Christmas surprise from the city.

I pulled out the old test kit minus ammonia on Friday to test my water. To my shock Nitrate was between 0 - 5, cary hard to tell the difference, I knew something was wrong I never had less then 40 with 20 coming from the tap. So I grabbed a sample from the tank, and headed to the LPS to have them use their api liquid test kit, and the results came back the same.

I was really confused didn't think I could have this low of reading, never seen a fully established tank with 0ppm. The color char looked like 0 to me and the lady at the LPS, but we will call it 0 - 5 ppm. So I decided to test my tap water, and to my surprise it was 0ppm.

The one bad thing here is my pH has once again dropped to or below 6.0 ppm, likely do from the removal of the marine rock I kept in the tanks. I guess I should at least measure pH if I am not going to test anything else.

So in the end, I have nice suprise; and will maybe just need to dose with baking soda.

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0 - 5
pH 6.0

Any one who uses baking soda care to give me some guidelines I can use, as far as how many times a week they dose? I was going to start with just once a week after the water change, would likely put the soda in just before adding the water back.

Man now that I have seen my water at this level it almost makes me sad for summer, as I fear the unsightly nitrates will be back. Any waste Water people here know do they add more chemicals in the summer then they do in the winter? or is it the other way around.