new2fish

My Test kit booklet says Nitrates should be below 40... mine have been mostly 10 - 20 .... today they tested @ 5... Is this OK, is the lower the better?

Everything else checked out good...
My PH is 7.0
Nitrites .25 (slightly high)
Ammonia 0

Thanks for any info.

Butterfly

If you don't have live plants then the lower the NitrAtes are the better. BUT... you are still showing some NitrItes so your cycle isn't quite finished and you will have more NitrAtes soon.
Ammonia turns into NitrItes and NitrItes turn into NitrAtes. Generally you want the Nitrates to be below 20 but lower is fine.
Carol

new2fish

Thanks Butterfly, Actually I did add 2 live plants yesterday... So am I OK?
Also, I have went Thur a cycle & had some spikes... a week & a half ago, I was told everything showed as Cycled... the tank has been running for 2 1/2 months now.

Oh, & we added fish & a frog & another Lava rock that we had & was boiled cleaned & soaked. all within the last couple of days.

Thanks Again

Butterfly

Sometimes when adding fish you will have a bit of ammonia spike and then a Nitrite spike. A good water change will take care of that. Plants use Nitrates so they will help keep them under control and maybe why you saw the Nitrates drop so low, more plants the better off you are. Do you know what kind they are ? Just curious
Your tank is fully stocked now, I bet it's pretty. we would love for you to post some pictures.
Carol

new2fish

OK, that could be it.. one is a corkscrew plant.. the other is an Anarcharis... i will be posting some pics in the photo section... having a hard time getting any decent ones .
Thanks again for the info

griffin

the anacharis will definately take a big bite out of your nitrates