Silly Nitrate Questions

So my tank is cycled abd I'm keeping it going.

Every 12 hours I dose it up to 3ppm ammoia. 12 hours later ammonia is 0 nitite is 0 nitrate is 5.0ppm

Is 5.0ppm ok? Or should I get it down to 0.

Also...everyone told me I would have a nitrate spike...I never did...ot never went above 5ppm .....is that normal/ok??

 

How big is it? What's in it?

 

60g
Nothing yet

 

Nitrate is removed by water changes or plants. <20 ppm should be acceptable, I shoot for < 10 before I change water, but my plants keep it at 0 ppm. I think you are ready for a couple fish to replace your ammonia spiking efforts.

I would add that my latest set up cycled the same way, no significant nitrate spike.

 

Ive heard of NitrITE spikes while cycling but not really a large NirtATE one unless you are cycling with fish?

 

Your numbers are actually perfect. If I am remembering correctly you did your cycle without adding any kind of bottled bacteria so that is very likely the reason you haven't seen a huge spike in nitrates.

I know you are getting anxious to start stocking it and I can see no reason whatsoever for you not to start doing it any time you are ready.

 

this is such a great thread! congrats on being cycled & ready for fish!

 

numbers are good except the nitrate, hopefully either you are removing it or it's going up. If it's staying the same, your test kit may have issues. good luck

 

I don't know the back story but... are beating the nitrate bottle #2 against something about 30 times, hard, and then shaking it? 5 ppm nitrates are low for 3 ppm ammonia converted for a few times.

You have a robust cycle right now. 3ppm to 0 in nitrites withing 12 hours is what I would shoot for if I was doing an African cichlids tank so I could add them all at once. You're tank is basically super cycled lol.

 

numbers are good except the nitrate, hopefully either you are removing it or it's going up. If it's staying the same, your test kit may have issues. good luck

I don't know the back story but... are beating the nitrate bottle #2 against something about 30 times, hard, and then shaking it? 5 ppm nitrates are low for 3 ppm ammonia converted for a few times.

You have a robust cycle right now. 3ppm to 0 in nitrites withing 12 hours is what I would shoot for if I was doing an African cichlids tank so I could add them all at once. You're tank is basically super cycled lol.

I am not the OP but have been following this journey from the start and I am sure the OP will be the first to admit that he learned his lesson as to how to do the nitrate test when the test showed they dropped from high to nothing over night without a water change

Retesting correctly solved the discrepancy.

 

Is something wrong if I never seem to have nitrates in 20 g h and 20 l with fish, snails, and live plants? Everyone is happy, reproducing (too much) and alive. Ph stays below 7, other parameters ok, too. Tanks running since August

 

I am not the OP but have been following this journey from the start and I am sure the OP will be the first to admit that he learned his lesson as to how to do the nitrate test when the test showed they dropped from high to nothing over night without a water change

Retesting correctly solved the discrepancy.

Thought this looked familiar. I remember reading that thread. I was under the impression nitrates increased much faster than initial ammonia source amount though. I could easily be mistaken though as I'm far more familiar with the fish in process.

Is something wrong if I never seem to have nitrates in 20 g h and 20 l with fish, snails, and live plants? Everyone is happy, reproducing (too much) and alive. Ph stays below 7, other parameters ok, too. Tanks running since August

No. As long as you're testing correctly your plants are likely consuming it.

 

Thought this looked familiar. I remember reading that thread. I was under the impression nitrates increased much faster than initial ammonia source amount though. I could easily be mistaken though as I'm far more familiar with the fish in process.

I am thinking his cycle has worked the way it has is because he didn't add anything to jump start it. I could be way off base but I truly do believe one gets a more stable stronger cycle when one doesn't use any quick start product.

Way back before bottled bacteria became the thing to do tanks were cycled the way Kingofnon did his. I know I did it without additives for many many years and never had any of the problem I see every day right here on this forum.

It could very well be the water folks are having to use could be causing a lot of the problems and I was just fortunate to have good water. Sadly not everyone is that fortunate thus a lot of them have problems. I have a feeling Kingofnon is one of the fortunate folks.

I do agree that the low numbers on the nitrates is unusual and I don't totally understand why they haven't gone any higher than they appear to be. They really should continue to rise as the tank cycles through the ammonia being added 'specially since there are no live plants in the tank to consume them.

 

I don't really agree about the bottled bb being a weaker cycle. It takes about 6 months after a cycle completes to get a mature cycle either way. I do think the OP got really lucky with source water and initial setup. That was a quick and robust cycle once it got figured out. Before I abandoned my fishless cycle I was getting 5 ppm nitrates without seeing a drop in ammonia, so these results truly puzzle me. Such is life I guess!

 

Lots of good help here, but inevitably you will need to stop chasing numbers and put some fish in there. IMHO you are ready to take the plunge. What is your stocking plan?