# Do nitrates ever go to 0?



## 1rhom (Nov 6, 2009)

I just checke the water params and this is what i got:
Ammo 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10.
What makes nitrate fluctuate and how do i get it to 0?


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## RedneckR0nin (Nov 5, 2008)

Nitrate can go to 0 but you don't want them to stay that way. A little bit of nitrate states you have a healthy tank as unless you have plants in your tank they will never be at 0. The nitrifying bacteria in your media can break down ammonia into nitrite and then again into nitrate but only plants and water changes rid your water of that. So if you have bunch or readings of 0 nitrate you got problems coming and more than likely some algae on it's way.

What makes them fluctuate is the plant's ability to remove them and your effectiveness of water changes. As they never break down naturally in your tank with out one of those two things happening.


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## 1rhom (Nov 6, 2009)

RedneckR0nin said:


> Nitrate can go to 0 but you don't want them to stay that way. A little bit of nitrate states you have a healthy tank as unless you have plants in your tank they will never be at 0. The nitrifying bacteria in your media can break down ammonia into nitrite and then again into nitrate but only plants and water changes rid your water of that. So if you have bunch or readings of 0 nitrate you got problems coming and more than likely some algae on it's way.
> 
> What makes them fluctuate is the plant's ability to remove them and your effectiveness of water changes. As they never break down naturally in your tank with out one of those two things happening.


i don't have any plants.


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## RedneckR0nin (Nov 5, 2008)

Then if you don't have plants you should really never have a reading of 0 for any length of time.


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## Plowboy (Apr 9, 2008)

1rhom said:


> I just checke the water params and this is what i got:
> Ammo 0
> Nitrite 0
> Nitrate 10.
> What makes nitrate fluctuate and how do i get it to 0?


Are you just asking how to get them to 0 or as close to it as possible?


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## 1rhom (Nov 6, 2009)

Plowboy said:


> I just checke the water params and this is what i got:
> Ammo 0
> Nitrite 0
> Nitrate 10.
> What makes nitrate fluctuate and how do i get it to 0?


Are you just asking how to get them to 0 or as close to it as possible?
[/quote]
Curiosity,that's all! Just wanted to know the nitrates never go to 0 in a tank with no plants. last i checke they're at 10ppm


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## Plowboy (Apr 9, 2008)

I can't think of any reason why they would besides plants. Maybe a really wild algae outbreak could do it. You could also get them to almost 0 using a turf algae scrubber, I believe. Skunk made one for a salt water tank probably about 6 months ago, and he made a DIY thread on it. I don't see why that wouldn't work for a freshwater too.

It shouldn't be that hard to keep the nitrates down in your tank anyways, since there isn't that big of a bio load.

After your tank has been running for a bit, give some low light plants a shot. It's really not bad taking care of them.


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## 1rhom (Nov 6, 2009)

Plowboy said:


> I can't think of any reason why they would besides plants. Maybe a really wild algae outbreak could do it. You could also get them to almost 0 using a turf algae scrubber, I believe. Skunk made one for a salt water tank probably about 6 months ago, and he made a DIY thread on it. I don't see why that wouldn't work for a freshwater too.
> 
> It shouldn't be that hard to keep the nitrates down in your tank anyways, since there isn't that big of a bio load.
> 
> After your tank has been running for a bit, give some low light plants a shot. It's really not bad taking care of them.


I want to get plants that you find in the amazon.


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## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

you'll have plenty to choose from... echinodorus sp., pennywort, and anacharis would be good for starters


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