Did 2 total 100% Water changes and still high nitrate

Assuming your test is correct, and with no substrate or fish, it has to be coming from your filter. Rinse the media and test it again.
 
And all of this trouble and wasted time is worth it over spending $10 or less on a bottle of Safe Start or something similar and being able to enjoy looking at fish you tank a day or two later?

I still don't understand the fascination and desire to waste time and testing chemicals. It's like saying all the advanced foods, filters, and other MODERN knowledge should be thrown in the garbage too and let's all go back to fish bowls.

I just don't get it.
 
Thanks for the reply. Can you tell me what adding more biological filtration will do? Will that stop the tank from taking my 3-4ppm nitrate water and making it into 20-40ppm nitrate? This is a 6.6 gallon tank that is already running the filter that came with it, probably just a charcoal filter, and an Aquaclear filter made for a 30 gallon tank that claims "Comes equipped with AquaClear Foam, Activated Carbon and BioMax and Cycle Guard for continuous biological filtration". Sorry to be so clueless and I appreciate everyone's help a lot.
 
Rastoma, I did buy and use Tetra Safestart. And when that appeared to fail, people said it was probably a dead batch that either got too cold in shipping or died from sitting on a shelf somewhere for too long. So I tried Dr. Tim's starter, that appeared to fail as well. All because I never shook nitrate test bottle #2 as directed, yes stupid of me, it was reading zero nitrate all along. That's how it all started. I have no desire to waste time and as far as I've learned chemicals must be tested. So no clue where you are coming from. I'm trying to be responsible and give my future fish the best water possible before I put them in it. Is that so wrong? If most people do a water change at 20ppm nitrate, why would I start off using 20-40ppm nitrate water? I have no problem buying whatever I need to make it right.
 
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One person said, don't rinse filter media because that is starting all over and why start all over on a fully cycled tank, and yet another said rinse the media, which I guess would mean start all over. Thus the reason I'm still not sure what to do. :)
 
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Simple, if the filter media is obviously dirty and clogged, then it needs rinsing off. Otherwise, leave it alone. If your source water is the problem then cut it with RODI water to achieve the desired nitrate reduction. The good thing about fixing this tank is the fact that it's only 6.6g, so repeat water changes are as easy as it gets.
 
If I toss all the filter media, wash and rinse everything, start all over from square 1, then start adding pure ammonia again and some SafeStart or Dr. Tim's starter, and the tank cycles again, will the tank again begin to take my 3-4ppm water and change it to 20-40ppm nitrate water. If so, why bother starting over just to be back where I am now? How can the water I'm using be the problem? It's only 3-4ppm. Also the filter media isn't clogged or dirty, it seems fine.
 
There is no need to start over from scratch. If the tank is showing no ammonia or nitrites after 24 hrs of dosing ammonia, then it has already cycled. I'd keep doing water changes, myself (since this tank is only 6.6G.) If that continues to have no effect, then I'd suspect a faulty test kit and retest with another kit to rule that out.
 
It's such a small tank for so much fuss. What kind of fish are you thinking of? If you are thinking a Betta, just throw the fish in the tank and change 1/4 of the water every day. Your filter will eventually work. I have a Betta in a one gallon without filtration and I change the 100% of the water every 3 or 4 days. He's doing great.
 
I confirmed test results with local pet store. Also, if 2 total water changes didn't lower nitrates, how could changing water again make any difference? I'm asking honestly, because I don't get it.
 
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