How high doe nitrates usually get during a fishless cycle? So far mine are almost 10 ppm. My ammonia is 0ppm and nitrite is almost 0ppm after 24hrs. Should nitrates be this low?
Low nitrates durin cycle?
- Thread starter Anaxus
- Start date
It depends on several factors. How high were the ammonia and nitrite spikes? Any plants in there? Until the nitrites are 0, the tank has not completely cycled, so a bump in the nitrates should be expected. However, plants will suck ammonia and nitrates up, so the detectable levels will be significantly less.
I seeded with 5ppm ammonia. Nitrites reached 5ppm and are approx 0 now, not 100% sure if its completely 0 check out my other post about nitrite test. I got by accedent 1 very small java fern(i think), when I added rocks from a LFS the plant was in the gravel along with a few trumpet snails. My tap water has 0ppm nitrates also.
Did you continue to add ammonia to maintain that level, or just do one dose of ammonia? If the former, than it's likely that the nitrates may jump a bit, or they may not. If you just did a one time dose to 5ppm, then you won't have as strong a cycle, and the nitrates won't get as high. I don't have test kits here, so can't determine what the exact color would be. Best way I know--instead of comparing the color with the chart next to the tube, set the card on the table and put the tube over each color, looking down through the tube to compare the colors. This gives you a much better reading, IME.
Also, realize that while we understand that the bacteria populations establish themselves, and how to encourage their development, this isn't a science so much as an art. You can try doing things exactly the same each time, and there will be slight variations with each iteration. As long as your tank processes the ammonia and nitrites, then your tank is considered cycled for fish.
Also, realize that while we understand that the bacteria populations establish themselves, and how to encourage their development, this isn't a science so much as an art. You can try doing things exactly the same each time, and there will be slight variations with each iteration. As long as your tank processes the ammonia and nitrites, then your tank is considered cycled for fish.
I kept dosing to bring the ammonia up to 5ppm when it would drop. Ill try looking down through the tube to see if that helps. The color that it reads is a grey/green, there isnt even green on the chart. I figure the nitrite is between 0 and .25, hopefully when I check tonight it will be 0 or maby tommorrow.
How long has it taken you to get to this part of your cycle? If you brought in a lot of nitrifying bacteria at the beginning, it's possible that there hasn't been much of a jump in nitrates. If you've been cycling for 2-4 weeks, I'd expect nitrates to be at least above 50 ppm and likely higher. Any chance your nitrate test is bad?
Jim
Jim
It has been 26 days since I started and 12 days since I first noticed ammonia going down and nitirite going up. I added the gravel from my lFS 14 days ago. Not sure how the nitrate kit could be bad, I bought it when I bought the rest of my test kits
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Today my nitrates were still somewhere between 5 and 10ppm.
Something new that has come up is, all the trumpet snails I can find have just been laying on the bottom of the tank. Not sure if there dead or what. As hardy as people say snails are it makes me worry about adding fish to the tank once its done cycling.
Something new that has come up is, all the trumpet snails I can find have just been laying on the bottom of the tank. Not sure if there dead or what. As hardy as people say snails are it makes me worry about adding fish to the tank once its done cycling.