Water conditions

[wintersjustin]

Hey guys ok so having a little trouble I added plants to my tank which look awesome but I tested the water and this is what I got this was after a 25 percent water change 12 hours later ok so it reads nitrate 20 nitrite5.0 gh 300 Kh 0 and ph 6.8 I'm kinda lost as what to do I don't even know if it has cycled all the way it's has been about two weeks I have done two water changes one because I had a bacterial bloom and this second one was because I had super high nitrites soo please any help will be appreciated I have a 3 gallon tetra cube

 

[Delapool]

Hi, are those results with a solution/vial test or the cardboard strips? The strips can give false results. Also do you have ammonia reading and is this a fish-in or fishless cycle?

 

[wintersjustin]

They are the strips no ammonia on the strip and yes it's a fishless cycle

 

[Delapool]

Hey guys ok so having a little trouble I added plants to my tank which look awesome but I tested the water and this is what I got this was after a 25 percent water change 12 hours later ok so it reads nitrate 20 nitrite5.0 gh 300 Kh 0 and ph 6.8 I'm kinda lost as what to do I don't even know if it has cycled all the way it's has been about two weeks I have done two water changes one because I had a bacterial bloom and this second one was because I had super high nitrites soo please any help will be appreciated I have a 3 gallon tetra cube View attachment 293287

I never trust the strip tests as I get odd results. API freshwater master test kit is better.

One would be to test your tap water and see what results are for a baseline. That will tell you how far your tank water chemistry has shifted.

No kh and low ph suggests a water change as the bacteria (or at least these ones) need some kh reading.

Nitrates and nitrites reading suggests mid-point of cycling. So maybe a month all up. Not bad, some tanks take 2 months. But check tap water - sometimes it can have nitrates.

When nitrites and nitrates are off the test kit range, do a water change.

How much ammonia are you dosing to each day? Also I assume there is a filter somewhere on these tanks?