So what's likely going on is the presence of any nitrate is over staining the pad to give a false reading. 0 nitrate still reads as none present, but once we see some, it goes haywire
I have api only 1 tank reads high goes down after water change then creeps back up. Do 5 gal wc every 1-2 weeks. 20 high pair of gold rams. Heavily planted with sponge filter.
So my guesses here would be the following: how often do you gravel vac out excess mulm. With only a sponge, these particulates can build up and cause more waste which then is processed to more and more nitrate. Second: how much/often do you fertilize. With your water change schedule, you aren't pulling out too much, so if we're fertilizing too much, we could be causing this build up. When are you testing? If you test the day of or day after you add fertilizer, you could be, in a way, tricking yourself. That's a few examples, hopefully it helps Barb!
@@barb1906 I agree with Bentley, a buildup of mulm can release nitrates. Also, how well do you squeeze out the sponge? These tend to accumulate particulates which are broken down to nitrates. I would suggest that you increase your water changes to 25% every 7 - 10 days and see what your parameters settle down to 36 - 48 hours after the change.
I had a similar problem with Runbo test strips. I put in crush coral a week later the kh and ph went up. Then after 2nd week it look like my gains disappeared. After testing with a few strips, I decided to buy API strips that I had run out of and the Runbo were way off. Thank goodness I didn’t trust those and thought there was a strip problem. I could have made an error in equilibrium addition that would have thrown it way off. Good episode. I love your channel.
Great topic and very well presented. This is more at your level of expertise and what people need. People really trust you and this is an excellent video that clarifys confusion. Well done
Bentley, Something like this...... all going well so I haven't tested in a while, except nitrates. As I started to set up a new tank and tested my (with strips) tap water the GH was way off. So I grabbed the API to retest and got similar results. My tap (after 24 hrs) had changed dramatically.
One of the things I do to pull excess nitrates is to supercharge my filter: aka upgrade the intake with a sponge, add good filter media like coarse sponge & media to fill the canister, and grow pothos out of the HOB filter. ‘
Great advice, Bentley. Such anomalous readings should always raise the alarm. Investing in a good quality test kit will pay dividends in the long term. I also agree that maybe the plants aren't getting enough light, possibly too much aeration as well, not allowing the plants enough contact time with the cabonated water.
Not sure I'd consider 50 nitrate reading to be high? I wouldn't have concerned myself until it was over a hundred. If all else is turning me my tank is fine, I think too many folks chase nitrates needlessly.
my girlfriend had super high nitrates in her tank for a couple weeks i was doing big water changes and it wouldn’t really budge i threw away her filter cartridges and cut a sponge out to go in her hang on the back 2 days later the nitrates here cut down from 80 ppm to 0 with no water change i didn’t realize how crappy those cartridges really are
This is unbelievable just got some co-op test strips 5 days ago to try them out over my api ones and the co-op test strips say I am at 50 ppm nit verses api say between 35 40. Did water change and the api strip changed but the co-op still say 50. I think they have some bad batches. I have emailed them about the issue will see what they say.
What sucks is that the test kits that are readily available and affordable don't tell us much about the water and if you know how your ecosystem works in nitrate, ph and kh then tests are almost useless and what we really need is a whole analysis of what is in the water dissolved and not
I know every ecosystem is different but sometimes cognitive dissonance kicks in for me and I don't understand how people have nitrate problems when even in my monster fish and turtle tank I never have nitrate problems even without many floaters. In all my other tanks moss and hornwort keep them almost unreadable and then if you put duckweed in there should never be a problem lol. But that also is with them all being breeding tanks and I don't change water often. If anyone made it this far is there just that much difference between hard and soft water??
Lol also I don't think that 100 nitrates is high so that's also a huge difference. But now I don't usually get any registerable. But also kills me when I get nitrates off the charts and just put in plants to remove it and all fish were perfectly fine and are breeding and healthy. I wouldn't keep fish in really high nitrates for a long time obviously but short term I haven't seen any evidence that says that we need to act the way we do now.
I also was getting readings that didn't make sense from API strips, went and bought the API freshwater master test kit and gave me different/more accurate readings I assume. The strips are way easier to use but it doesn't matter if they aren't accurate.
![OsamaSon - ik what you did last summer [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4DIQDnu3mr4/mqdefault.jpg)
Bently then why did her strips work on tap water at 0. I have a tank that has higher nitrate. Wonder why? I have floating wisteria large ones
So what's likely going on is the presence of any nitrate is over staining the pad to give a false reading. 0 nitrate still reads as none present, but once we see some, it goes haywire
I have api only 1 tank reads high goes down after water change then creeps back up. Do 5 gal wc every 1-2 weeks. 20 high pair of gold rams. Heavily planted with sponge filter.
So my guesses here would be the following: how often do you gravel vac out excess mulm. With only a sponge, these particulates can build up and cause more waste which then is processed to more and more nitrate. Second: how much/often do you fertilize. With your water change schedule, you aren't pulling out too much, so if we're fertilizing too much, we could be causing this build up. When are you testing? If you test the day of or day after you add fertilizer, you could be, in a way, tricking yourself. That's a few examples, hopefully it helps Barb!
@@BentleyPascoe Yes my co-op strips are doing the same thing zero until I put them in my tank then the strip will read 50. Defective pad!
@@barb1906 I agree with Bentley, a buildup of mulm can release nitrates. Also, how well do you squeeze out the sponge? These tend to accumulate particulates which are broken down to nitrates. I would suggest that you increase your water changes to 25% every 7 - 10 days and see what your parameters settle down to 36 - 48 hours after the change.
Great advice, to question the test, when readings aren’t “logical”. The greatest tool we have is our brain. Thanks for reminding us to use it! 😊👍
🤣
10:22 - cue Danger Noodle. He is stunning!! I had to rewind to listen to go over what you said as I was too distracted by his awesome Noodliness ❤️
This is not an issue for me really, but the series is so good! You seemed to be just running with your thoughts and that is my favorite Bentley! 👍
Thank goodness everything is good! Always nice when it’s an easy fix!! Ready to see the next one!
I had a similar problem with Runbo test strips. I put in crush coral a week later the kh and ph went up. Then after 2nd week it look like my gains disappeared. After testing with a few strips, I decided to buy API strips that I had run out of and the Runbo were way off. Thank goodness I didn’t trust those and thought there was a strip problem. I could have made an error in equilibrium addition that would have thrown it way off. Good episode. I love your channel.
This series was a good idea. Looking forward to more.
Good info for denitrate a water reservoir
Excellent video and discussion Sir.
Great topic and very well presented. This is more at your level of expertise and what people need. People really trust you and this is an excellent video that clarifys confusion. Well done
God bless Father Fish for showing us a better way than using test strips. Follow Father Fish for zero water change methods.
I love this series. 👍
Thanks for another informative video.
Another great video thank you 💯👍👍
Bentley, Something like this...... all going well so I haven't tested in a while, except nitrates. As I started to set up a new tank and tested my (with strips) tap water the GH was way off. So I grabbed the API to retest and got similar results. My tap (after 24 hrs) had changed dramatically.
thank you.allways great info
Thanks For Sharing ✍
One of the things I do to pull excess nitrates is to supercharge my filter: aka upgrade the intake with a sponge, add good filter media like coarse sponge & media to fill the canister, and grow pothos out of the HOB filter.
‘
Great advice, Bentley. Such anomalous readings should always raise the alarm. Investing in a good quality test kit will pay dividends in the long term. I also agree that maybe the plants aren't getting enough light, possibly too much aeration as well, not allowing the plants enough contact time with the cabonated water.
great vid
ty
Bentley, would you do a review or comment your thoughts on Carib sea floramax? If you've ever used it.
Have not used it
Not sure I'd consider 50 nitrate reading to be high? I wouldn't have concerned myself until it was over a hundred. If all else is turning me my tank is fine, I think too many folks chase nitrates needlessly.
Nice!
Algae scrubber
the ciclid ppl 😂😂😂😂😂
Looking at all of the surface agitation in that small tank and the DIY CO2 injection just how much CO2 is actually getting to the plants?
You honestly need very little CO2 to get the effects with low demand plants. This isn't something like a HC Cuba carpet where you need A LOT of help.
Hey Bentley I’m a Cichlid Guy! Gotta problem with that?😎😉
Let me guess, bare bottom tank flowerhorn too? 🤣
my girlfriend had super high nitrates in her tank for a couple weeks i was doing big water changes and it wouldn’t really budge i threw away her filter cartridges and cut a sponge out to go in her hang on the back 2 days later the nitrates here cut down from 80 ppm to 0 with no water change i didn’t realize how crappy those cartridges really are
That doesn't sound possible. Nitrates don't just disappear after 2 days with brand new media. Are you testing differently?
Slapping a big ol Peace Lilly in my HOB did wonders for me
And it looks great!
This is unbelievable just got some co-op test strips 5 days ago to try them out over my api ones and the co-op test strips say I am at 50 ppm nit verses api say between 35 40. Did water change and the api strip changed but the co-op still say 50. I think they have some bad batches. I have emailed them about the issue will see what they say.
If you got yours very early it's possible. Mine that I recently got have been pretty accurate from what I can tell
Thanks for a reply if anything changes Ill update!
My guess was she was replacing the nitrates with her fertilizer right after the water change
What sucks is that the test kits that are readily available and affordable don't tell us much about the water and if you know how your ecosystem works in nitrate, ph and kh then tests are almost useless and what we really need is a whole analysis of what is in the water dissolved and not
I know every ecosystem is different but sometimes cognitive dissonance kicks in for me and I don't understand how people have nitrate problems when even in my monster fish and turtle tank I never have nitrate problems even without many floaters. In all my other tanks moss and hornwort keep them almost unreadable and then if you put duckweed in there should never be a problem lol. But that also is with them all being breeding tanks and I don't change water often. If anyone made it this far is there just that much difference between hard and soft water??
Lol also I don't think that 100 nitrates is high so that's also a huge difference. But now I don't usually get any registerable. But also kills me when I get nitrates off the charts and just put in plants to remove it and all fish were perfectly fine and are breeding and healthy. I wouldn't keep fish in really high nitrates for a long time obviously but short term I haven't seen any evidence that says that we need to act the way we do now.
Thus, achieve a second source to get proper results
I have found that easy green seems to raise my nitrates. anybody else experience this?
It has nitrogen in it, so it should raise nitrate levels, it's the primary food for plants in most all-in-one fertilizer
Just that intro put me off....too little nitrate?? I just clicked off. Sorry
I also was getting readings that didn't make sense from API strips, went and bought the API freshwater master test kit and gave me different/more accurate readings I assume. The strips are way easier to use but it doesn't matter if they aren't accurate.