New tank-3 weeks no ammonia or nitrates

[TessFish]

Hello,
We have a new 75 gallon tank, we set it up for 72 hours with plants, quick start, bacteria and then added 7 small tetras to help cycle. After 7 days we still had 0 amonia, nitrite or nitrates, so we added 5 small danio fish. It's now been around 3 weeks, the fish are flourishing. Growing by the day, bright colored, relaxed and eating well. In total we are at 17 small fish, all under an inch or so of tetras and danios. Our temperature is steady at 75, ph steady at about 6.8/7.0. We don't want to keep adding fish if it's not safe to do so. We are using the API freshwater testing kit and following directions closely. But still no levels of ammonia or nitrates. We checked and our filter doesn't have an ammonia block in it, just standard carbon. So really not sure why we aren't getting any levels to show cycling is happening.
Open to any explanations and advice!
Thanks in advance.

 

[Aiken Drum]

I would get a 2nd opinion on your test results. Either try a different test kit or take a sample to a fish store and ask them to do a test.

You havent mentioned water changes. Are you changing water? Maybe thats why you arent seeing anything.

 

[TessFish]

Hi!
I will try taking a sample into our local fish store, thanks for that!

No we haven't done any partial changes yet, we were waiting for some levels to show first.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Make sure they give you actual numbers. Not just everything is good.

 

[ColdKoi]

Yea there’s got to be something up with that test kit, it isn’t majorly expired is it?

Definitely take a sample in if you can!

there’s no way that there isn’t a detectable amount of ammonia (or nitrite/nitrate If the cycle has begun which is unlikely if it’s a brand new filter) in there with that kind of bioload. My fresh 75g with 7 barbs 4 Cory and a rts, all very small fish, showed ammonia by the second day and was .5 within a week.

 

[Joe_D]

Your tank is not cycled.

A fully cycled tank will have zero Ammonia and nitrites
First ammonia will spike, then nitrites will spike before both go to zero.
For both things to happen it takes more the just a few days

Finally , a cycled tank will have some Nitrates which is not a bad thing as it is not nearly as toxic to fish as Ammonia or Nitrites, Beside Pants need some Nitrates to grow.

So, you just want do water changes to keep the Nitrates down to an acceptable level