0 Nitrate?

[Lawsman]

Tested both tanks just now. Both tanks tested to have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and 0 Nitrate? Can I really have 0 nitrates? Last WC was 50% on Saturday?

[Complexity]

How many fish and how many plants do you have in the tanks?

[gotticgs]

Yes it is possible

from what I understand and I could be wrong
is that most of it resides in your filter media or bio and that little of it is in the water.

Pm Muzung maybe she can ex plane better but I get the same readings sometimes on my tanks.

[Lawsman]

No plants. Both tanks have 30 to 40 Troph's!

[Complexity]

Doesn't sound right to me. Not with that many fish and no plants. How long have the tanks been running?

[Lawsman]

The 156 gal about two months. 180 gal two weeks. I do use Seachem's Stability-perhaps that somehow changes the test chemicals? Both tanks have good filtration. Both have w/d's and FX5's-

[Complexity]

Stability might be the cause, but I don't know what's in the stuff.

I'd just keep testing until you get stable readings of 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and nitrates that increase over time between water changes. Only then can you be certain the tanks have truly cycled.

[cichlid1409]

could be the test kit, how old is it?

[myjohnson]

Did you shake the nitrate bottles before added it to the water?

[Lawsman]

Ahhhhhhh, myjohnson sounds like I found the problem? I do remember now that it does say to shake the Nitare chemical bottle before adding to water!!! I forgot about that? Will try again tonite with shaking and we will see what we get?

[wesleydnunder]

Ahhhhhhh, myjohnson sounds like I found the problem? I do remember now that it does say to shake the Nitare chemical bottle before adding to water!!! I forgot about that? Will try again tonite with shaking and we will see what we get?

That's a common mistake with the AP test kit. I did that the first time I used one, then read the directions because I knew there was no way I had 0 nitrates in the tank.

Mark

[jarrodaden]

Finally solved my mystery too. I have never gotten any nitrates in my tanks that I know are properly cycled.

Thanks for posting that MJ.

[algarciajr]

Yeah, according to instructions with the AP Nitrate test kit, bottle with solution #2 should be shaken for 1 minute.

[Lawsman]

Yep, this issue resolved. Used AP test kit as directed, got a 5 on Nitrate's.

[myjohnson]

Very low!

Seems like you been keeping up with your water changes.