another test result question

[Thebluyak]

Sorry guys I know yall get these test result questions atleast 500 times a day.
10 gallon tank
planted tank
with some tetras

this is using a AP master kit

PH- 7.2
NH3 (ammonia) 1PPm
NO4 (Nitrite) .25PPm
NO3 (Nitrate) 5.0PPM

Are these numbers normal so far? Also I havnt done a water change yet as it is just beginning the cycle, I am running flourite substrate with 1.5 WPG light.
This is a practice tank before i start my 55 gallon piranha tank

 

[jsoong]

How long has the tank been running? It is a bit unusual to see NO2 & NO3 in the face of highish NH3. It is possible that you have nitrates in the water.

It would be useful to test your plain tap water to see where you started from.

 

[Thebluyak]

its been running for two days, I will test my tap water when I get back home but that wont be till wednesday night

 

[jcarlilesiu]

I would do a water change to get that ammonia down if you have live stock in there. Other than that I would assume that you have nitrates in your tap and that is why you are seeing them in your tank

 

[malkore]

and if there's no livestock in there, and you're fishless cycling, increase the ammonia levels to 3-4ppm to kick off a stronger cycle.

 

[Thebluyak]

10-4 will do alotta water changes to kelp keep the amonnia down. wont the plants help keep the amonnia down also? Also the amonnia spikes, builds up bacteria, converts NH3 to NO4 then NO4 is converted to NO3, so at the end of my cycle I should see zero's all the way aross the board or should I always see some nitrate numbers?

 

[rich311k]

Plant will use some of the ammonia. You will have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, some nitrate when you are done.

 

[TomK2]

Since you have tetras in the tank, I second the PWC to keep the ammnia less than 1ppm, preferably even less than 0.5 ppm. Yes, plants do take up ammonia, but till they do, your tetras are being exposed.

Oh, and nitrite is NO2 ? Yep, once you have enough bacteria to handle the ammonia production of the fish, your ammonia will be zero, nitrite zero, and unless heavily planted, nitrate will have increased.