Worried About Water Readings

[Gilli]

Hi all

Did a fishless cycle for 6 weeks and everything was hunky dory - readings were all ok. Purchased 6 zebra danios on friday and read the water qualties today using the API freshwater master liquid test kit and im concerned about my results....

PH - 7.6

Amonia - 0

Nirtrite - 0

Nitrate 0

I know all the others are ok but im worried that the Nitrate is 0 as I think its supposed to be around 40ppm? - HELP!!!

 

[Colin_T]

if you did a big water change after the tank cycled then you probably diluted the nitrates. You want the nitrates to be as low as posisble. Check the tap water and see if there is a nitrate reading in that. Then re-test the tank

 

[Gilli]

So what is the lowest safe reading for nitrates then? And what if it is still reading 0 is this very bad?

 

[Colin_T]

if you can keep the nitrates at 0 then that is ideal. However, that doesn't normally happen. Just try to keep them as low as possible. Most people aim to keep the nitrates below 50ppm. If you have invertebrates in the tank (shrimp, etc) then try to keep them below 25ppm. If you have nitrates in the tap water then try to keep them the same as the tap water.

 

[Gilli]

Phew - thank you - panicked a bit there!!

 

[Gilli]

Just to let you know know have had 6 danios & 2 guppies for a couple of weeks and all was well. Have just added , 2 rams, a platy and a dwarf gourami yesterday - so far so good all water readings as should be.

Guess what!! Yesterday noticed my danios have hatched eggs. Saw some of the teeniest babies i have ever seen in the tank!!