2 ppm of NO3 too high for SPS????

[Dapg8gt]

anyone know 4ppm NO3 is high for red sea test kit

Don't really get the question? If it's saying it's 4 and you get it on the high range and low range method it's 4ppm ( or should I say that's what the kit is reading it at).

4 ppm is not bad at all, seems most people shoot for 5ppm and under but others have a lot readings with great results.. Imo 0 is bad I've never been able to keep healthy coral at 0 and I feel the fad of having to have 0 n03 & p04 was the worst thing to become widespread in the hobby. I still see posts all the time saying the problem is from having nitrates above 0 and I'm a firm disbeliever of that, but that's only my experience so I mostly just stay out of the argument that will ensue if I say otherwise.

Fwiw I run my tank anywhere from 4-10 and have no negatives doing so.. Low p04 does more damage in my system a faulty batch of Hanna ulr reagents and my oversight led to damage of my sps that I'm still recovering from.

 

[Big E]

Just to clarify are you all saying your readings are for example 25 from the side of the Salifert test vial.............so 25 divided by 10 = 2.5

 

[watchguy123]

Wow, some of you guys must have pretty accurate test kits. Most of the test kits I have challenging subtle color differences from 0-10 ppm but good for you guys.

Lots of interesting points brought up. There certainly seems to be a trend toward lower dKh, like 7-8 or so. And with that, lower nutrients. I think stability more than numbers matter but of course careful observation to get the tank "happy" is most critical. And that range of happiness really runs a pretty broad spectrum. Tanks succeed with high or low Alk, and high and low nutrients. It's just putting it all together to result in a stable, happy tank that is the critical aspect.

Given all that, zero nutrients generally means zero nutrients. Hard to get any growth or happiness with zero unless of course your test kit isn't really measuring zero.

 

[Piper27]

Saliferts nitrate test kit is very easy to read from .02 and up, and I am partially colorblind.

 

[Piper27]

Double post sorry....

 

[Dapg8gt]

I've always had issues with Salifert p04 kit , but I love all the other kits.

Totally agree with watchguys statement if your tank is happy let it be, don't change it chasing a number someone else has success with.

For p04 kits I've been a fan of the ulr Hanna for a while but it has it weaknesses, just got turned onto the Elos professional kit and I REALLY like it so far. Learned about it in sahin's thread fwiw..

 

[Plantbrain]

You folks might consider making known standards, particularly at lower end points for these cheapy test kits you use.

NO3 and PO4 test can be off a fair amount and then aquarist obsess trying to fix something they may not need to fix.

You use a standard reference to calibrate the pH, etc...........but not something you use often?

Here's a way to make 10, 20, 30 and 40 ppm NO3 reference solutions:

Add 1.631 g of KNO3 to 1 L DI/RO water. This makes a 1000 ppm NO3 solution. (It's really a 1000.29 ppm solution.)

Add 2 mL of the 1000 ppm solution to 18 mL of DI/RO water. This makes 20 mL of a 100 ppm NO3 solution.

Add 15 mL of the 100 ppm solution to 15 mL of DI/RO water. This makes 30 mL of a 50 ppm NO3 solution.

To make a 10 ppm NO3 solution:
Add 2 mL of the 50 ppm solution to 8 mL of DI/RO water. This makes 10 mL of a 10 ppm NO3 solution.

To make a 20 ppm NO3 solution:
Add 4 mL of the 50 ppm solution to 6 mL of DI/RO water. This makes 10 mL of a 20 ppm NO3 solution.

To make a 30 ppm NO3 solution:
Add 6 mL of the 50 ppm solution to 4 mL of DI/RO water. This makes 10 mL of a 30 ppm NO3 solution.

To make a 40 ppm NO3 solution:
Add 8 mL of the 50 ppm solution to 2 mL of DI/RO water. This makes 10 mL of a 40 ppm NO3 solution.




Here's a way to make 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0 ppm PO4 reference solutions:

Add 1.433 g of KH2PO4 to 1 L DI/RO water. This makes a 1000 ppm PO4 solution. (It's really a 1000.09 ppm solution.)

Add 1 mL of the 1000 ppm solution to 9 mL of DI/RO water. This makes 10 mL of a 100 ppm PO4 solution.

Add 2 mL of the 100 ppm solution to 18 mL of DI/RO water. This makes 20 mL of a 10 ppm PO4 solution.

To make a 1.0 ppm PO4 solution:
Add 1 mL of the 10 ppm solution to 9 mL of DI/RO water. This makes 10 mL of a 1.0 ppm PO4 solution.

To make a 2.0 ppm PO4 solution:
Add 2 mL of the 10 ppm solution to 8 mL of DI/RO water. This makes 10 mL of a 2.0 ppm PO4 solution.

To make a 3.0 ppm PO4 solution:
Add 3 mL of the 10 ppm solution to 7 mL of DI/RO water. This makes 10 mL of a 3.0 ppm PO4 solution.

To make a 4.0 ppm PO4 solution:
Add 4 mL of the 10 ppm solution to 6 mL of DI/RO water. This makes 10 mL of a 4.0 ppm PO4 solution.

To make a 5.0 ppm PO4 solution:
Add 5 mL of the 10 ppm solution to 5 mL of DI/RO water. This makes 10 mL of a 5.0 ppm PO4 solution.


Note, you can make these more dilute to suit whatever range of interest your target range might be at.

KNO3 and KH2PO4 are available from aquarium on line fertilizer businesses for 2-4$ a pound.

So if you think the test kit and your methods for measuring at say 10 ppm of NO3 using Brand X is that accurate, measure it against a known standard and see if that's the case. Do not assume it is.

 

[SeargentSlice]

You folks might consider making known standards, particularly at lower end points for these cheapy test kits you use.

NO3 and PO4 test can be off a fair amount and then aquarist obsess trying to fix something they may not need to fix.

You use a standard reference to calibrate the pH, etc...........but not something you use often?

Here's a way to make 10, 20, 30 and 40 ppm NO3 reference solutions:

Add 1.631 g of KNO3 to 1 L DI/RO water. This makes a 1000 ppm NO3 solution. (It's really a 1000.29 ppm solution.)

Add 2 mL of the 1000 ppm solution to 18 mL of DI/RO water. This makes 20 mL of a 100 ppm NO3 solution.

Add 15 mL of the 100 ppm solution to 15 mL of DI/RO water. This makes 30 mL of a 50 ppm NO3 solution.

To make a 10 ppm NO3 solution:
Add 2 mL of the 50 ppm solution to 8 mL of DI/RO water. This makes 10 mL of a 10 ppm NO3 solution.

To make a 20 ppm NO3 solution:
Add 4 mL of the 50 ppm solution to 6 mL of DI/RO water. This makes 10 mL of a 20 ppm NO3 solution.

To make a 30 ppm NO3 solution:
Add 6 mL of the 50 ppm solution to 4 mL of DI/RO water. This makes 10 mL of a 30 ppm NO3 solution.

To make a 40 ppm NO3 solution:
Add 8 mL of the 50 ppm solution to 2 mL of DI/RO water. This makes 10 mL of a 40 ppm NO3 solution.




Here's a way to make 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0 ppm PO4 reference solutions:

Add 1.433 g of KH2PO4 to 1 L DI/RO water. This makes a 1000 ppm PO4 solution. (It's really a 1000.09 ppm solution.)

Add 1 mL of the 1000 ppm solution to 9 mL of DI/RO water. This makes 10 mL of a 100 ppm PO4 solution.

Add 2 mL of the 100 ppm solution to 18 mL of DI/RO water. This makes 20 mL of a 10 ppm PO4 solution.

To make a 1.0 ppm PO4 solution:
Add 1 mL of the 10 ppm solution to 9 mL of DI/RO water. This makes 10 mL of a 1.0 ppm PO4 solution.

To make a 2.0 ppm PO4 solution:
Add 2 mL of the 10 ppm solution to 8 mL of DI/RO water. This makes 10 mL of a 2.0 ppm PO4 solution.

To make a 3.0 ppm PO4 solution:
Add 3 mL of the 10 ppm solution to 7 mL of DI/RO water. This makes 10 mL of a 3.0 ppm PO4 solution.

To make a 4.0 ppm PO4 solution:
Add 4 mL of the 10 ppm solution to 6 mL of DI/RO water. This makes 10 mL of a 4.0 ppm PO4 solution.

To make a 5.0 ppm PO4 solution:
Add 5 mL of the 10 ppm solution to 5 mL of DI/RO water. This makes 10 mL of a 5.0 ppm PO4 solution.


Note, you can make these more dilute to suit whatever range of interest your target range might be at.

KNO3 and KH2PO4 are available from aquarium on line fertilizer businesses for 2-4$ a pound.

So if you think the test kit and your methods for measuring at say 10 ppm of NO3 using Brand X is that accurate, measure it against a known standard and see if that's the case. Do not assume it is.

Thanx for sharing this :beer: