If the tank is eating ammonia and nitrates are not rising...your testing is in error...
Have to agree.... have you been doing any water changes during this process (that could account for removal of nitrate from the water column)?
If the tank is eating ammonia and nitrates are not rising...your testing is in error...
Possible,but I doubt it.When you are shaking the nitrate bottle pound it on the counter or on your hand.Really shake it up well.If the crystals in the bottle are not getting mixed up well enough,then it might show inaccurate results.I would say regardless that your tank has cycled.Do at least a 50% water change and check nitrates(pound on the bottom of the bottle to mix it up)and check you PH too.I would check the PH in your tap water as well.Just to see where it is at.This is probably the reason for the high PH in your tank.My tap water is so high,the API test can't even read it,it is a very dark purple out of the tap.are the 3 plants i have eating up the nitrates?
Not a bad idea,but I would watch them test it to make sure they are doing it right.maybe i'll take a bottle of my tank water to the store i trust and have them test it for me....... i just tested again................ same results.
added 12ml ammonia 12 hours ago, my pH is down to 7.8