is my tank cycled after 1.5 months?

[dom418]

I have always had readings of 0 in both ammonia and nitrites. It is been over a month and still the same readings. Why is this? and is my tank cycled yet? My fish load is not heavy and my filters are: 2 aquaclear 500's with double sponges and an eheim wet/dry.

[valerie]

What size is your tank? and what kind of fish is in it? Your tnak will be cycled for that fish load if your ammonia and nitrite readings are 0 and your nitrates are measurable.

If you have a big tank with a small fish load your tank won't have big cycling spikes.

[wetmanNY]

Are you getting some nitrates? That's a sign that you're cycled, since nitrates are the end product. 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, some (<40ppm) nitrates? Yer good!

Planted tanks often cycle seamlessly, without struggles and nitrite spikes etc etc...

[JamisonBWolsh]

Wetman,

I have a question. Having less then 40 ppm would be the best in Nitrates. However, I read counts where they have 100ppm and sometimes more with no ill effects. so what do you think of that?

[Anton Wernher]

While nitrates are far less toxic then ammonia it still poses threat to a fishes health. There is a danger of stressing a fish at moderate levels and this can often lead to stress related diseases such as ulcers.

The danger increases as the levels increase... Things such as gill epithelia can be damaged allowing bacteria and parasites an opportunity to take advantage. The main danger however is that of asphyxiation. Nitrate is transported across the gills and into bloodstream where it oxidises normal haemoglobin to methemoglobin.

[wetmanNY]

When nitrates get above ~40ppm my Tiger Barbs start standing on their heads. Other fishes get restless, pacing up and back along the glass, in stereotyped action.

Surely, fish don't seem to turn pale and float belly-up to the surface as soon as nitrates get over 40ppm...

but a rising end-product that you can easily measure suggests that there may be some other rising end products that you can't so easily measure.

In my planted tanks, I've found that light dosing with potassium chloride has enabled my plants to reduce nitrates to <20ppm. For me, that's a symptom of a system that's in balance.

[dom418]

My tank has about 10 african cichlids and is 135g

[NJ Devils Fan]

Thats a very nice tank. It looks very expensive.

[dom418]

Thanks NJ Devils Fan, it cost around $1200 for everything and now that everything is together it was worth every penny!