My levels

[xfactor6699]

So everything across the bored is 0 are my plants eating up my nitrates

 

[patola_l]

depends how new the tank is?

 

[xfactor6699]

2 1/2 months

 

[eco23]

Did you / how did you cycle the tank? What do you currently have stocked?

 

[mudraker]

What is the question? Or are you just happy to have perfect water parameters? If so, congrats

 

[xfactor6699]

Did you / how did you cycle the tank? What do you currently have stocked?

I was new to this so I did a fish cycle my stock is
12 neon tetras
6 bleeding heart tetras
6 harlequin rasborias
5 guppies
2 cockatoo cichlid (breeding pair)
1 powder blue dwarf gourami
2 mystery snails

 

[xfactor6699]

What is the question? Or are you just happy to have perfect water parameters? If so, congrats

The question was I have no nitrates even though I'm cycled I was wanting to know if my plants are taking the nitrates

 

[eco23]

My first question would be what type of test kit are you using. Strips are notoriously inaccurate. I'd run out and get an API Master test kit (liquids) if you don't already have one. I'd bet $10 it's a faulty reading. It is possible for plants to cause 0 nitrAtes...but you'd virtually need a forest in there.

 

[xfactor6699]

My first question would be what type of test kit are you using. Strips are notoriously inaccurate. I'd run out and get an API Master test kit (liquids) if you don't already have one. I'd bet $10 it's a faulty reading. It is possible for plants to cause 0 nitrAtes...but you'd virtually need a forest in there.

I'm using an api master test kit and I'm pretty stocked on plants I've got 14 plants in a 55 gallon I dont know if that's enough like ur saying I'm just wondering

 

[eco23]

I'm using an api master test kit and I'm pretty stocked on plants I've got 14 plants in a 55 gallon I dont know if that's enough like ur saying I'm just wondering

I honestly don't know enough about pants to tell you that X number of plants = Y reduction of nitrAtes...but assuming that you're doing the tests right (TONS of people mess up the nitrAte test, not shaking the #2 solution long enough, not shaking test tube for 1 minute...), then the plants must be responsible. The tank if obviously cycled if you have that many fish and the ammo and nitrIte are at 0. So at least there's no worry there.

 

[xfactor6699]

I honestly don't know enough about pants to tell you that X number of plants = Y reduction of nitrAtes...but assuming that you're doing the tests right (TONS of people mess up the nitrAte test, not shaking the #2 solution long enough, not shaking test tube for 1 minute...), then the plants must be responsible. The tank if obviously cycled if you have that many fish and the ammo and nitrIte are at 0. So at least there's no worry there.

I redid my testing and added more time to my nitrate test u were right wasn't doing them long enough my numbers are
Ammonia .25(doing water change)
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 10

Sry about all the confusion lol

 

[eco23]

Have you made any changes recently? Changed filters? Recently added fish?

 

[xfactor6699]

Have you made any changes recently? Changed filters? Recently added fish?

I added fish sat but there not in there anymore and everything else is the same I think I was just doing a rookie mistake with the nitrate test

 

[eco23]

I added fish sat but there not in there anymore and everything else is the same I think I was just doing a rookie mistake with the nitrate test

The ammo amount is what makes me ask. It should always be 0 in a cycled tank. Adding fish, changing filters, aggressive vacuuming...all these things can cause mini cycles and lead to an ammonia spike.

 

[xfactor6699]

The ammo amount is what makes me ask. It should always be 0 in a cycled tank. Adding fish, changing filters, aggressive vacuuming...all these things can cause mini cycles and lead to an ammonia spike.

The reason those fish that I said I put in sat aren't there cause they all died in like 7 hours and spiked the crap out of my ammonia this happened yesterday so after this water change I should be right back on track I hope

 

[xfactor6699]

Ps I dont always vacuum when I pwc (which I won't do today)

 

[eco23]

Hmm... Any idea what killed them? .25 ammo shouldn't kill anything off in 7 hours. Not to be silly, but have you double checked your method of the other tests? Some people forget to add both ammo solutions. and the nitrIte test is a nice baby blue? How about pH?

 

[eco23]

Not to mention, having a few fish in for 7 hours shouldn't have spiked ammo so quickly. It would take them a while to produce enough waste to change the levels.

 

[xfactor6699]

They all died from fin rot which they had from the lfs and I didn't catch it I was so mad

 

[xfactor6699]

Not to mention, having a few fish in for 7 hours shouldn't have spiked ammo so quickly. It would take them a while to produce enough waste to change the levels.

I put them in sat they died yesterday