# Nitrate test



## BuckeyeTez (May 10, 2016)

So the last two times I've tested my nitrates, the color has literally not changed from yellow. My kit is getting pretty low on fluid so I just ordered a replacement kit. It's not old, expires in 2020, I've always shaken the bottle for almost a minute to make sure the stuff on the bottom is well mixed in.

Is this something that happens towards the end of a bottle or is my 125 just really well stocked with BB?


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## ha77 (Dec 8, 2016)

BuckeyeTez said:


> So the last two times I've tested my nitrates, the color has literally not changed from yellow. My kit is getting pretty low on fluid so I just ordered a replacement kit. It's not old, expires in 2020, I've always shaken the bottle for almost a minute to make sure the stuff on the bottom is well mixed in.
> 
> Is this something that happens towards the end of a bottle or is my 125 just really well stocked with BB?


Is ammonia and nitrite still 0? 
What is your WC routine like?


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## BuckeyeTez (May 10, 2016)

Tested both and were 0. I usually do a 50% change on Wed/Sunday's.

Usually it was around 20-30 each time but the last few times it has literally been yellow, no orange tint at all.

I even retested after I freaked out and tested Ammonia/Nitrite because I thought the PraziPro I was using messed something up.

I have 19 4-7" males, a 7" common Pleco and 6 syno multis so I have a hard time believing the test. I feed 2x small feedings in morning and night with a medium feed mid afternoon.


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## ha77 (Dec 8, 2016)

BuckeyeTez said:


> Tested both and were 0. I usually do a 50% change on Wed/Sunday's.
> 
> Usually it was around 20-30 each time but the last few times it has literally been yellow, no orange tint at all.
> 
> ...


Yea that sounds odd. It should at least be slightly orange a few days after a water change. Don' know if the kits go bad if you leave the lids off or something similar. I imagine its a possibility though. I would get a new one just in case.
Cheers


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## tanker3 (May 18, 2015)

Not sure, but good BB does not make the Nitrates low, Good BB actually increases the Nitrates.


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## wryan (Dec 6, 2015)

tanker3 said:


> Not sure, but good BB does not make the Nitrates low, Good BB actually increases the Nitrates.


True ... for one type of BB.

However, if my understanding is correct, anaerobic bacteria will process nitrate into nitrogen gas.

The primary difficulty for the aquarist is providing a hospitable place for anaerobic bacteria to live.

Porous lava rock and deep(ish) sand beds are probably two places that offer possibilities.


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## Kanorin (Apr 8, 2008)

wryan said:


> tanker3 said:
> 
> 
> > Not sure, but good BB does not make the Nitrates low, Good BB actually increases the Nitrates.
> ...


That's true, but I'd put the odds at about 1000 to 1 that it has more to do with the test kit not working properly.

Here's why:

We keep aquarium water oxygenated - otherwise our fish would die[/*]
Nitrogen-fixing anaerobic bacteria live in places where oxygen is not[/*]
Thus they only live in places with very little exposure to flowing water[/*]
Thus they get very little exposure to the nitrates that circulate in the tank water, meaning that they don't get a chance to convert much nitrate into nitrogen gas[/*]


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## wryan (Dec 6, 2015)

Kanorin said:


> wryan said:
> 
> 
> > tanker3 said:
> ...


I was simply addressing a particular statement that was made (which I thought was not accurate) ... rather the causes of the current situation in the tank itself.



Kanorin said:


> Here's why:
> 
> We keep aquarium water oxygenated - otherwise our fish would die[/*]
> Nitrogen-fixing anaerobic bacteria live in places where oxygen is not[/*]
> ...


No argument with your logic on it's face ... just realize that it does make some assumptions/conclusions about how the process actually works as well as what the eventual result might be.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

There has been some research indicating seachem matrix can support some anaerobic bacteria.
Don't know if the OP had indicated a recent change of filter media type.


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## wryan (Dec 6, 2015)

snorkel3 said:


> There has been some research indicating seachem matrix can support some anaerobic bacteria.
> Don't know if the OP had indicated a recent change of filter media type.


Not only true for Matrix, but for Seachem denitrate as well.


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## BuckeyeTez (May 10, 2016)

About 2-3 weeks ago I did add a new bag of purigen and have dosed my tank for gill flukes with PraziPro but everything I've read says it won't hurt your BB.

I did call Hikari and ask them about wether Purigen would remove the PraziPro and he called me back after contacting their chemists and said "We have not tested the two together and until they know, asked me to remove the purigen until my treatment was complete before re-adding it.

It just freaked me out because it literally reads 0 on the charts. So naturally I've been testing Ammonia and Nitrite and still get nothing.

Last night I took some water to my LFS and had them test to see if for some weird reason my liquid kits were f'd and he got the same reading. He said enjoy not having many nitrates and not to really worry about it.

Today is my normal water change day and I will test again prior to doing it but won't be surprised if it's still not showing any orange.

With 19 4-7" males, a Pleco and 6 syno's I can't see this lasting long before nitrates show up again. Or I somehow have a magical FX6/AC100 combo.


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## Biciclid (Jan 27, 2016)

I hope your nitrates are truly low, should be as your LFS got the same results. Last time I started getting readings of 0 nitrates (in all my tanks) it was the test kit that had gone off, it was more like 40 ppm (at least after I relaxed my water changes thinking things were peachy).


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

I would not do a water change until it tested positive for nitrates (ie: wait until Sunday then test again).


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## BlueSunshine (Jul 13, 2014)

Try not to over think your situation. We only do water changes about every 5 to 6 months.


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## BuckeyeTez (May 10, 2016)

BlueSunshine said:


> Try not to over think your situation. We only do water changes about every 5 to 6 months.


I hope that's a typo. If not, I'm glad I'm not one of your fish!


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## BlueSunshine (Jul 13, 2014)

BuckeyeTez said:


> BlueSunshine said:
> 
> 
> > Try not to over think your situation. We only do water changes about every 5 to 6 months.
> ...


No mistake. :fish:


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## pcdiddy (Oct 8, 2016)

BlueSunshine said:


> BuckeyeTez said:
> 
> 
> > BlueSunshine said:
> ...


Do you ever test for Nitrates? What your ppm? Setup?


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## BuckeyeTez (May 10, 2016)

So I tested again last night and got a reading of about 3ish ppm. So that makes me feel a lot better. I did a small vac of just poo laying around and topped it back off. See what Sunday's reading shows.


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## CeeJay (Aug 16, 2016)

Just wondering how long the tanks been set up? I had tank with a low fish load with plants that went 6 months without any nitrates. I had to add nitrate based fertilizer to get it up. I say your test kit is mess up. I have tank with as many fish as you and change a lot water to keep it down. I test as I change the water and can see the nitrates come down. If I went one week without water change my nitrate would be off the scale. I don't know how others get by changing water every 5 to 6 months. Can't be good for there fish.


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