Seeded cycle question

[Engel]

I have been cycling a 30g that I seeded with filter media from another tank. For quite a while I had 4+ppm ammonia, and 5 nitrite with no nitrates. Today I tested, and have 4ppm ammonia, 5ppm nitrite, and at least 80ppm nitrate. Should I leave it be until the ammonia and nitrite are 0, or can I consider it cycled, and do a pwc to bring toxic levels down?
Thanks in advance for the input.

 

[mfdrookie516]

Did you test multiple times for nitrate? 80ppm nitrates seems a little extreme.

 

[Engel]

Oh. Today is the first test. Rather the first test showing nitrates... Let me try again. Maybe I didn't shake enough. lol

 

[Engel]

Ok now I am getting readings around 40 Nitrate. Questions still stands though. Am I cycled? Can I do a pwc to reduce the ammonia and nitites, or am I supposed to let them drop to zero on their own?

 

[AaronH]

let the nitrite and amonia drop on there own and then once that has happened do pwc to get the nitrate to 20ppm then u can add fish i htink thats right am am currently cycleing my tank aswell and my amonia and nitrite have just dropted so fish shop for me ina few days it shouldnt be to much longer mine has taken around 16 days to fully cycle lol

 

[Engel]

16 days is really fast! This 30g took about that to get where it is with some bio material from a cycled tank! The tank I cycled without seed took around two months. Let's not even get on how long my newbie "I added fish first!" mistake took. The tap water you begin with must have a lot to do with it, because cycling time frames are all over the place even in seemingly similar setups.

 

[AaronH]

i am in uk so yea maby its the water and i used a substrate and filter from old tank setup and amonia dosed today is the 16th day and will be getting fish tommorow on my home. only some neon tetras to start with nothing major lol

 

[Engel]

Planning how to stock your tank, and bringing home a little at a time is so much fun!

 

[AaronH]

lol yea tel me bout it have been visiting various shops and reaserching fish for weeks just to get things spot on lol all good fun thoe