howaboutme
Active Member
Hello all,
I am starting out and have been testing regularly since my tank got established. My current trend is that my NO3 goes from <5ppm to about 20ppm just before a wc (5G). So I tested yesterday, during the day, just before my scheduled wc. The test came back as <5ppm on my API. The strange thing is that when I tested 3 days before that, I was at 10ppm. I went ahead and did the wc anyways just to improve my technique and it doesn't hurt. Now, I tested again, a few hours after the wc, and the test read back up to 10ppm again!
The only difference between the last 3 tests (just before and after) is how I read the results. The test just before was read w/ only sunlight from the window while the test 3 days before the wc and the one after was read under lights from my house (fluorescent). Could different reading conditions affect how I view the results?
Now, if the test after the wc was a fluke and the 2 tests beforehand were correct, can NO3 be lower w/o a wc? I can think of a couple of ways:
1) tank has matured to provide more beneficial bacteria that lowers NO3
2) I started to feed less
One more thing I should add, I did remove the versa top of the tank between the first and 2nd tests but I didn't think aeration would affect NO3, just pH.
thoughts? Thanks you advance!
I am starting out and have been testing regularly since my tank got established. My current trend is that my NO3 goes from <5ppm to about 20ppm just before a wc (5G). So I tested yesterday, during the day, just before my scheduled wc. The test came back as <5ppm on my API. The strange thing is that when I tested 3 days before that, I was at 10ppm. I went ahead and did the wc anyways just to improve my technique and it doesn't hurt. Now, I tested again, a few hours after the wc, and the test read back up to 10ppm again!
The only difference between the last 3 tests (just before and after) is how I read the results. The test just before was read w/ only sunlight from the window while the test 3 days before the wc and the one after was read under lights from my house (fluorescent). Could different reading conditions affect how I view the results?
Now, if the test after the wc was a fluke and the 2 tests beforehand were correct, can NO3 be lower w/o a wc? I can think of a couple of ways:
1) tank has matured to provide more beneficial bacteria that lowers NO3
2) I started to feed less
One more thing I should add, I did remove the versa top of the tank between the first and 2nd tests but I didn't think aeration would affect NO3, just pH.
thoughts? Thanks you advance!
