Reasons for my low nitrate levels?

[albinosage]

Hi all, not sure where to post this to get the most relevant replies, but here goes...

I'm keeping a 24 gallon nano cube, without a skimmer or any FR, denitrator etc. When I had a 12 gallon previously, I was constantly battling high nitrate levels despite having a skimmer and weekly water change.

When I switched to the 24G, the water change regime remains the same, but I haven't installed a skimmer. In fact I have a higher bio-load now, with increased feeding of frozen food which in theory pollutes the water more.

Despite all this, when I tested the water last weekend before water change out of curiosity, my NO3 was undetectable! The last time I tested for this was when cycling was completed in February this year, NO3 was at 40ppm. I currently have no algae problems, only a few strands of hair algae here and there, but glass is very clean and sand is still very white.

I'm not complaining of course, but I need to find out what is causing this or what I'm doing right so I won't screw this good thing up

Here's my current set up and routine with the tank:

Tank:

24 gallon JBJ Nanocube

Set up and completed cycling Feb 2009

Filtration:

Internal overflow with filter wool in the first chamber, 800 grams of biohome in the second chamber

15kg of live rocks

10kg of live sand

A small tennis ball sized clump of chaeto hanging in the main display area

Circulation:

2700l/h return pump in the last chamber

1500l/h Hydor K1 wavemaker deflecting water off the back wall

Resun 280 chiller kept at 26°C to 28°C

Livestock:

1 clown fish

1 blotchy anthias

1 mandarin fish

2 seahorses

2 cleaner shrimps

3 Turbo snails

1 Astreal snail

3 Bumblebee snails

An unknown number of small ornamental crabs

Feeding:

2/3 cube of frozen mysis shrimp and 2/3 cube of Henry's reef food every evening, and 1/4 cube of mysis mixed with a pinch of dried cyclopeeze on some mornings if the fish look hungry. Also dosing 1/4 teaspoon of vitamin c every night.

Water change:

1 jerry can of NSW every 7 to 10 days, though I was a bit more on the ball and changed 1/2 to one full jerry can every 4 to 5 days in the beginning. If I'm too busy to buy water I'll just change 10 litres of distilled water with coral life salt.

[TayHongSiang]

Not bad not bad...sumpless and skimless like mine...haha...

If not much fish and feeding and frequent water changes, its possible.

My nitrate levels are also very low...unless i feed fish meat, then will go up.

[dnsfpl]

expired test kit

[albinosage]

unless i feed fish meat, then will go up.

Hmm... you're feeding pellets? I don't leh, all frozen shrimp and fish meat. I feed between 2 to 3cm cube of frozen meat to them daily, actually considered quite a lot for 5 fishes.

I still can't figure out if there is one particular thing that is contributing to this or is it a one off freak test result haha.

expired test kit

Hahaha, I thought of that too, but I only had the test kit for 3 months or so. It's from API, which doesn't detect below 5ppm, so nitrates are probably still there, but don't know how little.

[TayHongSiang]

Hmm... you're feeding pellets? I don't leh, all frozen shrimp and fish meat. I feed between 2 to 3cm cube of frozen meat to them daily, actually considered quite a lot for 5 fishes.

I still can't figure out if there is one particular thing that is contributing to this or is it a one off freak test result haha.

Hahaha, I thought of that too, but I only had the test kit for 3 months or so. It's from API, which doesn't detect below 5ppm, so nitrates are probably still there, but don't know how little.

i feed fresh fish meat to my LPS.

[dnsfpl]

Hahaha, I thought of that too, but I only had the test kit for 3 months or so. It's from API, which doesn't detect below 5ppm, so nitrates are probably still there, but don't know how little.

i am using API nitrate test kit too

test your tap water, if it turns a bit red, then nothing wrong with your test kit

[raydiative]

expired test kit

lol...

[dnsfpl]

lol...

self experience before lol