is my cycle finished?

[jeremyblevins]

so tonight is the second night in a row with 0 ammonia 0 nitrites and my nitrates are somewhere in the 10~20 range? how much longer should i wait to know that i'm cycled?

 

[BigJim]

Are you fishless cycling? If so, dose the tank with 4ppm of ammonia and wait twenty-four hours. If the tank converts that ammonia completely to nitrates in that time period, your tank is finished cycling. Do a large PWC and go get some fish!

 

[jeremyblevins]

No I have 5 pearl gourami in my 55 gallon planted

 

[BigJim]

In that case, you could do a PWC to reduce the nitrate level, measure ammonia, nitrite, nitrate immediately afterwards, then measure again in a few days. You should see zero ammonia, zero nitrite, and an increase in nitrate.

 

[jeremyblevins]

Shouldn't I keep a small amount of nitrates in my water for my plants?

 

[BigJim]

Unless you're doing constant PWCs, you'll have some level of nitrates. I try to keep my nitrate levels below 20ppm even though I have some plants that are real nitrate sponges.

 

[jeremyblevins]

okay ill due a water change in the morning how much would you suggest 50 or 25? i also have diatoms everywhere in my tank so i could use the time to scrub the glass.

 

[jeremyblevins]

and i just checked everything and i have 0 ammonia 0 nitrites and 5 ppm nitrates... so my nitrates went down. i just recently started using co2 so maybe my plants are using it rapidly?

 

[taylorodw]

It is unlikely plants could consume 5ppm in a day though... are you shaking bottle #2 for 30 seconds like in the directions? I guess you haven't done a water change yet so I am intrigued by that nitrate reading.

However if your tank stocked with the gourami is reading 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites for a week I'd say you are cycled I would then wait two weeks to add more fish.

 

[jeremyblevins]

i have yet to a water change since start the aquarium. i used safe start so i just monitored all the readings and they never got out of hand so i just let it run it's course. yes i have done the nitrate test many times i sigh every time i have too haha. the nitrates colors are kinda close but i can easly tell the 5 ppm from the 10 ppm but the 10 and 20 looks almost identical impossible for me to tell from the test tube.

 

[jeremyblevins]

yup just did the nitrate test again a very light orange no denying it and it was definitely in the 10~20 range yesterday well two days ago now haha

 

[jeremyblevins]

okay just did my water change wiped off all the diatoms on the glass that i could get too and my readings are 0 ppm ammonia 0 ppm nitrite on <5 ppm nitrate just a hint of orange.