help...where my nitrates go?

[traumajeff]

i did a routine level check just now and here are my results.

ammonia: 0
nitrites: 0
nitrates: 0

my nitrates were at 40 a week ago. i did a 20% wc and all was good. i was expecting to need another wc today, but no nitrates?!?!?! where did they go? i've never had this happen before. my test kit is new(less than 2 months old) and i've checked three times now with the same results!

should i expect bad things to follow? any insight would be good, cause i'm lost!

btw...tank's been up and running for over a year. no recent changes either.

 

[Arachnar]

That's a fishkkeepers dream come true, No nitrates is very good, is your tank planted?

40 is pretty high, I think it's recommended to stay below like 10-20ppms, not sure though. Sometimes cleaning a dirty tank after it has been dirty for a while can actually be bad and stressed the fish especially with all the dissolved solids suddenly gone. Have you been testing pH?

 

[Merbeast]

Either Jesus healed your tank, or your test kit is bad. I would spend the money on a new test kit. Nitrates don't just go away (without exotic filters or plants).

 

[traumajeff]

That's a fishkkeepers dream come true, No nitrates is very good, is your tank planted?

40 is pretty high, I think it's recommended to stay below like 10-20ppms, not sure though. Sometimes cleaning a dirty tank after it has been dirty for a while can actually be bad and stressed the fish especially with all the dissolved solids suddenly gone. Have you been testing pH?

40 is high for me. it had been a while since the last wc prior to this last one. my ph is good. i do have some plants and some bamboo in the ac110 as well. not enough to zap the nitrates though(at least i don't think)

Either Jesus healed your tank, or your test kit is bad. I would spend the money on a new test kit. Nitrates don't just go away (without exotic filters or plants).

i would like to thank Jesus for making this possible! as much as i'd like to think this was a small miracle, i'm more inclined to chalk it up to bad testing equipment or human error. gonna grab another kit later.

 

[Dr Joe]

Test your tap water to check your kit. If your good, you could get one of the fish to urinate in a cup (just say it's random drug testing, so it won't feel picked on ).

 

[nfored]

I lived with 40 nitrates for a long time with no ill effects, I believe several studies have shown level up 80 -100ppm are required to have ill effects. When I saw my nitrates reached 80, I did 3 50% WC in one and a half days and I am now back down to 10ppm. Note to self bigger than 15% weekly WC needed.