Question

Bethany has a fish tank at her house. She uses the following data table to keep track of the nitrate and phosphate levels in the tank.

Month Nitrates Phosphates
January 8.0 mg/L 0.010 mg/L
February 8.1 mg/L 0.010 mg/L
March 7.9 mg/L 0.009 mg/L
April 9.2 mg/L 0.012 mg/L
May 9.7 mg/L 0.020 mg/L
June 9.9 mg/L 0.029 mg/L
July 10.6 mg/L 0.032 mg/L
August 10.8 mg/L 0.038 mg/L
September 11.0 mg/L 0.036 mg/L

Bethany notices that the fish tank is gradually filling with algae. Based on the data she has collected, when did the problem most likely start? Explain. @Biology

Answer 1

Help?

Answer 2

mar-apr

Answer 3

How come you think that?

Answer 4

nitrate spiked in apr

Answer 5

What exactly does nitrate and phosphate do to the water?

Answer 6

my guess was based on statistical results not chemical knowledge.

Answer 7

Oh, ok well thank you though for taking the time to help me.

Answer 8

Nitrate and phosphate spike up to help the growth of algae

Answer 9

Oh, so with the sudden increase of Nitrate and Phosphate in March to April that occurred, it causes the fish tank to produce algae?

Answer 10

What I dont understand is, what do they want me to exactly explain?

Answer 11

Yes since algea can only grow in the presence of nitrate and phosphate

Answer 12

Algea can only grow in the presence of nitrate and phosphate since there is a sudden rise in the mineral levels one can assume it is the growth algae

Answer 13

Oh thank you :D

Answer 14

similarly with this had to be a change in pH-values, i suppose. when the ammonium concentration is too high (fish excrements), the nitrogen will be bound into nitrate