# Nitrites never zero



## Matti (29 Dec 2021)

Hi guys, do you really get your nitrite levels to zero? Mine are always at 0,05. Nitrates somewhere 10-20.


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## Courtneybst (29 Dec 2021)

Matti said:


> Hi guys, do you really get your nitrate levels to zero? Mine are always at 0,05. Nitrates somewhere 10-20.


Just curious why you want zero nitrates?


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## Matti (29 Dec 2021)

Courtneybst said:


> Just curious why you want zero nitrates?


I mean nitrites, I just read that they should be zero, but mine are never.


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## kayjo (29 Dec 2021)

Nitrites or nitrates??


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## Zeus. (29 Dec 2021)

I never test for Nitrites, What about Test Kits ?, Plus 0.05 is for all our intents and purposes is 'Zero' IMO
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## dw1305 (29 Dec 2021)

Hi all, 


Matti said:


> do you really get your nitrite levels to zero? Mine are always at 0,05.





Zeus. said:


> I never test for Nitrites, What about Test Kits ?, Plus 0.05 is for all our intents and purposes is 'Zero'


Same for me, I'd guess it is an issue with the test kit, rather than an actual reading of any nitrite (NO2-). 

The simple answer, <"the KISS solution">, to all <"these "problems"> is just have a plenty of plants, ideally some with the <"aerial advantage"> then you can ignore the build up of any form of fixed nitrogen, because it just <"isn't going to happen">. 

cheers Darrel


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## Aqua360 (30 Dec 2021)

If you still have nitrites, that to me suggests you don't have adequate filtration, and/or plant mass for bacteria to colonise and breakdown fully into nitrate, what filtration are you running, and what tank do you have?


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## MichaelJ (30 Dec 2021)

Matti said:


> Hi guys, do you really get your nitrite levels to zero? Mine are always at 0,05. Nitrates somewhere 10-20.


Is that with the API test kit?   I don't think I actually ever saw a clear-cut "zero" reading for total ammonia (NH3+NH4) or Nitrite (NO2) in my tanks.... always appears a smidge above zero to me (greenish but not quite for Ammonia or purple'ish but not quite on the NO2). I haven't tested in an eternity though.

And of course the Phosphate and Nitrate tests are almost impossible to read (but it is deliberately very high with my dosing...):








Cheers,
Michael


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## Matti (31 Dec 2021)

I use the JBL -test. It's a heavily planted 55l tank with Oase Biomaster 250. I'm starting to believe that as long as there is any organic matter in a tank: plants, fish, fish  food , there will be nitrites. 
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## dw1305 (31 Dec 2021)

Hi all, 


Matti said:


> I'm starting to believe that as long as there is any organic matter in a tank: plants, fish, fish food , there will be nitrites.


There might be, it would depend upon the sensitivity of the test kit and the nature of the <"microbial assemblage">. It looks like <"COMAMMOX _Nitrospira_"> area major component of the bacteria in aquarium filters and they oxidise ammonia (NH3/NH4+) directly to nitrate (NO3-).


> _....... Among nitrifiers, comammox Nitrospira amoA genes were detected in all 38 freshwater aquarium biofilter samples and were the most abundant ammonia oxidizer in 30 of these samples, with the remaining biofilters dominated by AOA, based on amoA gene abundances......_


McKnight, M & Neufeld, J. (2021) "Microbial community analysis of biofilters reveals a dominance of either comammox Nitrospira or archaea as ammonia oxidizers in freshwater aquaria" <"Microbial community analysis of biofilters reveals a dominance of either comammox Nitrospira or archaea as ammonia oxidizers in freshwater aquaria">.


Matti said:


> ....... It's a heavily planted 55l tank with Oase Biomaster 250 .......


I'd say that is the important bit.

cheers Darrel


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