# normal to have less then 5 ppm nitrAte



## db04ph (Jan 27, 2009)

its been a week since a water change today i checked the params and its 0 0 3


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

db04ph said:


> its been a week since a water change today i checked the params and its 0 0 3


Thats very low, but could be possible with a small bioload and good filtration and waterchanges. I would think it is actually like 10ppm, but if you have no gravel, that would eliminate rotting dibris. A recomended no3 is under 40ppm max, so if you can honestly get it under 10 that is excellent. Not saying your lieing, but how can you be positive, since with most tests, the colours never match exactly.


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## dschoter05 (Oct 14, 2008)

I agree with sean also wanna add my tap water has a nitrate reading of 5. Also do you have live plants in your tank???


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## db04ph (Jan 27, 2009)

that day when i tested the nitrate the thing was yellow same color as the amonia tester when its 0 and yellow for nitrate means 0 too on my kit
did a water change and it jumped back up to 10 going to test saturday again see if it decreased
but no its a bare tank with bit of gravel just to cover the surface and no live plants
water changes every week


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## dschoter05 (Oct 14, 2008)

db04ph said:


> that day when i tested the nitrate the thing was yellow same color as the amonia tester when its 0 and yellow for nitrate means 0 too on my kit
> did a water change and it jumped back up to 10 going to test saturday again see if it decreased
> but no its a bare tank with bit of gravel just to cover the surface and no live plants
> water changes every week


The 10 ppm makes sense interested to see what the test says on saturday says


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## sandman503 (Feb 10, 2009)

right now mine reads under 5.


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## dschoter05 (Oct 14, 2008)

sandman503 said:


> right now mine reads under 5.


Do you have live plants???


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## sandman503 (Feb 10, 2009)

dschoter05 said:


> right now mine reads under 5.


Do you have live plants???
[/quote]

yes


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## need_redz (May 11, 2007)

Could be at 3ppm not strange at all - just check to see if your test kit expired!


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## philbert (Mar 8, 2007)

it would make sense that it would go down at first but will probably rise in the future. you probably had some rotting stuff in the gravel since its impossible to get it all out when vacuuming. your also may have messed up your cycle. id double check your ammonia since removing all the substrate is like removing some of the filter media. your tank may not be cycled any more. check ammonia and nitrite too and post those.


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