ridiculously high nitrate levels

harvey1

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I have had my tank a while however have just swapped from mainly goldfish to tropical. Have always had a heater and light and always tested my water. This week I have added a some bog wood for my plectostomus and some live plants. All the fish seem fine, however the mitrate levels are off the scale. I have done 2 partial water changes (approx 33% each time) but there has been no improvement. Does anyone know if this can be caused by the bog wood I have introduced?? Any help, comments would be greatly appreciated. Thx :crazy:
 
I would check your test kit if i were you. Usually bogwood would affect the PH. And plants usuallu cause the nitrate to go down since they feed off it. What is your nitrate exactly at???
 
thanks, i have another kit, I will try it now. The kit goes from pale green (0mg/i) to dark turquoise (5.0 mg/l) the test result keeps coming back at a very very dark blue - off the scale, but well over the 5.0 mg/l. As the fish all seem happy I think you are right - although the kit has always seemed OK in the past! I will try the other one now.
 
Okay, you said nitrate and then you speak of the card reading to 5.0, do you mean nitrite??? Please check the test kit, there is a difference. Nitrate cards usually read to somewhere near 160ppm.

From what you said, it sounds like you coul;d be testing the nitrate with nitrite testing solutions. I dont know please check and make sure you aretn confusing the two.
 
ooh, I am really sorry, mis read the card info - its an ammonia testing kit! feel so stupid now, however the problem still remains... the other kit has just completed and the reading on that is normal!! You were right dodgy kit - though I don't see how it could have gone 'bad' so quickly!! Thanks for your time.
 

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