Major algae/co2/ph crash! HELP

Okay this is getting weird. I just got home from work and checked the nitrate. It's only at about 1.5. That's after adding 1/4 tsp last night after the water change and another 1/4 tsp this morning.

I just added another 1/4 tsp of stump remover and will check it in a couple of hours.

The pH is still 6.8, so that's good. :)

I promise I'll hold back on the iron, Len. As for the phosphates, do you really think I should add them before I get my nitrates up a little higher?
 
On the phosphates. Yes!! Why not? Bring the levels up together. It'll be interesting to see how your tester responds in a couple of hours on the nitrates. They're going somewhere.....can't imagine where.
BTW, how's the algae situation? Hopefully it will calm down some.
You are now pushing about 23ppm CO2. That's a good level for now. You can try for 6.7 later. You checked for leaks.....yes?
Len
 
I did check for CO2 leaks when my tank was quickly running out and discovered the washer was missing. I think I have that under control now. I pt the washer on and removed the bubble counter and that seems to keep the flow steady.

Nitrate levels now are about 2. Something weird is going on. When I did the test with the sample reference the colour is exactly the same as 10 on the chart. But when I do my own water the colour appears pink at first and then turns oranger. (Hard to compare)

The plants have grown an inch since last night.......but so has the algae.

From djlen:
On the phosphates. Yes!! Why not? Bring the levels up together.

Gotta love how willing your are to experiment on MY tank. :)

Okay...... I'm going after the bottle of Fleet enima now. Hmmmm.....should I give it the fish tank or to Len?

Guess I'll try it on the tank..... first.

Thanks again, Len. I hope you're keeping track of how many tanks you've rescued? There should be a reward.......

~Edited later~
This is interesting. I decided to use an old nitrate test kit just to see what it would measure and it's showing about 40ppm. And perfectly pink, I might add.

Just for the sake of info, the first test kit was a Seachems and the old kit is Hagen.

~Later Still~
I just tested my tap water with the Hagen test and it's showing almost 10 (which doesn't surprise me since I live in an area surrounded by farms). So I went to www.seachem.com and they have a whole list of Nitrate batches that are BAD!!!

I feel another water change coming on.
 
Last edited:
I sent a message to Seachem and they don't think it's the kit. They said if the reference reading is okay then it must be something else, like meds or some other water conditioner. Basically what they told me was that if the test is turning dark, saturated orange then my nitrates are probably off the scale. If it turns out pale orange than it's probably a water conditioner or medication.

My test is turning pale orange but I haven't added anything but ferts to my water since I set it up about 6 weeks ago.

I'm hoping that Seachem's can figure out what the problem is. I certainly can't use that test kit right now.
 
I use Aquarium Pharmaceuticals for nitrates and am very happy with it. My next two questions were going to be how many plants do you have in that tank? And what kind of kit is it and how old is it? I've never seen a test vial turn pink and then yellow. A nitrate test should start immediately as yellow and then over a 5 min. period turn to amber and orange if the nitrates are high enough to make it that shade.
I never trust water directly out of the tap for an accurate test. I let it sit for 4 hrs. minimum to gas off(overnight is better) and then test.
I don't think that adding the KNO3 and PO4 together is necessarily "experimenting" with your tank.:) Makes sense to me to add them and bring the levels up together. That's the way I'd do it.
Get those plants growing well and the algae goes away. Keep cleaning it up til they can take over again.
pH level? PO4 level?
BTW, the tank requires only 2-3 drops at a shot. I'd require considerably more than that.....very costly.....very funny Boos. You're a regular laugh riot!!!!
Len
 
I like Aquarium Pharm. nitrate kit too. Unfortunately I don't have one right now. I read on a web site, that shall remain nameless, that the Seachem test is better. (The one I have is brand new).

Next.....number of plants. Let's put it this way, there's not a lot of room left for the fish. They are mostly stem plants, vals and a few small swords. Amazingly, my limnophila aromatica has the least amount of algae growing on it and it's doing quite well. (Knock on wood.)

I'll try the overnight test, but I'm sure I'm going to get the same results. I tested another tank and got the same thing.

The latest:
Picked off more algae
Did a 75% water change.
Added 2 drops of Fleet enema......
......to the tank. :)

Latest pH read 7.0,
PO4 is 2
Nitrates according to Hagen are 15

I must say, it's rather interesting trying to figure this out and solve it. I'm really enjoying this tank.
 
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