No Nitrates?

[WeeManDan]

I've checked my stats this evening as I do every Monday water change night to find my Nitrates at 0 possibly 5, I checked 3 times using the kit and all the same.

Any ideas?
Also am I right in thinking I want this around 30 for the plants?

Cheers

WeeManDan

Edited: Cant spell

 

[Themuleous]

Yeh you need around 10-30ppm NO3 for plants. Can you give us a little background re the tank - stats, current plants, recent changes, etc

 

[WeeManDan]

Nitrite 0
GH 16
KH 5
PH 7

The tank has DIY CO2, cheers Sam! But the current stats result in CO2 around 12ppm so could do with a few pointers there as well!

The only recent change is the addition of a few cherry shrimp.

The last test, ie last Monday the nitrates were at 30 ish

Seems a bit odd?

Cheers

WMD

 

[Themuleous]

Whats the lighting and plant levels? It does seem odd mate, if its not the plants using it up, I guess it could be the filter. I.e. if the biological filter process had stopped for some reason, NO3 production would stop too I would have thought. Whats the NH3 and NO2 levels? Have you changed the filter recently?

Sam

PS if you want Co2 advice just PM me, will help if I can

 

[WeeManDan]

I would have thought if the filter stopped then the Nitrite would have spiked?

Lighting is at 1.6 WPG at the moment, although hopefully soon I will get a second unit, plants are Crypts, Java Fern, Vallis, Nubias, some others whose name I have forgotten, oops!

I know, I squeezed the filter out as the output wasn't far off simply stopping! Oops, perhaps squeezed to much? I didn't rinse in tap water read that onine as a not to do!

What would be the best way to up the CO2 in the DIY mix? At the moment the bubbles are about 3-4 a second on a ladder defuser.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Need to go to bed now btw, got a music exam in the morning, woo!

Cheers again

WMD

 

[alanchown]

I've checked my stats this evening as I do every Monday water change night to find my Nitrates at 0 possibly 5, I checked 3 times using the kit and all the same.

Any ideas?
Also am I right in thinking I want this around 30 for the plants?

Cheers

WeeManDan

Edited: Cant spell

I was constantly checking my Nitrates at 0ppm. Then I checked a NO3 solution-that was also 0
Turned out I had a duff kit (Nutrafin).

Alan

 

[BigIan]

my nitrates rarely ever get to ppm, the tank is slightly under stocked, and over filtered, but i think the plants just suck it up instantly

 

[Themuleous]

You can add more mix to the yeast container, but have heard this means it doesn't last as long, i.e. you loads and loads of CO2 for a few days then nothing! Or you could add a second container and run it through the same diffuser. Think the second option would work best.

As Alan says, the NO3 could be a duff kit.

Sam

 

[WeeManDan]

Cheers I'll get another kit when I can then and play with the CO2 a bit

Cheers

WMD

 

[Themuleous]

If you get one of the nutrafin kits, just have both diffuers working one bonus of having two kits is that you can alternate when you change this mix, this means you're never without CO2 and so means it shouldn't drop to much.

Sam

 

[WeeManDan]

Sounds like a good idea Sam, just have to wait till I get paid

Cheers

Dan

 

[Themuleous]

FYI I have heard that lower NO3 levels can in some cases create aglae problems, think mostly with BBA, but not sure. Keeping them over 10ppm is now considered help in preventing algae.

Sam

 

[WeeManDan]

Any idea how I can quickly boost them then?

Cheers

WMD

 

[Themuleous]

Simple way is to add it either in a dry form or liquid form. Seachem do a liquid form I believe but the dry stuff is cheaper. Either that or add a few more fish!

I should probably have added the provision that higher NO3 as algae control is probably more important in high light tanks, but you'll be adding NO3 anyway in a high light tank so it kinda sorts itself.

Sorry for the confusion!

Sam