0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, dropping nitrate???

[k2snowboards88]

Its been a long and hard process to get my tank to cycle. Now that it finally has, i've noticed something weird. My nitrates are actually dropping. They're at 0 now. Whats the deal? I use liquid test kits. I might bring some water into a pet shop to get tested once i get the chance. What is happening here. I don't have any live plants either. But i do have some brown algea.


I have a 55 gallon tank wiht 5 clown loaches(2") 8 tiger barbs, a red fin shark, and a peacock eel.

 

[WILDER]

That's good as long as you don't have a nitrite reading, what is your tap water in nitrates.

 

[k2snowboards88]

0 nitrate. Or at most an amount that doesn't register. But what could be causing the nitrate drop?

 

[WILDER]

Your'e very lucky if your tap water is 0 nitrate, nothing to worry about , unless you start to get a nitrite reading.

 

[k2snowboards88]

Where is all the nitrate going though. It drops without water changes.

 

[plecoperson]

maybe the algae is using it up?

 

[Talisman]

Yup algae will use it

 

[freddyk]

Algae will use it, but even still 0 nitrate, and dropping nitrate, is not normal in an unplanted tank, I, for one, am skeptical. Make sure your nitrate test is still good, as they do expire after a while and could give false readings at that point. Make sure not only that you haven't had it for a while, but that the fish store you bought it at runs through stock at an acceptable frequency, or replaces outdated stock. What kind of test are you using.