Scott Rogahn wrote:

I have made my first batch of PPMD using the recipe at

http://www.nfis.com/~hartland/aqua/pmdd.htm

I used Grant's Stump Remover for potassium nitrate, Epson salt for magnesium
sulfate, and sulfate of potash for potassium sulfate. I did not use the
Chelated Trace Element Mix. However I do use Flourish Iron and Trace.

Scott,

Without a trace fertilizer mix, you are missing the whole point of PMDD. In the
Seachem line, Flourish Trace is something else entirely, which unfortunately
creates a vocabulary problem. If you are trying to create a complete fert mix
using Seachem products, you want just plain Flourish.

So you are dosing a bunch of nitrate, sulfate, potassium and Iron, but missing
most of the rest of the major Micronutrients.

I added more PMDD to the 5 gal tap water to bring the nitrate level to
10ppm. once again I read no nitrates in the water. so I added about 6
granules of stump remover to the 5ml test tube and added tap water. I then
tested this solution. Again no nitrates. This should have been through the
roof.

Is grants stump remover truly potassium nitrate? The label says contains
potassium nitrate. The MSDS list it as 98% potassium nitrate, although they
do not list what the other 2% is.

Why won't the test kit read any nitrate?

Scott


"Scott Rogahn" wrote in message
...
I have made my first batch of PPMD using the recipe at

http://www.nfis.com/~hartland/aqua/pmdd.htm

I used Grant's Stump Remover for potassium nitrate, Epson salt for
magnesium
sulfate, and sulfate of potash for potassium sulfate. I did not use the
Chelated Trace Element Mix. However I do use Flourish Iron and Trace.

My Nitrates are at zero both in the tank and out of the tap, measured with
an aquarium pharmaceuticals nitrate test kit. The kit reads from 0 to 160
ppm with the lowest colors being 0, 5, and 10ppm. Not the best resolution
for low levels but its what I have.

Using the calculator at

http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_p...osage_calc.htm

I determined it would take 8.5 ml of PMDD to raise the nitrate level of
tap
water to 5ppm. I added this does to a 5 gals of aging tap water before
bed
and tested in the morning. The nitrates were still at 0ppm.

Is something wrong with my PMDD, test kit, or my math?

I do not want to start adding nitrates to the tank in any large amouts
until
I know I can measure and control them.

Thanks
Scott

Why won't the test kit read any nitrate?

Maybe it's a bad test kit. Has it ever measured any nitrate?

I've found AP to be a good test kit, but like all test kits, it's only good for
a certain time. I always buy my test kit from someplace that does a high
volume of business. That way, you can be reasonably sure that the test
reagants are fresh.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

Most of plants are
growing, and pearling. the algae is in reemission.

If that's the case, then you're probably okay.

How much PMDD should I add with out the ability to test for nitrates?

You might try another test kit. Mail order from some place like Big Al's,
perhaps.

Or you could just let the plants be your guide. As long as they are growing
well, and the algae isn't, you're fertilizing properly. Keep an eye on the
fastest-growing plants. They'll show any deficiency first, either by slowing
down, or by growing oddly.



Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

I use both AP nitrate and nitrite and SeaChem's nitrate (and nitrite) test
kits. Both work well and are straighforward to use. As with other's
advice, read and follow the directions exactly as they are written. I've
just set up/refurbished a 60g planted tank after a 2 year "abstinence" from
aquaria. I'm using the same test kits and they are still fresh. FWIW, the
SeaChem test kit comes with a nitrate reference solution so you can check to
see if it's working (a nice feature IMO). It's still good after 2 years,
btw, although the first kit I bought from them was no good, they immediately
replaced the reagents for free after I emailed them.

Test kits do have a shelf life, so I will keep an eye on the results. So
far everything is as I expect (GH, KH, pH, NO2, NO3, NH3, etc).

Jeff
Raleigh, NC


"LeighMo" wrote in message
...
Why won't the test kit read any nitrate?

Maybe it's a bad test kit. Has it ever measured any nitrate?

I've found AP to be a good test kit, but like all test kits, it's only
good for
a certain time. I always buy my test kit from someplace that does a high
volume of business. That way, you can be reasonably sure that the test
reagants are fresh.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

On Sun, 23 Mar 2003 14:31:53 -0600, "Scott Rogahn"
wrote:


Make sure you follow the directions on the test kit to the tee! If
you don't shake regent #2 for at least 20 seconds you will show 0.
You also have to shake the test vial after you add #2. Shake for at
least a minute. Then wait about 10 minutes before you check the
chart.


"LeighMo" wrote in message
...
Why won't the test kit read any nitrate?

Maybe it's a bad test kit. Has it ever measured any nitrate?

The kits has never read any nitrates. I was suppried to see there were no
nitrates in a populated tank, but i belived the test.

I just added some scotts weed and feed 19% nitrogen to a small amount of
water and tested that. NO NITRATES. So i must have a bad kit.


I always buy my test kit from someplace that does a high
volume of business. That way, you can be reasonably sure that the test
reagants are fresh.

This store is only been in business for about 1 year. There are more of a
bird watching store that sells fish supplies as a side line. They have a
nice selection of filters, test kits and such, but I doubt they sell much.

I thought I needed to switch from flourish to PMDD because of the results of
the Nitrate test. Maybe I should have left it alone. Most of plants are
growing, and pearling. the algae is in reemission.

How much PMDD should I add with out the ability to test for nitrates?