No nitrates showing on test kit

[Fredmsi]

Hello guys my Evo 13.5 gallon tank been up for about 6 weeks....I keep testing my nitrates with red sea and API test kits and I keep getting zero readings of nitrates...should I be worrying about it? I am keeping gsp zoa and hammer coral in the tank with a fish.....I do weekly water changes of 1 1/2 gallons of water.....should I do water changes every two weeks to get nitrates to go up?....I am runing a protein skimmer to...also having brown algea growing on rocks sand bed and corals

 

[Nigel35]

I would test again and make sure that your testing it right. If you don't shake the test tube for the proper times you will get a 0 every time you use the API kit. Make sure the test tube is clean. Because you have algae growing it is possible your doing the test wrong. If it still shows up zero it might be helpful to turn off the skimmer very once in a while. Keep doing the weekly water changes it is very beneficial to your tank.

How are the corals doing? Struggling or thriving?

 

[robbyg]

Six weeks and you have Zoa's and a Hammer coral plus fish.
Are you sure the tank even cycled?

 

[Fredmsi]

Ya it is ammonia at zero and nitrate zero

 

[Fredmsi]

I would test again and make sure that your testing it right. If you don't shake the test tube for the proper times you will get a 0 every time you use the API kit. Make sure the test tube is clean. Because you have algae growing it is possible your doing the test wrong. If it still shows up zero it might be helpful to turn off the skimmer very once in a while. Keep doing the weekly water changes it is very beneficial to your tank.

How are the corals doing? Struggling or thriving?

I been testing nitrates for a week allways zero....it was at 20 ppm wen cycling.... Po4 is at 0.08 ph 8.1 kh 10.1 ca 390 mg 1250 I am useing nutriseawater coral are doing fine