Are my plants really using this much NO3??

[fastforward]

Ok, so I've got a 125 gal tank and a sump that holds about 20 gal at opperating levels, 2 6" oscars and one 6" pleco. I just added a few plants the other day to combat the 40 ppm of nitrates I'm getting out of my tap (well water).

Anyway, on Sunday I added one 8" amazon sword, 1 10" easter lilly (how fitting) and 1 12" or so grass like plant who's name I forgot. This was just as an experiment to see what got destroyed. Tonight I tested for nitrate for the first time since and I've dropped from 40ppm to 15 ppm. That seems like an incredible drop in only 2 days on this volume of water.

This is using the API master kit. I've got roughly 1.25 wpg over the tank right now.

So, is it possible my plants are using this much or is something wonky with my test results?

[Mgamer20o0]

well they went somewhere. its possible.

[pigeonblood]

Ok, so I've got a 125 gal tank and a sump that holds about 20 gal at opperating levels, 2 6" oscars and one 6" pleco. I just added a few plants the other day to combat the 40 ppm of nitrates I'm getting out of my tap (well water).

Anyway, on Sunday I added one 8" amazon sword, 1 10" easter lilly (how fitting) and 1 12" or so grass like plant who's name I forgot. This was just as an experiment to see what got destroyed. Tonight I tested for nitrate for the first time since and I've dropped from 40ppm to 15 ppm. That seems like an incredible drop in only 2 days on this volume of water.

This is using the API master kit. I've got roughly 1.25 wpg over the tank right now.

So, is it possible my plants are using this much or is something wonky with my test results?
did you do any water changes between testings?

[fastforward]

did you do any water changes between testings?


Yes, I did a 50% change the same day I planted it. Remember, though, I'm getting 40 ppm straight out of the tap. And I've tested the tap water several times over the course of a month and it never varies.

The owner of the LFS I frequent said that a high KH can screw up nitrate test results. I'm just wondering if the plants or something else I've introduced to the tank changed water chemistry somehow and is giving me skewed reading. Or if my readings were skewed all along...

*shrugs*

[Rex Grigg]

Have you tested the test kit? Nitrate test kits are very finicky. A small mistake in the use can make a huge difference in the results.

An Easter Lilly is not an aquatic plant. And I am now wondering if your "grass like" plant" is aquatic. Can you provide pictures?

[Sammie7]

Your grass like plant sounds like it could possibly be one of these, since they are commonly found, I'll hazard a guess.

A true aquatic:http://www.aquahobby.com/garden/e_spiralis.php there are other varieties of this type, some more spiral shaped.

A non-aquatic: http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=X880
There are also different forms of this plant. Some white more white vertical stripes on the leaves.

Does your plant have the ability to stand upright while out of water? Most aquatic plants, especially long grass-like ones, can't do that.