Tank is cycled! Nitrate question?

[CLH]

Alright my tank is finally cycled!! I added my 3 neons and 2nd snail yesterday. My question is about nitrate levels and what is too high...I know that nitrate is good but that too much can be harmful. I read somewhere to keep it below 20, is that correct? Thanks!!

Casey

 

[OrionGirl]

That's a good goal, as long as this is not a planted tank. In planted tanks, nitrates are not a good indicator, because they seldom get very high--plants use them up quickly. So--if you don't have plants, doing water changes to keep the nitrates below 20 is a good plan. For planted tanks, I prefer to just setup a regular schedule and change water weekly--prevents evaporation from being a problem, and keeps the tanks stable.