Nitrates Not Increased!

[hunterm8]

Hi i have decided to start dosing my planted aquarium using kno3 and trace i wanted to increase my no3 by about 5ppm so i mixed 6 teaspoons into 250ml of ro water and added 10ml to a 180L tank (measurements by using the calculator link in zigs EI pin) but it does not appear to increased at all Have i done something wrong

 

[Rodders]

I dosed my tank too, been doing it all week and it hasnt seemed to raise the levels either.
So im with you on this one........

 

[pseud]

How old are your test kits?

 

[hunterm8]

How old are your test kits?

only a few weeks old

 

[hunterm8]

How old are your test kits?

only a few weeks old

i've sorted it i had to put about twice the quantity in for the desired effect

 

[zig]

Both of you might not be doing the test correctly, nitrate test kits come in A and B solutions, if you do not agitate or shake the B solution correctly it will give you a false or no reading at all, you must agitate the B solution for the required time 30-60 seconds.

You never keep dosing you always suspect the testkit first of all if you do not get a reading.

 

[pseud]

^ What Zig said.

The test kits can be inaccurate, but speaking from experience, you really have to follow the directions strictly.

 

[kamel_007]

maybe you have heavy plant's,,

then it's take the nitrate so faster..

 

[Rodders]

I did it with 2 test kits. One read 0, one read about 0.25.
I never dose extra though. I does whats stated and hope its been eaten by plants

 

[Jen]

I would say that your plants are using all the no3 up. Insdead of mixing 6 tsp, try 9 the next time you dose. See if there is any change, figure out if it is enough for your tank. If not, try another 3 tsp, which will be double what you are dosing right now.