cycling a new planted tank

[jesso435]

I've had my tank (21Gallon, long) set up for about 2 1/2 weeks. I only added plants and tried to seed it with a filter and a few plants from a cycled tank (which I've since removed). I was quickly getting ammonia readings of about .25ppm and nitrite at 2ppm.

After a large water change this past Tuesday, my nitrite and ammonia have both gone down to zero. My nitrate is at 5ppm, but I don't know what that means since I'm adding Thrive fertilizer for my plants. Is it too soon for this tank to have cycled? I'm not sure what to make of the "safe" nitrite/ammonia levels so soon. I'm so new to this, so please excuse the silly questions.

Today I added 4 ghost shrimp to nibble at some of the algae, but I don't plan on adding any additional livestock for a few weeks at least.

I guess my question is how do I know when it is truly safe to begin adding more fish?

 

[Aiken Drum]

Have you been adding an ammonia source to feed the bacteria responsible for your cycle? Without ammonia your cycle cant establish. When you are dosing 2ppm ammonia and 24 hours later you are seeing 0ppm ammonia and nitrite you are cycled.

 

[Aiken Drum]

To add to this, now you have added shrimp, dosing ammonia to the levels you need to cycle the tank will kill the shrimp, so you need to now do a fish in cycle.

Get a couple of small fish and do a fish in cycle. Do you know how to do a fish in cycle?

 

[jesso435]

I do know how to do a fish in cycle. I guess I was hoping that the melting of aquarium plants was adding a sufficient source of ammonia, but now I wonder since ammonia/nitrite are both at zero again. Guess I’ll pick up a couple of hardy fish to add. Thanks.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Your plants decaying will add some ammonia, some might come out of new substrate, but not enough to cycle a tank and not over a long enough period. If you previously saw some ammonia and its now gone you possibly have some cycle, or maybe it was taken up by the plants. Either way, your tank is taking up some ammonia which makes adding some fish a little safer.