Do you let the sample sit for 5 min before reading the nitrates, or do you read it immediately after the 1 min of shaking?
NO, I wait the 5 minutes....Do you let the sample sit for 5 min before reading the nitrates, or do you read it immediately after the 1 min of shaking?
This is the kind of cartridge it uses....it's a double HOB.....Aqua Tech power filter?? I clean it by rinsing it in the tank water when I do water changes.(not every water change. About once every 2-2 1/2 weeks.)What kind of filter media are you using in the filter? When was the last time you cleaned it? How did you clean it?
Really need to know what kind of filter you have. "Hang on the back", and "came with the tank", is not helpful enough.
Yea I have the red pieces in the filter as well and I've never taken them out so they have never been cleaned....I just clean the filter cartridge itself.That's kind of a marginally horrible HOB filter in terms of bio media capacity. I believe what's pictured in red or orange, downstream of the filter cartridges in one of the pics is supposed to be the bio media. Those need to be preserved during filter cleanings, water changes and cartridge swaps.
Before the sand was added my PH was really low that it wasn't even readable on the test. Now after the sand my PH is 8.0Sounds like you doing everything correctly.
What is your PH?