Dead Carpintis

[RTCfan86]

Well, if you did a 100% change...and if your source water has zero nitrate...then a zero reading might make sense. Otherwise, I couldn't resist the temptation to test again, just to see if I got a reading that seems explainable.

If you did only a normal partial water change, and if you don't have have some ultramodern whizbang gizmo that is 100% effective at removing nitrates (pretty sure that doesn't exist!) then, yeah, do the test. If it reads zero again, something is screwy somewhere and may help point you in the direction of an explanation of this fish death.

Think about it. Whether your tank is cycled or not, how could there be fish living in it...eating, metabolizing, excreting waste...and yet all three parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) register as zero? Just doesn't add up.

 

[Rocksor]

It’s possible you have an aggressor in the tank (while you are not in front if it) and the carpintis quite possibly hit the tank wall hard enough to kill himself.

 

[jjohnwm]

View attachment 1432244

That sure does look like zero or darn close to it. Now, rather than looking at it and saying "I have no nitrates, so that can't be my problem", I would be thinking "This result makes no sense, so how can I trust it...or any of the other test results either?"

 

[Rocksor]

It would be better if the nitrate reading was against the white portion of the card

 

[lp85253]

View attachment 1432244

that isn't zero.... that's about 5ppm.. edit: it looks to me like it's the beginning of a cycled filter system..based on your earlier posts. still a dangerous time .. stressed fish can be victim to a barely cycled tank.. keep testing every day or 2 ... watch for an ammonia spike (bad) or more nitrates (good)....