cycle question

[wataugachicken]

I hate having to ask a cycle question because it seems like i've read and responded to so many during my time on this site. however, the more knowledge i gain, the more i realize how much i don't know, and it's always good to get a second, or third, or 11th opinion.

aaanyway. . .

my 50g tank has been running and cycling(?) for a month. after a disappointment with biospira, i was stuck doing the daily testing and water changes routine. fine, whatever, you do what you gotta do. my test levels have always stayed low. ammonia under .50 (highest ever was the very first test - 1ppm - when i tested after the first 3 days and found out that the biospira wasn't actually working), nitrites .25, and nitrates under 5ppm. lately both nitrites and ammonia have been at 0 after several days of no H2O changes, but nitrate has been barely turning orange every time i test.

i'm running a wet/dry filter, and added a used filter cartridge right after the biospira quit, as well as a tiny Whisper HOB early last week to get over the miniature nitrite stall and to get some of the floaties out of the water. driftwood from established tanks was also added in the beginning. i have 4 good sized amazon swords, 4 happily growing anubias (one has doubled in size), and a load of cabomba, probably around 25 stems.

i was expecting, even with my daily maintenence, to get some massive and alarming spikes, based on the fishload i added (which is shown below - total of 14 inches of pleco). i thought that was what's supposed to happen. however, this has been a disturbingly mild process, and the low nitrates worry me more than a big nitrite spike would.

1. did i really add a huge number of fish or am i just a little paranoid?
2. does this low-level cycle sound fine, or just a little 'fishy'?
3. can i thank my numerous and apparently happy plants for the barely-there nitrate levels?

 

[Lisa01]

I would thank the plants.....as long as your amonia and Nitrites are 0. your plants are consuming you natrates

 

[tmpadmin]

I am running into the same thing right now. 0 0 and 2 are my readings. So what is happening is the plants I have are eating up the Nitrates and all should be well?

Pic to see plants

 

[phanmc]

Your plants are the reason why you're seeing the low level readings. Plants will consume both ammonia and nitrates. It is possible to have enough plants in the tank where a filter isn't required in terms of bio-filtration. I have to add nitrates to my tank so the plants can grow, its a high light tank and the plants use up nitrates very quickly.

 

[tmpadmin]

I have noticed some of the one plant breaking off and haning out on the filter intake. Could this be a sign of the plant dying or of my fish or snails eating it?

 

[phanmc]

Alot of things can cause the leaves to break off, what kind of plant is it? What are the conditions of the leaves? Are they growing yellow or brown, curling or wilting, have spots or holes in them, etc?

 

[wataugachicken]

some plants like cabomba and wisteria (in my limited experience) are very messy when they are first introduced and have all kinds of little bits that like to break off or are already broken off and get "set free" when you plant them.

 

[tmpadmin]

I think it is cabomba, the common stuff you see at any major chain pet store. if you move up to my picture link it would be the one on the left of the tank. The new growth looks a bit brown but it greens up after a bit. The parts that break off are completely green and look healthy. I just finished my cycle (I hope - still watching) do you think the daily water changes may have had an impact? Ph is a bit high at 7.6.

Oh, also if you look at the pic the lily is thriving! I am thinking of snipping back a few leaves as it is now blocking light and is at the surface. I need a deeper tank for that one.