed to be 2.37ppm of NaH2PO4 (the pH-down buffer stuff), but the post-dose test only reads approx 1ppm. Which means it only went up around 0.5ppm, one ffth of what the Fertilator says it should be. Confusing!


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## awrieger (May 20, 2005)

Well, I just went out and bought a third test kit. This time an Aquarium Pharmaceuticals one. The other two kits are JBL and Aquasonic (an Australian brand). 

The new test only reads 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40 etc so results are:
62.5 litre tank - closer to 30 than 40ppm (where I dosed 38ppm yesterday)
122.5 litre tank - around 10ppm (I dosed 12ppm yesterday)

I can't believe this. Out of three different test kits, only the new one is even close to being correct! How can they sell test kits that aren't even close to being accurate? Maybe the other two are out of date or something. I've had them for about six months now. The PO4 test is JBL too, so maybe all my JBL test kits are reading wrong!

But at least it means The Fertilator is okay!


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## MiamiAG (Jan 13, 2004)

Good to know.

The accuracy of test kits is a difficult thing to take into account. You may want to check out Edward's writings on how to calibrate a test kit. It may help you in getting more accurate results. 

Also, please provide feedback for the products you used in our Review section so that others learn from your experiences.


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## awrieger (May 20, 2005)

Thanks for that Art, I'll check Edward's stuff out. I find it difficult to read between two shades of red, especially if you hold it differently or it's in different light, so that should be helpful!

I suspect though the Aquasonic one was just out of date. I only pulled it out of storage when the JBL one malfunctioned, otherwise I'm sure it would have worked okay like it used to.

I always felt the JBL kits to be fairly accurate and good quality, but I suspect it's just a matter of their little plastic solution bottle caps not being airtight enough once you've opened them and broken the seal, so the solution eventually deteriorates. But I can't be sure that's the problem, so I'm hesitant to write a negative review!

It's just that when an otherwise working kit stopped working, I naturally took the readings to be true, and got very confused!


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## imatrout (May 12, 2005)

Why don't you dose some water in a 5 gallon bucket and test it to see if your kit is good?


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## Edward (May 25, 2004)

Hi awrieger
You can find it also here in FAQ

Thank you
Edward


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## awrieger (May 20, 2005)

Actually, the 122.5 litre tank can be the test. It was newly set up, water straight from the tap, first ever dose.

The Aquarium Pharmaceutical kit's reading of 'around' 10ppm, for an actual dose of 13ppm, is probably as accurate as I'm ever going to get with one of these colour-coded tests that only read in increments of 0, 5, 10, 20 etc.

So I'll stick with this one for the time being!


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

I've suggested folks use a good quality test kti if they chose to do testing, Lamotte and Hach and Hanna all offer good grade oif test kits.

I think it's rather ironic to pay for these various higher grades of chemicals and then use a cheap test kit.

You can calibrate a test kit, scale it up/down etc and check it, but will it maintain the same accuracy later as well kit to kit, time to time?

If you want good test results, use a good test kit.
If you like testing, use something decent.

NO3, PO4 and Fe are some of the worst. Some test kits in recent years seem to do better, but I still suggest Lamotte.

Hanna makes a very nice little NO3 meter which is accurate to 0.1ppm NO3 over a 0-30ppm range for about 200$ USD. Lamottes run about 50-70$.

The EI method side steps the whole testing game.
EI will assume the NO3 is still there. Which everyopne here know's it is.
That's not a bad assumption and you can estimate easily what you have in terms of a PPM.

Which is less frustrating, fewer steps, cheaper and effective.

But we found out what you did about 15 years ago.
See Edward's calibration method if you wish to use the cheapy kits.
You will not need to do that for the Lamotte kits etc but it's not a bad idea whenever the test kit results do not make since.

Regards, 
Tom Barr

www.BarrReport.com


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## awrieger (May 20, 2005)

plantbrain said:


> I think it's rather ironic to pay for these various higher grades of chemicals and then use a cheap test kit.


No, not irony, Tom. Just a matter of time, is all.

This was actually my first dose because it's taken me a month just to find a chemical supplier I can buy KNO3 from that's not basically farm-grade 25kg bags straight from the mine the hydroponics places sell. And I bought the AR grade because I had a choice between AR and LR grade, so I went with the finer grade (to match my fine personality!  ).

Not so with the choice of test kits from the lfs. Basically I've just been using whatever the 'best' kit they happen to have is. So not much choice up until now, but JBL being German quality akin to Dupla is supposed to be very good.

But I've now, only just yesterday, discovered Lamotte has a local distributor here I can buy directly from! And not just for their basic test kits. Their whole range of everything! The colorimeters and electronic meters too!

And thanks for letting me know Hanna makes an NO3 meter. I'm going to do a search for it right now. I have nitrate-sensitive fish so that will be an invaluable boon to me. Since I bought my Hanna pHep meter, I haven't touched a colour-coded pH test kit. Hopefully I can do the same with NO3 too soon, thanks. And all the other tests as well. Eventually. As I said, just a matter of time!


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

awrieger said:


> No, not irony, Tom. Just a matter of time, is all.
> 
> This was actually my first dose because it's taken me a month just to find a chemical supplier I can buy KNO3 from that's not basically farm-grade 25kg bags straight from the mine the hydroponics places sell. And I bought the AR grade because I had a choice between AR and LR grade, so I went with the finer grade (to match my fine personality!  ).
> 
> ...


NO3 sensitive fish?

From what original source?
Inorganic or organic?

I've done alot with NO3,more than anyone else I know of.
Shrimp are more sensitive than any SA fish I know of. They only had the start of mortality at 100ppm +.

Organic forms aremore related tolow DO,NH4 and other factors, not merely the end product of nitrification..............

www.aquaticeco.com ships worldwide.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## awrieger (May 20, 2005)

Fancy goldfish of course! Especially the more distorted rounded-body shapes like Ryukins.

Nitrates ideally below 20ppm at all times. Preferably 0ppm if possible (which is impossible). 40ppm maximum, and only then if you're prepared to risk swim bladder disorders, gastric infections and other troubles.

They may actually 'survive' at 100+ppm for a short period of time, but not likely in any useable or functional condition. You'd have a tank full of very sick and disabled fish. Probably permanently damaged. So it's not simply a matter of mortality.

PS. Common goldfish, being more closer to the natural form, seem to be more hardy and resilient to varying water parameters than the highly fancy varieties.


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

I highly and most seriously doubt they are as sensitive as you say.............

I keep far more sensitive fish, Altums, Discus, wild caught fish.
With NO3 levels way down in the ppb range.....
All fancies are farmed.............
While being less tough,they are still carp.
Temp is often more important.
They are messy too.
Plan on only a few in large tank or more water changes, one of the two.

I deal with koi breeds and they are extremely expensive. I cannot afford to buy even one.

Your test kits are not very accurate either.
+,- 5ppm is poor, useful in general terms if accurate, but not in terms of uptake measurements really.

but 10-30ppm range of inorganic is quite another matter vs organic fish loading sources...........

I'd not fear that unless you do not do water changes, and are somewhat careless.

Regards, 
'Tom Barr


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