# Plants eatting up all the nitrate?



## destructo (Aug 12, 2009)

I recently did a water change on my tank after 2+ weeks of not doing one, and upon testing the water (before the water change) I have the following readings.

Nitrate = 0
Nitrite = 0
Ammonia = 0
PH = 7.0

The tank is heavily planted with a light/med stock

8 Cardinal Tetras
8 Espei Rasboras
2 Honey Gourami
2 Electric Blue Rams
2 Ottos
1 Featherfin Rainbow Fish

Tank Size = 75gal
Filter = Ehiem 2217
CO2 injected
T5 HO 

I am wondering if the plants are using up all the nitrates. Would this be cause for concern? Would the tank re-cycle if there was no nitrates?
The reason I ask this, is I have had 2 German Blue Rams die 2 days after I bought them, (bought them on Sunday) 

Any ideas?


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

If you have enough plants, they could consume all the nitrate. As likely, they used up the ammonia (or at least some of it) before it could be converted. With such a light stocking you shouldn't have any issues. The bacteria that is present would increase in numbers if the bioload went up and the plants were not able to keep up. Adding to rams wouldn't cause an ammonia surge in a tank that size in two days. I would guess that there was an issue with the fish, unless your water parameters were wildly different than whatever water they came from.


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