Ammonia and Nitrite fine, no Nitrate??

[missmonday]

Using my API Master Freshwater kit, it looks to me as though my ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are all 0. I have live plants in the tank, and have been doing water changes every 3 or 4 days (between 30%-50%).

I had been using the tetra all-in-one testing strips (which I know are inaccurate) and was doing frequent water changes to help with cycling, and almost a week ago, it looked as though my tank had been completely cycled (no ammonia and no nitrite), but wasn't quite able to tell where the nitrates were, but chalked it up to the inaccuracy of the testing strips.

Should I be concerned that I have no nitrate? Or just give it time and change my water when it gets >40ppm?

 

[coralbandit]

You can wait till the trates rise(not necessarily to 40) before changing water without issue IMO.
BUT are you sure you tested correctly?
Did you shake the daylights out of the reagents for the nitrates?
Bottle 2 in particular must be shaken vigorously before adding to the test.
It is not unheard of for plants to use up nitrates in some tanks with light stocking.

 

[Fresh2o]

How long has the tank been running?
With the nitrate testing, make sure that you are really shaking the reagent bottles vigorously for the allotted time prior to adding to the test tube.

Edit: I saw from your other post that this tank was started in early August. Correct?

Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[missmonday]

Yes, the tank has been running for a month and two days, and I'll try to do a nitrate retest to see what happens!

Currently my stock is 9 gold mountain minnows, 1 honey gourami and 3 mickey mouse platys.

 

[ImACoolguy]

You can wait till the trates rise(not necessarily to 40) before changing water without issue IMO.
BUT are you sure you tested correctly?
Did you shake the daylights out of the reagents for the nitrates?
Bottle 2 in particular must be shaken vigorously before adding to the test.
It is not unheard of for plants to use up nitrates in some tanks with light stocking.

+1

You have to shake the fire out of the nitrate test.


Caleb

 

[missmonday]

Well, I retested for nitrates, still 0! I shook both bottles for 30 seconds each, and still zero.

 

[ImACoolguy]

My guess plants are consuming all the nitrates.


Caleb

 

[TMRC Exotics]

Most aquatic plants actually prefer ammonia and are likely consuming it before it begins the denitrification process.

 

[PassengerTN]

Most aquatic plants actually prefer ammonia and are likely consuming it before it begins the denitrification process.

Plants mostly absorb ammonium (NH4+) not ammonia (NH3). They're actually consuming the nitrogen of the compound, not the hydrogen. According to Diana Walstad, there is no definitive evidence that plants take up NH3 directly. Rather, since NH3 has no charge, it can diffuse right through the plant cells while NH4+ cannot. But once the NH3 gets into the plant cells, it usually finds a free H+ atom and becomes NH4+ that the plant can then use and store.

Jesse

 

[ImACoolguy]

Plants mostly absorb ammonium (NH4+) not ammonia (NH3). They're actually consuming the nitrogen of the compound, not the hydrogen. According to Diana Walstad, there is no definitive evidence that plants take up NH3 directly. Rather, since NH3 has no charge, it can diffuse right through the plant cells while NH4+ cannot. But once the NH3 gets into the plant cells, it usually finds a free H+ atom and becomes NH4+ that the plant can then use and store.

Jesse

Can you tell he's been no-lifeing in prep for his planted tank? Lol I didn't get half the gibberish


Caleb

 

[PassengerTN]

Jesse

 

[TMRC Exotics]

Hmm, I've seen lots of directly stated info saying aquatic plants directly consume NH3, either there is lots of misinformation floating around the net or that lady should stick to writing about pressure cookers lol.

Also from your excerpt if the nh3 moves directly into the plant isn't the end result the plant absorbing the nh3? Even if it converts it?

And when is this planted tank coming?

 

[PassengerTN]

If the NH3 doesn't find a H+ atom to become NH4+ before it diffuses back out, nothing happens.

Tanks been sitting in my kitchen floor with (dry) substrate and hardscape done for over a month now. We are still ISO a house to buy and crashing at my parents. Once we get out of here and somewhere stable, it'll be set up.

Jesse