Nitrates Still Going Down. What Is Going On?

Tank can process 3-4 ppm in 24 hours. Nitrite is dropping but so are nitrates. I really don't know what is going on.

 

Wondering if you are shaking/beating the Nitrate #2 bottle enough, you REALLY have to shake that thing up as it crystallizes in the bottle. Not getting that shaken up enough will give you false low/zero readings.

 

Wondering if you are shaking/beating the Nitrate #2 bottle enough, you REALLY have to shake that thing up as it crystallizes in the bottle. Not getting that shaken up enough will give you false low/zero readings.

I agree. When I run a nitrate test I first shake the #2 bottle violently while banging it on the hardwood floor for more than 30 seconds. Then I fill up the test tube with water, shake the #1 bottle for about 15 seconds and add the 10 drops. Next, I cap the vial and shake it for 10 seconds and then remove the cap. Finally, I shake the #2 bottle again for over 30 seconds while violently shaking it and banging it on the floor. Add the 10 drops of #2 to the vial and then shake it violently for 10-15 seconds.

My arm burns and I often switch hands through the process...

 

You have to shake the nitrate bottles well for accurate readings, but you don't have to kill yourself. I take bottle #1 and 2, and bang their bottoms together as I shake. After a minute, I follow the test instructions. You don't have to shake the test tube between the bottles either, just invert it a few times until the color is homogeneous.

 

You have to shake the nitrate bottles well for accurate readings, but you don't have to kill yourself. I take bottle #1 and 2, and bang their bottoms together as I shake. After a minute, I follow the test instructions. You don't have to shake the test tube between the bottles either, just invert it a few times until the color is homogeneous.

Totally agree. I tend to overkill to ensure accuracy! No pain, no gain!

 

bottle #1 I have never had issues with just giving it a quick shake, #2 I bang on my desk/counter as stated above as well I have been lazy before and got a zero reading that I knew was wrong...you REALLY have to shake/beat the heck out of that bottle

 

I shake bottle 2 for nearly 2 minutes before starting the test - making sure I bang it a few times against the table for good measure. I add my drops from bottle one then shake the sample and bottle 2 for another minute. The sample goes orange/brown at this point.

Then I add my drops from bottle 2 and shake the whole thing again for another minute.

I don't think the readings are because I haven't shaken it!

 

I shake bottle 2 for nearly 2 minutes before starting the test - making sure I bang it a few times against the table for good measure. I add my drops from bottle one then shake the sample and bottle 2 for another minute. The sample goes orange/brown at this point.

Then I add my drops from bottle 2 and shake the whole thing again for another minute.

I don't think the readings are because I haven't shaken it!

Hmmm, I'm stumped then... The nitrates can't exactly get up and walk away!

The only thing I really do different is shaking it a second time immediately before dropping it in the vial.

 

Then I add my drops from bottle 2 and shake the whole thing again for another minute.

Brown/orange? From just bottle one? Bottle 1 in the sample should be bright yellow. Maybe something is up with your kit, is it very old? I would take a sample to a friend or a LFS to have it sampled to confirm.

 

Do you have live plants or matrix?

 

Brown/orange? From just bottle one? Bottle 1 in the sample should be bright yellow. Maybe something is up with your kit, is it very old? I would take a sample to a friend or a LFS to have it sampled to confirm.

Brand new kit. Opened about 10 days ago.

 

Brand new kit. Opened about 10 days ago.

What's expiration on the bottle though? Just because it's new to you and just opened doesn't mean it wasn't laying on a shelf or in a warehouse for years.

 

Do you have live plants or matrix?

Got 8 plants. I would be surprised if it was enough to make a difference.

What's expiration on the bottle though? Just because it's new to you and just opened doesn't mean it wasn't laying on a shelf or in a warehouse for years.

August 2021

 

Got 8 plants. I would be surprised if it was enough to make a difference.

Plants do eat nitrates, but yeah I agree.

August 2021

Looks fine too.

 

Got 8 plants. I would be surprised if it was enough to make a difference.

I have bamboo and pothos in a HOB thing, it was enough to make a difference. I do agree that going from 40-80 to 5 in 2 days is a lot of movement though. I am still curious about the color you mentioned with just bottle one, it should be bright yellow, no brown at all - slowly turning orange once the second bottle is added in.

Strange, perhaps you have some great Nitrate eating plants in there, they could have gotten used to eating that high ammonia you had and switched to consuming Nitrate once it was gone to support themselves.

Other than BB/plants I do not think Nitrate 'decays' or offgasses, so it must be being consumed by something. If so then congrats, you have an excellent biofilter!

 

Even more baffling - when I tested my tap water yesterday alongside my tank nitrates I hadn't a higher concentration in the tap water than in the tank.

 

I think its safe to say your plants and biofilter are consuming them then. I recently noticed that my Discus tank has lower Nitrate than my tap, I do huge daily WCs and have a lot of filtering (no plants though, not yet)

 

Have you been dosing Amquel, Prime, or similar?

 

Have you been dosing Amquel, Prime, or similar?

Nope. I added a bit of old filter media from a friends tank a little over a week ago.

A bit of internet research suggested that my nitrates may actually be too high for the test kit to read accurately and that is why it turns orange/brown after adding bottle 1.

Any thoughts on that?

 

Nope. I added a bit of old filter media from a friends tank a little over a week ago.

A bit of internet research suggested that my nitrates may actually be too high for the test kit to read accurately and that is why it turns orange/brown after adding bottle 1.

Any thoughts on that?

Maybe, I would think the test would just change to dark red very quickly if that was the case - however you can test this with a dilution test, dilute the sample in half (or 1/2 2/3) with tap (or distilled) and test, then times the results by 2 or 3 depending on how much you diluted

 

This is the colour I get after adding solution 1. Orange/brown.

Brown/orange? From just bottle one? Bottle 1 in the sample should be bright yellow. Maybe something is up with your kit, is it very old? I would take a sample to a friend or a LFS to have it sampled to confirm.

I tested my tap water again this morning. Sample stayed yellow when I added the drops from bottle one. It is definitely something weird with my tank rather than a dodgy sample bottle.

 

That brownish color was the same color I saw from a pet store water sample...so I know I've seen it before! When was the last time you changed your water and have you added anything to the tank at all (even aquarium salt)....ask the friend if she put a medication in her tank (maybe that could cause it, I don't know)

 

Did you try the dilution test?

I believe your nitrates are so high that it's messing with the results.

Regardless, if your tank is cycled, I would change 90-95% of the water. Test it after an hour and see what you get.

When was the last time you dosed ammonia?

 

That brownish color was the same color I saw from a pet store water sample...so I know I've seen it before! When was the last time you changed your water and have you added anything to the tank at all (even aquarium salt)....ask the friend if she put a medication in her tank (maybe that could cause it, I don't know)

I haven't done a water change as I am still cycling.

Nothing has been added to the tank since I set it up 12 days ago except my friends media on day4

Did you try the dilution test?


When was the last time you dosed ammonia?

Haven't tried the dilution test yet. I don't have any distilled water and my tap water already has high nitrates.

I last dosed ammonia at 6.30pm last night and it had all gone by 9.30am this morning. It is now mid day U.K. Time.

 

Do you have bottled drinking water? I don't think that would have any nitrates in it.

Edit: I mean for the dilution testing

 

I haven't done a water change as I am still.

You can do water changes during a cycle. FYI

 

I would do a water change immediately. 50 -75% and then retest your water. You need to do water changes during cycling. The levels can get so toxic it will kill the bacteria.

What are you using for your water conditioner and bottled bacteria?

 

You could have a colony of anaerobic bacteria in your substrate. They prefer low flow, and substrate provides the perfect environment for them. They convert nitrate to nitrogen, which gasses out of the tank.

 

Do you have seachem matrix in your filter ?

 

Do you have seachem matrix in your filter ?

I have never heard of that. My filter came with the tank. It is an Interpet CF2

It has 3 bits - a green bit, a white bit and a bit with lots of little plastic bits.

I am quite knowledgeable about a lot of things but sadly not the composition of my filter.

 

I have never heard of that. My filter came with the tank. It is an Interpet CF2

It has 3 bits - a green bit, a white bit and a bit with lots of little plastic bits.

I am quite knowledgeable about a lot of things but sadly not the composition of my filter.

Based off the pictures I've seen, the green and white parts are filter cartridges, and they mechanically filter the water, making it clearer. The ceramic rings are for the bacteria to colonize on. They provide a high surface area for the bacteria to grow.

 

Ok. The dilution test didn't really tell me anything so I have done an 80% water change.

Nitrates now at 20ppm - roughly the same as my tap water BUT nitrites have gone back up to 2ppm (from 0.5).

Hopefully my cycle will sort itself out soon. I want fish!

 

Ok. The dilution test didn't really tell me anything so I have done an 80% water change.

Nitrates now at 20ppm - roughly the same as my tap water BUT nitrites have gone back up to 2ppm (from 0.5).

Hopefully my cycle will sort itself out soon. I want fish!

Just keep at it and keep those nitrites below 4ppm. How many weeks total have you been cycling?

On average it takes 6 weeks, but hopefully will take less since you got bio-media from a friend.

 

Just keep at it and keep those nitrites below 4ppm. How many weeks total have you been cycling?

On average it takes 6 weeks, but hopefully will take less since you got bio-media from a friend.

I am on day 13.

 

I am on day 13.

Okay, thanks. Keep at it. You may have quite a few more weeks to go, but hopefully your friend's bio-media will kick in and shave a couple weeks off for you.

 

Nope. I added a bit of old filter media from a friends tank a little over a week ago.

A bit of internet research suggested that my nitrates may actually be too high for the test kit to read accurately and that is why it turns orange/brown after adding bottle 1.

Any thoughts on that?

My intuition is that it would just be off-the-scale dark red.

 

Just curious but.

Does it matter if you pour the water from the test with the drops in it, back into the tank? (I never do)

How many drops do I need to put if I fill it to the 5ml line?

 

There's no reason to pour the water back in the tank or for tank water to ever contact a test tube. That means no dipping test tubes in the tank to retrieve a sample for testing!

 

Thought I had cracked it with my 80% water change but still getting strange nitrate readings and an orange/brown sample after adding drops from bottle one.

:-(

 

Thought I had cracked it with my 80% water change but still getting strange nitrate readings and an orange/brown sample after adding drops from bottle one.

:-(

It could still be too high. It's the only reason I've heard of that happening. It's been talked about in several threads: API Test Kit Nitrate Bottle #1 turns test water Brown not Yellow???