Very Odd Nitrate Reading

[Gourami Lover88]

This morning tested my discus tanks nitrate leval and I got a reading of 160ppm . Any nitrate in a discus tank is not good but 160ppm is like the grim reaper knocking on your front door!!

I know this cant be right since I do daily water changes of 10%. The test kit is fine as i tested my tap water and other tanks they came up normal : 0ppm for tap and 5-10ppm for other tanks.

But to be honest this is the first time in about 1 month I have tested the discus tanks nitrate.
And in the past month I have added peat nuggets, blackwater exctract and four peices of drift wood
Would this cause such wild reading? if so I never heard of test kits being affected by blackwater....

To be on the safe side i did a 40% water change with new water. But if the nitrate was really 160ppm I would surely have noticed my discus belly up.

 

[CFC]

How often do you change the mechanical media of your filter?

Even sensative fish can adapt to gradual climbs in nitrates, its when you add new fish that the problems start to show.

 

[Gourami Lover88]

The filter I use is a emperor 400, The only mechanical filtration is a piece of nylon stocking on the intake that gets cleaned every week, internaly I have media containers filled with peat nuggets and the bio weels. I dont have any carbon or floss in the filter.