Help Needed! Using Powerhead for Aeration

[J-P]

no probs ... my cards read: 0~4.99 for SW Nitrate levels and 0~.25 for FW Nitrate .. if you are in those ranges for a while youre a happy camper ( and so are your plants)

EDIT I made a mistake .. I seem to have lost my FW Nitrate card.... but it is still a range.... just slap me and call me stupid....

[rengnath]

no probs ... my cards read: 0~4.99 for SW Nitrate levels and 0~.25 for FW Nitrate .. if you are in those ranges for a while youre a happy camper ( and so are your plants)

EDIT I made a mistake .. I seem to have lost my FW Nitrate card.... but it is still a range.... just slap me and call me stupid....

Oh, I should note my plants are all fake, and I scrub them when they get algae growth. My tank's specific gravity is lingering around 1.017 right now, so no plants would survive.

[Pufferpunk]

I wouldn't trust any test strips. Be sure the shop is shaking their tests as per instruction.

[rengnath]

Hello Everyone! So I exchanged my test strips for an API Saltwater Test Kit. I have never tested my water more than once a month since I cycled my tank, so I never wanted to spend the $32 on a test kit. I also picked up a new hydrometer, as the floating one I had was hard to read. These tests were done today, with the last water change being on Thursday, 11/24. My water changes are 17% every week. The three fish are fed 5-6 days a week.

I figured that Petsmart tested the water wrong yesterday and the test strips were inaccurate because nitrate came up as 0ppm. After today though, the truth is that nitrate is between 0ppm-5ppm. After everyones previous comments, I figured I would have high nitrate with my small water changes and bio-load that I have. But after seeing the results, IMO, I think Im doing well. Comments are welcome.

My test results are:
Temp = 81F
Specific Gravity ~ 1.017
Ammonia = 0ppm
Nitrite = 0ppm
Nitrate ~ 0ppm
PH ~ 8.4

The results are pictured below:

[RTR]

Clarification: There is no such thing as zero ammonia, nitrite, nitrate - despite the fact that all the hobby kits show that figure. What a "0" test result means is either 1) your water is below the lowest level this kit can read, or 2} the test is defective. If you used a different test method, you could read 10x lower titers or more than the usual hobby kits. But that is only necessary for extremely critical operations or experimental purposes - the hobby liquid/powder tests cover the critical range for hobby fish.

HTH

I have no confidence whatsoever in test strips. They are highly unstable and tend to give false or erroneous readings. . If each individual strip is encased in a lighti and waterproof housing, and stored carefully, they may be more reliable. I have not seen and hobby strips so packeaged - but I don;t look for them either.