test results...

[fishwatcher]

I just tested my water (after a few days of not since I was doing heavy water changes after an illness). Just wondering if this is ok: Nitrites 0, nitrates 0, ammonia 0, ph 6.8.
It seems I remember someone telling me that 0 Nitrates is not good?

 

[Katchan]

If you have a well planted tank nitrates 0 is fine, my sons tank hovers between 0 and 5ppm, if you have little to no plantage its probably not so good

katchan

 

[fishwatcher]

I have about 10-12 plants... and it's a 10-gallon. Is that good enough?

 

[Katchan]

off hand without seeing it I dont know (I be willing to hazard a guess if you had a photo), its not just the number but how bushy/well grown they are as well

Katchan

 

[fishwatcher]

My tank is my avatar, though it's not very good. Here's a link to a little better pic I have of it on a thread here.
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=92353
There are also 4 bulbs that are just starting to grow.
What do you think?

 

[Katchan]

Judging by the pic's I wouldn't be concerned at all by the lack of nitrates. It probably wouldn't hurt to be paranoid and maybe do a few extra water tests for a week or 2 to reasurre yourself though. The main worry in 0 nitrates is that the tank hasnt cycled (in the case of new tank), hope this helps

Katchan

 

[Bignose]

If it is the 10 gal with the stocking list on your sig, with 10 to 12 plants, the 0 nitrate is not all that surprising. Almost all aquatic plants actually take up ammonium as their prefered food source, basically meaning that no ammonia is available to go through the nitrification cycle. No cycle, no cycle end products, therefore no nitrate. Even then, if some ammonia is going through the cycle, the plants may be scavaging the availalbe nitrate for food, too.

 

[fishwatcher]

It's not a brand new tank, so I'll just keep a close eye on it for the next few weeks. Thanks!

 

[Sky042]

Back when my 46G was heavily planted my nitrates would hover around 5ppm even though my tap water was closer to 40ppm even with frequent water changes it'd still stick around 5ppm. You'd be amazed what a few plants can consume.

Personally I just had to toss out a huge bunch of anachris because it'd just grown out of control and then got coated in brown algae. No real worry since anachris grows so fast it'll be grown back in a month or two.