# High Nitrate in Cycling Tank



## Ashton (28 Jan 2011)

I'm in the process of doing a fishless cycle which is taking rather a long time, but today my readings are: Ammonia 0 (1st day its been 0) Nitrite 3.3 (it's been this for about a week now) and Nitrate >110 (my chart only goes up to this but it looks like its gone off the chart)

I've received some new plants today for the community tank and I intend to put some of the older ones in the new tank and was wondering if it would be OK to put them in with these readings? One of the plants is a rather lovely Cryptocorene on lava rock, the other 2 Anubias nanas on wood and I don't want to spoil them. Do you think they'll suffer if I put them in with such high reading


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## ceg4048 (29 Jan 2011)

Three things:
1. Fishless cycling is completely irrelevant and pointless in a planted tank.
2. Nitrate test kits are a fantasy and are also irrelevant. The actual value is as likely to be 10.5 as 105.
3. Plants can hardly ever have enough nitrate so there is never a need to be cautious about the level of nitrate in the tank from a plant's point of view.

Cheers,


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## Ashton (31 Jan 2011)

Thanks for reply, but when you say 





			
				ceg4048 said:
			
		

> 1. Fishless cycling is completely irrelevant and pointless in a planted tank.



My tank is only a 25 litre bowl, with filter and heater in the lid, the actual surface is very small, only big enough for a few plants on lava rock and bogwood, nothing is actually planted in the substrate - would you include this as a planted tank even though I couldn't fit anything else in  :?


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## ceg4048 (31 Jan 2011)

Hi Ashton,
             Yes, if you put a few plants in the bowl then it counts as a planted tank and the plants will accelerate the cycling. Of course it's always better if a plant is rooted in the sediment because they will then transfer oxygen to the roots and into the sediment, thereby feeding the bacteria with oxygen and carbohydrates. That's why the best way to cycle a tank is to simply put plants in and to do all the things that are good for plants, even if you will remove them later. The high ammonia levels in fishless cycling actually kill the bacteria that you are trying to propagate.

Cheers,


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## Ashton (1 Feb 2011)

OK, thanks for that info  I'll remember that next time I set a tank up


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## jack-rythm (16 Oct 2012)

I know this is an old thread but my god is very close to what im trying to do.. I have 1 week olds nano tanks with riccia and pogostemon helferi  and eleocharis parvula and no filtration... now my questions is (hopefully you wont mind the age of this thread) how long would you wait for the cycle to be appropriate to start adding fish or shrimp. What ammonia and nitrite levels do I need to achieve before adding fauna. I have been advised 4 weeks as a safe bet. but reading this post interests me so would like a second opinion.. Could I hypothetically throw in some fast growing plants to speed the process up and take them after the cycle is finished? Apologies if Im not quite getting it


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## somethingfishy (16 Oct 2012)

Im sure i have read on here from ceg i think that 8 weeks is needed for all the bacteria and stuff i don't understand to fully establish.
Better for you fish to thrive rather than survive haha been watching to much yank tv!!

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2


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## jack-rythm (16 Oct 2012)

Ha cheers bud.. lol


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