understanding API water test results

[crsublette]

Ok. I'm back. I got my GH and KH test kit today. What shade of green and yellow do I need to get a good reading? When it starts to turn green and yellow or do I need to see a good solid green color and a good solid yellow.

The exact moment it starts to change color. It doesn't need to be a solid color so the color change might be somewhat faded, but the color change is extremely noticeable when it does change.

Ok. I figured everything out here.
Here are the current readings compared to March 24th.

At 6:00pm EST/AST - April 2, 2013
Air temp. - 88.3 degrees
water temp. - 86.7 degrees
KH - 1 (17.9)
GH - 4 (71.6)
PH - 6.4
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 80-90ppm (yikes!)
Note: changed the UV bulb in the Laguna Pressure Flo 700 with new sponge rings replacing tomorrow.

What does all this say?

To me, the KH and pH is quite low. The nitrate and the water temperature is high, but tolerable.

The rest of the parameters looks good now.

Since your ammonia is zero now, you can increase your KH level, as described in my previous posts, assuming you keep your ammonia levels under control. Your bio-filter is what keeps ammonia under control and I am not convenience that replacing the sponge rings will keep ammonia under control.

For the nitrate, plants will help you on this. For the high water temperature, shade and more plant coverage might help, but, with a shallow pond, the high water temperature might just be something you have to accept; just make sure the oxygen diffusors are always going.

What were ya doing since your last past on march 24th ?? More water changes or did ya change in doing something ??

 

[capewind]

Your bio-filter is what keeps ammonia under control and I am not convenience that replacing the sponge rings will keep ammonia under control.

I am thinking the extreme opposite here. Replacing that sponge rings means bub bye to all those friendly bacterias... after all this pond has been through, I wouldnt even consider that at this point.

 

[crsublette]

I am thinking the extreme opposite here. Replacing that sponge rings means bub bye to all those friendly bacterias... after all this pond has been through, I wouldnt even consider that at this point.

Very true.

 

[chrisusvi]

I didn't do much since the last time. I think reducing the amount of fish to 7 is helping. I don't feed them the quantity of food I used to. Sometimes I cut the feedings to once a day and sometimes every other day. The water fountain hasn't been running either. I did a small water change also.
Question...If everything is zero, why is the nitrates so high? The feeding water source has zero nitrates. I have a 30 Gallon tank and I did the readings on that after a 75% water change. The nitrates are also very high too.

 

[capewind]

I am not good at explaining, so am simply using the copy/paste option, as this will answer the question simply...

When Ammonia is broken down by bacteria it releases the nitrogen atoms to produce Nitrites which eventually get eaten by nitrifying bacteria which turn it into Nitrates. Nitrates then become plant food, causing an algae bloom or a plant bloom if you have plants to absorb the Nitrates. The Nitrates are used as food by the plant which produces oxygen.

 

[crsublette]

Question...If everything is zero, why is the nitrates so high? The feeding water source has zero nitrates. I have a 30 Gallon tank and I did the readings on that after a 75% water change. The nitrates are also very high too.

Yep, Capewind is correct.

When the nitrification aspect of the pond's bio-filter is sufficiently working for the size of the pond, then there will be zero ammonia and zero nitrites and higher nitrates.

 

[capewind]

Which brings us back to worshipping those friendly nitrifying bacterias living in that foam filter. (One of these days I'll keep the names of the common bacterias straight.) ... My fear is if the filter is replaced at this point, the majority of the bacterial colony will be lost, and the pond will be forced into a brand new cycle...

 

[HARO]

Nitrosomonas convert ammonia to nitrites, and nitrobacter convert nitrites to nitrates.
John

 

[capewind]

Keep repeating it John, and I'll eventually keep them straignt ... although I just thought of a good anology that will help me remember... It wont make a damn bit of sense to those who are not into high end cookery products ... William-Sonoma is one of my favorites ... been drooling over a dutch oven for months (hubby says get it, but I dont want to spend that kind of money on something I'll only use once in a while) ... So if I ever call nitrosoMoNas, nitrosoNoMa (note the swapping of the N and M), you'll know why LOL.

 

[crsublette]

Nitrosomonas convert ammonia to nitrites, and nitrobacter convert nitrites to nitrates.
John

Nitrospira converts nitrites to nitrates in a freshwater ecology. It was thought to be nitrobacter in the begining since all the research was involve dissecting the terrestial soil ecology and nitrobacter is the bacteria in this particular environment to convert nitrite to nitrates. Nitrospira and nictrobacter are two distinctly different bacteria. Supposedly, this is one reason why particular pond store bacteria products are not effective since they are attempting to use soil bound bacteria in an aquatic environment.