When and how to use Nitrate tester

[limojica]

I am at the nitrite stage. I am testing daily, day before yesterday was at 1.0, changed water and yesterday it was .0. When do I know to use the nitrate tester? I won't have nitrates until I have steady .0 readings from ammonia and nitrites, correct? Thanks

Two tanks: 55 gal (14 cichlids) yes it is overstocked without being cycled. Long story.

Thanks again

 

[JohnPaul]

I am at the nitrite stage. I am testing daily, day before yesterday was at 1.0, changed water and yesterday it was .0. When do I know to use the nitrate tester? I won't have nitrates until I have steady .0 readings from ammonia and nitrites, correct? Thanks

Two tanks: 55 gal (14 cichlids) yes it is overstocked without being cycled. Long story.

Thanks again

You will start seeing nitrates as soon as *some* of your nitrates start getting converted. It's not necessarily true you have to wait for nitrite levels to be absolutely zero. If you are seeing nitrites, then I would suggest running a nitrate test every ~ 3 days or so. Sometimes this second phase of the cycle (nitrites --> nitrates) goes very very quickly, other times it can take as long to appear as the first phase (ammonia --> nitrites). It just depends on the tank. The few times I've cycled tanks from scratch, this second phase took 1-2 weeks before nitrates started to show. But it really depends, I've heard of people seeing nitrates as quickly as 3-4 days after first seeing nitrites.

You will know your cycle is completely DONE when you have zero ammonia, zero nitrites, and (some) nitrates present.

 

[Lowryder]

You will know your cycle is completely DONE when you have zero ammonia, zero nitrites, and (some) nitrates present.

To be clear; the only way to lower your nitrates is with a water change.

 

[limojica]

OK, thanks. I will test nitrates today. If the level is high according to the test kit, I will change the water.

 

[limojica]

The reading on the Nitrates was 10. Is this good? Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0 but shouldn't Nitrates be more than 10 if a good reading is below 50?

Is my tank cycled with these readings?

 

[JohnPaul]

Sounds like it's cycled. Stop doing water changes, and test again in a few days. If ammonia and nitrites are still zero, and your nitrate readings are higher than 10, then you are fully cycled.

As for what a "good" reading is for nitrates (apart from the cycling issue, just in general), if you have live plants then usually people aim for 20-30 ppm nitrates; if you have all fake plants, then ideally you want the nitrates even lower than that.

 

[limojica]

Thanks JohnPaul. I only have artifical plants. Good deal. Hooray! No more daily water changes. I will get a schedule of PWC once a week.