Where are my nitrates?

[gimmethatfish]

I'm just curious. Anyone know how heavily planted a tank has to be to have 0 nitrates? I thought it was like SUPER heavily. I tested this morning and got 0/0/0. I haven't done a water change since Monday.

I haven't gotten a nitrate reading on my work desktop tank in a month. It is a cycled, filtered 4 gallon tank with 1 betta and 2 nerite snails. I do 50% water changes twice a week (which I know might be excessive, but I'm paranoid about any smell in the tank because it's in an open cubicle at work). I have 1 large moss ball, 4 tallish stalks of moneywort, 1 floating stalk of hornwort, and a medium sized anubias. I wouldn't consider it heavily planted - although the moss ball is easily 3 inches in diameter. Maybe that's it?

I'm using the API freshwater test. It's actually a brand new kit that I have had about a week, and I have shaken the living snot out of that #2 bottle for nitrate tests, so I think it's accurate. I haven't really gotten any ammonia or nitrite readings since I set up the tank (all the filter media and gravel was from a well established tank), but I have gotten low levels of nitrate until lately. Just curious what everyone else has observed about nitrates.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

Between the plants and your frequent water changes your levels might be too low to detect on the test. Hold off one of your water changes this week and test. With all those water changes you've probably got ones of the happiest tanks around though. If you get a reading after holding off a water change then I'd resume your wcs and not worry about it. 0 nitrates isn't necessarily a bad thing as long as your cycle is good.

Sent from my SCH-I435 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[libertybelle]

Between the plants and your frequent water changes your levels might be too low to detect on the test. Hold off one of your water changes this week and test. With all those water changes you've probably got ones of the happiest tanks around though.

+1

My nitrates in the planted tank are not usually zero but they do cap out pretty low. With all those water changes I wouldn't be surprised to see no nitrates. If the plants are healthy then they're probably getting the nitrogen they need before you see it!

 

[Chest Rockwell]

Yeah the lower the nitrates the better. Algae are heavy feeders on nitrates and phosphor. I personally would do a 25/50 wc instead of the 50/50 you're doing.

 

[gimmethatfish]

The plants are super healthy. Even plants that die in my tanks at home seem to live in this little one with crappy light and no ferts or anything, so go figure. I can't get hornwort to grow in any other tank.

 

[libertybelle]

The plants are super healthy. Even plants that die in my tanks at home seem to live in this little one with crappy light and no ferts or anything, so go figure. I can't get hornwort to grow in any other tank.

Haha, sometimes it's hard to know why plants are being finicky. Something about the source water maybe.

Either way, sounds like you have the problem everyone wants. Super healthy plants sucking up all your nitrogen!