Nitrate Already?

[unknowntbeast]

Well my ammonia levels are pretty low, around 1 ppm and nitrite is going up too. But out of nowhere, around 7 ppm of nitrate shows up. I hadn't tested since day one and didn't think it would matter until the nitrite drop, but it is here already! What's going on?

 

[arobinson1984]

It is quite common for your tap water to contain nitrates, try testing it to find out. I'm pretty sure that's where it's coming from. Don't worry about it for the min, concentrate on the ammonia and nitrite levels

Andy

 

[unknowntbeast]

I took a sample of my tap and it was about 4 ppm. I guess with the tank water it was just more than tap alone.
Thanks

 

[waterdrop]

There can be small numbers of N-Bacs present from the start, as well as A-Bacs. Thus a small amount of ammonia will be constantly processed into nitrite(NO2), which will be eaten by the small number of N-Bacs and turned into nitrate(NO3) and since that's happening continuously at a low level it could easily explain your build-up from the 4ppm level of the tap water to the 7ppm you've measured. Of course it must be always remembered that Nitrate tests are not as reliable during cycling when larger amounts of nitrite(NO2) may be present. (they are more reliable after cycling when nitrite is zero) and they are also always subject to more unpredictability just because of the type test they are.

Always remember its biology, not chemistry, so the numbers can not be expected to just add up.

~~waterdrop~~