First Time Aquarium Owner

[op6sonic]

I have a planted aquarium its 20 gallons currently finished its first week and currently have Java Ferns, Amazon Swords and Dwarf Sagittarius residing in it. I am using Quick Start on water changes, along with Liquid Fert and Carbon. The plants took the shock just as I had expected the Dwarf Sag is doing poorly but I have noticed it starting to sprout anew next to it and the Amazon Sword is starting to produce fresh submerged leaves. My overall question is I just did a water change about 2 hours ago and I am reading
Nitrate 40ppm
Nitrite .5ppm
Ammonia 0ppm
PH slightly below 7.5
Am I doing something incorrectly overall or is this just what generally happens during cycling.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Are you doing a fish in or fishless cycle?

 

[op6sonic]

Fishless only plants. I dont plan on adding fish until the plants are extremely established

 

[Aiken Drum]

How long have you been going? How much ammonia are you dosing?

 

[op6sonic]

I am dosing zero ammonia, and it just completed its first 7 days. I am using Water Conditioner, Co-op Easy Green Fert, and co-op Carbon, and plant tabbed the Dwarf Sag and Sword.

 

[Aiken Drum]

You need to be dosing ammonia for a fishless cycle. Without it there is nothing to feed the beneficial bacteria you need to establish your cycle. There must be some in there, because you are seeing nitrite and nitrate. Most likely coming from your tapwater or substrate.

This is a guide to fishless cycle.

https://www.aquariumadvice.com/tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/

 

[op6sonic]

Okay Thank you I will look into it today, just a side note are those numbers anything to be alarmed about?

 

[Aiken Drum]

Or you could consider a fish in cycle. Do you understand the difference?

 

[Aiken Drum]

Okay Thank you I will look into it today, just a side note are those numbers anything to be alarmed about?

You arent doing a cycling process yet, so the numbers dont really mean anything. How do they compare to the parameters from the tap?

 

[op6sonic]

Ya I understand the poop and food from the fish helps create ammonia with gets converted with good bacteria. I have not tested my tap yet, so I will do that then I will configure exactly how I got ammonia to begin with then properly add it based on my tank size conversion, so I put the correct amount in. Thanks for the help I appreciate it. I thought that maybe the ammonia was getting created from the dying parts of the plants that I hadnt pruned yet. I appreciate taking time out of your day to help me.

 

[Aiken Drum]

As i said, the water parameters dont really mean very much without the context of how you are cycling. If you was doing a cycle process either fish in or fishless i would say you where doing very well and close to the end. Given you are doing neither, its hard to tell. Ammonia must be going in somewhere because you are seeing nitrate as end product, could be from the tap water, some substrates give off ammonia and as you say possibly some decomposing plant matter. We have no idea how much ammonia though, could be a lot, in which case doing great. Could be a little, in which case your cycle hasnt really started.

Would be really useful to get a tap water baseline. If your tap water is at those levels you see in your tank then thats a lot of nitrate. If your tapwater is showing low values of everything then your tank is producing a lot of nitrate with no fish. I would check you are doing the nitrate test properly.

Given you have a planted tank, a fish in cycle might be worth considering. Gets some fish in the tank quicker, and its safe if done properly.

 

[op6sonic]

I understand My previous two tests had ammonia at .25 ppm, so I will just have to try figuring out where its coming from.

 

[op6sonic]

Side note I just tested my tap water and it registered 0 ppm ammonia and pretty close to 0ppm nitrate.

 

[op6sonic]

Don't know if this helps but this is the progression of my tank the last 3 tests
Nitrate Nitrite Ammonia PH Date
0ppm 0ppm .25ppm 7.5 3/16
30ppm .25ppm .25ppm 7.5 3/19
40ppm .5ppm 0ppm 7.4 3/22

 

[Aiken Drum]

I would do a big water change, or a couple back to back, get the nitrate down low. Wait 24 hours, retest and see how much it goes up in 24 hours.

 

[op6sonic]

Okay I will do that thanks again.

 

[Aiken Drum]

If you are having issues with high nitrates and you dont even have fish yet, you might want to consider some floating plants. They are great at taking up nitrates.

 

[op6sonic]

Ya I also just pruned the decaying parts off the plants because I read they can cause high levels of Nitrates as well. I will definitely look into possibly getting some floating plants though since its just going to be a community tank anyway and tetras like those conditions anyway.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Yeah, it could be decaying plant matter from melt. If thats the case i would say your cycle is well on the way.

 

[op6sonic]

Wonderful I will put an update in a week just as a courtesy to know the progress!