Api Readings

[Munroco]

New tank set up readings for ammonia. no2 and no3 all look like zero to me. Is this normal for nitrates? and if there are no nitrates whats the damned algae feeding on?

 

[gmc1]

Looks like you have nitrates to me

 

[the_lock_man]

It's difficult to tell but on the face of it, it looks like a 0ppm result to me.
 
The API nitrate test is notorious for giving false zero results. The reagent is a powder which seems to easily precipitate out of the solution. If it is not properly dissolved, it won't change the colour of the liquid.
 
The instructions, IIRC, say that you have to shake the bottle for 30 seconds before adding the drops. Ignore that. Shake the bottle for at least a minute or two, give it a good bang on the table to dislodge any bits of powder that are stuck to the bottom of the bottle, and then shake it again some.
 
Try it again, and see what it comes up with then.

 

[Munroco]

GMC you may be right, the colour doesn't exactly match either but I think its closer to the zero than the 5ppm.
 
Lock Man, I'll give it another try although I'm a bit wary of banging these little tubes on the table

 

[RainboWBacoN420]

Do you give your solutions a shake before using them? I think that would be ideal. My nitrates usually come up like yours, a kind of dark yellowish color. 
 
Your algae is probably benefiting from your light source. Try the black period for a few days or so, that's how I got rid of my black beard, but unfortunately it has returned...

 

[Munroco]

I do shake them, just recently bought this kit and I'm following instructions religiously.
 
I'm looking into getting some Siamese algae eaters if I can source them.

 

[RainboWBacoN420]

Aren't Siamese algae eaters known to get super aggressive? Or am I mistaking that with Chinese algae eaters?

 

[gmc1]

Yeah it defo looks more to be orange.I also bang the plastic bottle and shake for 2 mins to get best reading.

 

[Munroco]

Siamese are supposed to be the good guys and the Chinese are the bad. Flying foxes which look similar are also not to be trusted.

 

[Byron]

New tank set up readings for ammonia. no2 and no3 all look like zero to me. Is this normal for nitrates? and if there are no nitrates whats the damned algae feeding on?

 
I would say the nitrates is between 0 and 5 ppm, but I am going from the colour in the photo and this can be misleading.  But to your last question, algae does not need nitrates.  And in new tanks (which I gather this is) algae is always going to have advantages that it won't in an established planted tank.
 

I'm looking into getting some Siamese algae eaters if I can source them.
 

 
Is this solely to deal with algae?  If yes, I would think twice.  This fish will eat brush algae, if that is what you have, but the fish needs a group (it is a social shoaling fish) and they get to 16cm/6 inches.  No idea of tank size here, but it should be 120 cm/48 inches minimum.  And this species will obviously affect other options.

 

[Munroco]

It is a 48" tank, I'm planning to get 6 of them if I can find any and hopefully if I can get new plants to grow and outdo the algae I'll move them to my 55gal.
 
At the moment the algae is growing on the plants which is annoying. Anything else I can do till new plants get established? I thought about shading the tank with water lettuce. Im running a sponge filter though and this would seriously hamper the water movement.
 
Looking at various different algaes its possibly cyno bacteria

 

[Gruntle]

Just a quick response, it's not the glass tubes you bang on the table, it's the plastic bottle of reagent for nitrate (bottle #2 if memory serves).
 
You've probably worked that out by now, but I'd hate to think of you shattering glass everywhere.
 
Do you have live plants? They could be accounting for some of your missing nitrate.

 

[Munroco]

haha, I didn't actually realise, glad you pointed it out I do have some plants, but not as many as I plan on, this is a new tank, you can see it here http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/440789-48-nano/

 

[HarpyFishLover]

Just a quick response, it's not the glass tubes you bang on the table, it's the plastic bottle of reagent for nitrate (bottle #2 if memory serves).
 
You've probably worked that out by now, but I'd hate to think of you shattering glass everywhere.

I wondered about that...

 

[Byron]

It is a 48" tank, I'm planning to get 6 of them if I can find any and hopefully if I can get new plants to grow and outdo the algae I'll move them to my 55gal.
 
At the moment the algae is growing on the plants which is annoying. Anything else I can do till new plants get established? I thought about shading the tank with water lettuce. Im running a sponge filter though and this would seriously hamper the water movement.
 
Looking at various different algaes its possibly cyno bacteria

 
Before getting to this, I second the lengthy shaking of Regent #2.  The instructions say 30 seconds, but elsewhere I read that 2 minutes is minimum.
 
To the algae...first we need to ID it.  Cyanobacteria is a slimy film, usually very dark green, that easily wipes off leaves with your fingers and then floats around is clumps.  This is caused by high organics in the presence of light.  Diatoms is brownish, and also easily wipes off.  Brush algae, which is perhaps the most common "problem" algae, will not easily come off; it may be dark green, black, very dark red (it is actually a red algae) and appear as a short sort of beard or as a taller sort of tuft (there is more than one type).
 
Light is key in all of these.  In planted tanks it is always best to find the balance between light intensity and nutrients; this deals with the cause.  Any other "treatment" is only band-aiding, and does not get at the source to rectify the balance.  No "algae eating" fish species will deal with all types of algae, and all are quite fussy in what they will eat.
 
With some photos to ID the algae, and some data on your light and any fertilizer used, we should be able to sort this out.
 
Byron.