New Tank/Setup! And it's going to work this time!

So this is my 3rd 10 gallon setup in the same tank. My 3rd try at doing a 10 gallon aquarium and I've come very far, I have learned a lot about tropical fish through trial an error. My first try ended up failing because of a Pond Snail outbreak and not boiling drift wood long enough. My second tank ended up failing due to cyanobacteria and dropsy outbreak.

This is my third setup, and the one that will not fail. I know what I'm doing now! Here is the setup:
10 Gallon Tank
Tetra PF10 filter
ViaAqua 50-Watt Heater
Aqua Culture pump with small airstone. (Bubbler)
20 Pounds of Gravel
Plastic Plants
Ceramic Rock Ornament
Digital Thermometer
API Test Kits (Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, pH, High Range pH)

Conditioners/Additives:
Seachem Prime
Tetra Safe Start PLUS
Aquarium Salt

Fish/Live Things:
1 Male Betta
5 Ghost Shrimp
1 Moss Ball



I just set it up this morning! (10:30 AM - AZ Time) Here is everything I've done in order. I added the gravel and filled up about 1/4 of the tank with water. I then placed all my decorations and then added Aquarium Salt, and dosed Prime. I filled it up all the way and let it run for 30 minutes. Then I added the 5 ghost shrimp, which I have kept from my last aquarium. (I didn't acclimate them... but they are doing fine) I then waited another 30 minutes and tested the water, I got these results:

pH: 7.8
Ammonia: 0.25 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 10 ppm

Where did that Nitrate come from?!? Last I checked my tap water has no Nitrate! Could the Prime be affecting results?
Anyway, right now I'm acclimating the Male Betta using 'Air Tube Siphon' method. (I made it up but it works ) Basically it is really hard to float a betta in a cup. So you take about a foot of air tube and siphon out half of the water in the betta cup (also getting rid of that junk at the bottom) into another cup and you dump down the drain. Then you siphon water out of the tank into the betta cup until its full. I've done it 2 times so far. About to do it again, and I'll put him in the tank after I do it 5 times.

I'll update as I move on!

Update 3/21/15 10:00pm
I tested the tap water out of curiosity. It came up with a reading of 0 Nitrate. So that leads me to believe maybe the Nitrates came with the TSS. Wherever it came from, I'm happy it's there. The reason my last tank had Cyanobacteria was because I didn't have any nitrates for a long time. Now I have it right at the start, so no more worry about cyano! ;D

 

I recently set up a 10G also. Did you use any of the media from your previous tank when you set this one up? The little bit of nitrate you have is not bad, but since you still have a small amount of ammonia, I don't think your tank is fully cycled yet.

 

I recently set up a 10G also. Did you use any of the media from your previous tank when you set this one up? The little bit of nitrate you have is not bad, but since you still have a small amount of ammonia, I don't think your tank is fully cycled yet.

No media from the previous tank, I read that you shouldn't use media from another tank in a new tank (called 'seeded' media) if you are going to use Tetra Safe Start.

Edit: Apparently seeded media doesn't affect TSS. But I also didn't use seeded media because I didn't want to reintroduce the cyanobacteria into the tank.

 

I've never used Tetra SafeStart before, so can't advise on that. I used media from an established tank when I set mine up (learned about that here!), and it was fully cycled in a few days. Someone else will be able to tell you more about the SafeStart.

 

Looks nice! Good luck!

 

Seeded media will not harm Tetra SafeStart in any way.

 

Seeded media will not harm Tetra SafeStart in any way.

I forgot to mention, I didn't want to reintroduce the cyanobacteria to the new tank.