Why is my nitrate low?

[shawtygotbass]

Hi,

I’m a bit confused as to why my nitrates are so low.

I have a 15 gallon tank with 20 lbs of live rock. It’s a low tech tank, so I get my water movement with a HOB filter.

The only two fish are a chalk bass and small goby.

Up until a couple weeks ago, I’d do water changes around 10 to 15 PPM. I’m currently hovering at 2PPM and haven’t done a water change in a week. There’s 0 ammonia or nitrite…

Without a sump and skimmer, or macroalgae, I thought it was impossible to have nitrate so low.

All of my freshwater planted tanks hover from 5-10PPM and they have tons of plants to consume nutrients.

I’m using the Red Sea test kit

 

[Dan_P]

Hi,

I’m a bit confused as to why my nitrates are so low.

I have a 15 gallon tank with 20 lbs of live rock. It’s a low tech tank, so I get my water movement with a HOB filter.

The only two fish are a chalk bass and small goby.

Up until a couple weeks ago, I’d do water changes around 10 to 15 PPM. I’m currently hovering at 2PPM and haven’t done a water change in a week. There’s 0 ammonia or nitrite…

Without a sump and skimmer, or macroalgae, I thought it was impossible to have nitrate so low.

All of my freshwater planted tanks hover from 5-10PPM and they have tons of plants to consume nutrients.

I’m using the Red Sea test kit

There is likely sufficient micro algae to keep the nitrate concentration low even when their numbers are not easily noticed.