My Nitrates went to zero??

[misterc007]

I tested my water yesterday as I have been for the last 2 months every week since it has been cycled and low and behold the nitrates were zero. I've been reading alot of posts that say keep a planted tank at 15 or so and thats what I was shooting for with weekly water changes. I noticed the last couple weeks it was seeming to go down but I did not expect 0. Should I be concerned with this and is this normal? From reading I didn't think this was possible in a fresh water tank?? Here's some info

50 gal
7 neons
3 ottos
1 blue ram
1 cory

I don't vacum graval
change 25% a week
fluval 306
temp 79
test kit is good

at least 50% planted if not more

Any ideas or advice??

Thanks
Chris

 

[aqua_chem]

What kind of lights are you using? Are you shaking both test kits for at least one full minute?

 

[misterc007]

Thanks Aqua Chem I was hoping you would answer! I'm currently running 8 hrs of light t5ho 108 watts for 4 hrs and 54watts for the other 4. The test kit is good and I have been using it for 2 months as directed. I'm wondering if .... A. since I don't vacuum the gravel could there be some anerobic bac. that is consuming Nitrates or B. are the plants consuming all the ammonia and then Nitrates so hence there are none. If that is so should I increase the bioload by adding more fish? or should I just give up now and cut my loses lol

I read that plants can consume ammonia at X ppm in 4 hrs = X ppm Nitrate in 124 hrs. If no ammonia is present. So I'm wondering if the weekly water changes and low bioload is creating this along with the possibility of nitrifying anarobic bacteria in the gravel??

Please school me if I am way off in my thinking!!

Thanks again!!

 

[aqua_chem]

The thing about non-plant organisms (algae, bacteria, etc) is that they have extremely low nutrient requirements because they so freaking small compared to plants, so I doubt that they're causing you issues. I honestly think that your lights are just driving your plants to take up more nutrients than your bioload can produce, which is fairly common in high light setups, more so with CO2. My tank (CO2 injected, 2xT5HO) will easily go through 30-45 ppm per week.

As far as ammonia vs nitrate, 1 ppm ammonia is about equal to 4 ppm nitrate. Plants might uptake ammonia faster than nitrate, and they will most certainly preferentially uptake ammonia over nitrate (scientifically shown).

I would test your water again just to make sure (and shake those bottles like you mean it!), and then maybe considering getting something to up your fertilizer levels. Flourish makes a N supplement, or you can go dry, but that can be a little intimidating.

 

[misterc007]

Ok thanks, I will wait a day or so and test again. I think you might be right. I just started experimenting with ferts. just flourish nothing else yet. I do shake the ____ out of the test kit and i have done it time and time again with the same result and i feel its right becuase 5 days earlier it was 10 and the week before that it was 15. I really want to figure this out and get a balance~ easier said then done i guess. I will post back with results of the test but in the mean while if Nitrates are 0 will I positively need a N source for the plants or does the ammonia uptake cover that?

 

[aqua_chem]

Ok thanks, I will wait a day or so and test again. I think you might be right. I just started experimenting with ferts. just flourish nothing else yet. I do shake the ____ out of the test kit and i have done it time and time again with the same result and i feel its right becuase 5 days earlier it was 10 and the week before that it was 15. I really want to figure this out and get a balance~ easier said then done i guess. I will post back with results of the test but in the mean while if Nitrates are 0 will I positively need a N source for the plants or does the ammonia uptake cover that?

It very possibly may not. If you start seeing deficiencies in your plants, particularly yellowing of old leaves or holes forming, you know you need more N.

 

[misterc007]

It is official and all the fish in my sea agree that they are Nitrate free. Double checked by testing someone else tank against mine today and sure enough zero. Well I guess the yellow does have a slight orange tinge to it. And now that you mention it upon further inspection I do have leaves with holes in them.... Go figure I guess I am off to the store to by some N in a bottle.

Was also wondering I thought I read a post about a dry fert site that sold a complete set or an all in one type thing does anyone know what site that might have been?

Thanks!

 

[aqua_chem]

I prefer to buy my dry ferts from Green Leaf Aquarium. Good deal and excellent service. I ran some math the other day and compared Seachems new nitrogen fertilizer against adding pure nitrate. To add the same amount of N as the entire bottle of their liquid fert, you would need about 60 cents worth of dry KNO3. A little but goes a LONG way.


EDIT: Should add that Seachem's fert was sold for $8

 

[misterc007]

I prefer to buy my dry ferts from Green Leaf Aquarium. Good deal and excellent service. I ran some math the other day and compared Seachems new nitrogen fertilizer against adding pure nitrate. To add the same amount of N as the entire bottle of their liquid fert, you would need about 60 cents worth of dry KNO3. A little but goes a LONG way.


EDIT: Should add that Seachem's fert was sold for $8

AQ, If I buy the NPK+CSM+B package from there will that completely cover what I need? If so how long would that last (just have the one tank for now)? Also would you recomend getting the Fertilizer dispensing bottle that they sell there as well?

Thanks!