Low nitrAtes at end of fishless cycle?

[ice9]

Doing a fishless cycle in a 5.5g tank, just a few plants:
2 Java Ferns (1 tall, 1 short)
1 small Anubias
1 tall Sag
1 dwarf Sag
2 stems of sad looking water wisteria

and a 15w T8 full spectrum bulb in the hood (on timer, 10 hour on/ 14 off)

After about 30 days :
- Cleared initial 2ppm ammonia @ day 14, started redosing to 2ppm daily
- Nitrite spike and nitrAtes detected @ day 23, check

no added water, other than topping off a little evaporation

Final day of cycle (2ppm ammonia dose yesterday morning)
readings this morning:
0ppm ammonia
0ppm nitrite
5-10ppm nitrate
ph 7.6

During cycling, the nitrates had definitely been over 40-80ppm... are those plants in a 5.5g enough to pull the nitrAtes down that far? I don't mind, since it'll mean fewer water changes

 

[Delapool]

Might be if really well planted. I dose nitrates for my tank to stop it going below 10ppm.

Roughly 1ppm of ammonia will go to 2.7ppm nitrite onto 3.6ppm nitrate I have.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[plantnoob]

Just make sure you're following the instructions for Nitrate measurement exactly as in the API instruction sheet. That said, yes the nitrates can come down in a well planted tank. You've got a reasonable number of plants for a 10 gal tank.