High Nitrates While Curing Live Rock

I've been curing about 20 pounds of live rock in 5 gallons of water for about 6 1/2 weeks now, I never noticed any spike in ammonia and the parameters have been stable the entire time, I went to retest everything as I'm hoping to put it in the tank today or tomorrow, so I gave nitrates a test for the first time, they're very high! About 100!! I was advised on here not to change water as the rock cured, so I haven't, I'm guessing that's why the nitrates are so high.

As of now the parameters are:
Ammonia- 0
Nitrite- 0
Nitrate- about 100
Ph- 8.2
Phosphate- about 2, high but stable, possibly due to the water source I used when I started curing, I don't think it has anything to do with the rock.

Is this unusual to see such high nitrates? Do you think it's leaching from the rock or just due to the lack of water changes, but most importantly, will it be safe to add to my tank within the next few days or should I wait?

 

I'd do a couple of major water changes and then see if the nitrates stay down after the water changes...that would be a good way to figure out if it is being leeched from the rock or not.

 

I'd do a couple of major water changes and then see if the nitrates stay down after the water changes...that would be a good way to figure out if it is being leeched from the rock or not.

I was thinking I'd just do a 100% water change (only 5 gallons, so not a big deal) and then recheck it after a week, I think I did check nitrates a little while ago and I don't believe they were as high, I'll have to see if I wrote it down anywhere.

 

That would be an even better idea, I'd also check the ammonia after a few days just to see if there is anything dying off as well.

 

That would be an even better idea, I'd also check the ammonia after a few days just to see if there is anything dying off as well.

I don't think anything is dying off, I have yet to see ammonia spike, which is weird, but I've tested with multiple kits and gotten the same readings, so I have to assume it's accurate. I'm really hoping it's not just leaching nitrate, what a pain that will be to deal with…

 

That is weird, but not unheard of, if there was enough BB on the rocks when you got them for there to be no ammonia/nitrite spike. Unless the rocks are leeching, something is feeding the cycle. If they are...I'd pull out my hair lol.

 

That is weird, but not unheard of, if there was enough BB on the rocks when you got them for there to be no ammonia/nitrite spike. Unless the rocks are leeching, something is feeding the cycle. If they are...I'd pull out my hair lol.

I'm wondering if maybe it went through a cycle at some point and the nitrates are from that cycle, but are just so high due to the large amount of rock in such a small amount of water, it's a 20 pound rock in a 5 gallon bucket, so it's in maybe 3 gallons of water.

 

That is also possible!