# What is altering my N readings



## dukydaf (Aug 31, 2004)

I can test both NO2 and NO3.They both have high readings and not everytime. For ex. I tested the water for NO3 and gave the result 20mg/l and after a 50% water change the test done in the very same way red 110mg/l.Even if my aquarium is stable I still read 5mg/l of No2 which is high but my fish are Ok and not showing any sings of stress.

So someting has to alter my N reading.In the last month I have done the following in order: Added lots of NH3 (my mistake), added FloraPride, changed ab 50% of the water, hair algae bloom, added1 bottle of AlguMin, readings are Ok,readings are bad, changed 25% of the water,changed 50% of the water, plants are melting, N reading are quite high,change 25% of the water, add some all in one fertilizer, plants stop melting,present.
As you can see there should be no problems from the alguMin.The other test I can do are Ph 6.5 from the initial water that is 7.5 due to CO2, GH is 3 dH( from 5 unknown causes).I tested my tap water and it comes like 5 mg/l at NO3 and less the 0.1 at NO2.
I also add Aqua Safe from tetra.
Some spot algae has showed and this ussualy indicates an imbalance between N and P.

Any idears??


----------



## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

What is alguMin?

What kind of test kit are you using? If it reads NO2 at 5 ppm and your fish are ok then the test kit is not working correctly.

Its going to be difficult to track this down unless you know exactly what is in each of the things you've added. What kind of all in one fertilizer? What is it made of. How much.

I suspect your test kits aren't very good or that you're using them incorrectly.


----------



## dukydaf (Aug 31, 2004)

The NO2 test is from sera and the NO3 is from Hagen.These are the only trademarks that I can find here.

They both show some change n color when I test the tap water.I use the as said in the leaflet.

AlguMin is a product from Tetra that kills algae throw some peat extracts and siamazine.

The fertilizer is 10%N ,4%p2o5,7.5%K2O


----------



## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

The only way for nitrate (or nitrite) levels to go up in your tank is if you add it. This can be in the form of overdosing liquid or dry ferts, feeding too heavily, or not removing a dead fish or other critter. I suppose massive plant die-off could also cause it to go up.

Your tap water NO2 & NO3 content could vary from day to day, sometimes quite drastically as many cities use different water sources at different times.

If you didn't add it, there is no way the level is actually rising. Your test kits might be fooling you or you may have made an error in dosing.

I would recommend getting away from the algicide. Very few people with planted tanks use this kind of product. Most of them contain substances harmful to the plants too (copper, etc). Establishing a good balance in your tank should eliminate the algae problems naturally. Like I know......my whole this is one big algae mess right now.


----------



## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

I believe low NO3 can cause some plants to melt but I would guess that the main cause is the Algumin you added to the tank. Algecides can have the same effects on plants as they do algea, which is why it is recommended not to use them in planted tanks.

I would stop using the Algumin and I would also check the expiration date on your test kits. To check expiration dates on test kits you can usually go to the manufacturer's website and find the info. A recently purchased kit is not always a good kit since it could have sat on the shelf for a long time before being purchased. Here is a link for checking the expiration dates on some tst kits: http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/test_kits_life.php For your Sera kit, you would need to check Sera's website for expiration info.

If you want to rely on the test kits as accurate, make sure you calibrate them. Here is a good link for calibrating both NO3 and PO4 test kits: http://ca.geocities.com/[email protected]/01.01.Test.NO3.PO4.pdf It is a bit of work to calibrate them and this method does require a fairly accurate scale, but at least you will know whether the kits are either accurate or not.


----------

