Complete cycle?

[Galvin88]

Good evening all.
I'm not sure if my cycle is complete? I'm doing a fish in cycle that started on Christmas eve.
3 days ago I tested my water and the results where,
Ammonia 0.50
Nitrite 0.50
Nitrate 5.0
I did a 70% water change.
Tested 24 hours later and tested again just now and got the same result both days, the results I got are what's in the picture below.
I'm just not sure if the cycle is complete as iv got the same results for the last 2 days.

 

[mcordelia]

Do you have plants in your tank? Just want to make sure since I would be expecting to see more nitrates if your cycle was complete, but if you have fast growing plants they could be taking up nitrate, decreasing the total amount you are reading.

 

[Galvin88]

Do you have plants in your tank? Just want to make sure since I would be expecting to see more nitrates if your cycle was complete, but if you have fast growing plants they could be taking up nitrate, decreasing the total amount you are reading.

Yes I have plants but not sure what they are so I have added pictures

 

[mcordelia]

Beautiful tank! Based on the information, I would say that you're at least nearing completion in general, once you have three days of 0ammonia and 0nitrites, you can consider yourself to be pretty much done

 

[Galvin88]

Beautiful tank! Based on the information, I would say that you're at least nearing completion in general, once you have three days of 0ammonia and 0nitrites, you can consider yourself to be pretty much done

Thank you and thanks for your quick reply, once it is complete how long before I can start slowly adding more fish

 

[mcordelia]

I would give it at least two weeks to make sure everything is stable and that you're not getting pH creep and your nitrates stay manageable. What else are you planning on adding? How big is the tank again?

 

[Slaphppy7]

A cycle is complete when there is 0 ammonia, 0 nitrItes, and some nitrAtes.
Be advised, for the API nitrAte test, you have to shake the 2nd bottle of reagent like crazy before adding to the test tube, especially if it is new or has been sitting undisturbed for a while...

 

[Galvin88]

A cycle is complete when there is 0 ammonia, 0 nitrItes, and some nitrAtes.
Be advised, for the API nitrAte test, you have to shake the 2nd bottle of reagent like crazy before adding to the test tube, especially if it is new or has been sitting undisturbed for a while...

I shake the bottle hard for 30 seconds then shake the test tube for 1 minute like the instructions say

 

[mcordelia]

There are situations where if the stocking is low (as with a fish-in cycle) and there are plants in the tank that nitrates are not always necessarily measurable. As your stock increases, your nitrates will likely rise higher between water changes

 

[Galvin88]

I would give it at least two weeks to make sure everything is stable and that you're not getting pH creep and your nitrates stay manageable. What else are you planning on adding? How big is the tank again?

62 gallons and I want to add a red tailed black shark then I'm not yet sure what to add after that

 

[Slaphppy7]

What fish are you cycling with?

 

[Galvin88]

What fish are you cycling with?

Cycling with 12 tiger Babrs

 

[Slaphppy7]

Cycling with 12 tiger Babrs

Sorry, should have seen that in the pic...for a tank that size, they may may be producing enough ammonia for your nitrAtes to be any higher than they are, which is no problem

 

[Essjay]

With live plants it is possible to have a well stocked tank and almost no nitrates. My tank has virtually no nitrate.

My main tank has been running since early 2014, and I used the substrate, decor and filter from a smaller tank when I upgraded. This tank has never had any ammonia or nitrite. It currently has some slow growing plants attached to decor, the surface is covered with frogbit and I've added some crypts in the last months so they are still small.
The tank is fully stocked with fish (and shrimps and nerites)
My tap water has a nitrate level between 0 and 5 as measured by an API tester - it's a bit yellower than the 5 ppm colour. My water company's water quality report confirms a nitrate level of 4 ppm.

My tank has nitrate so low it looks like zero. It's more yellow than my tap water. I tested them side by side to compare them.


But I agree with @Slaphppy7 - in a large tank with only a few fish, any nitrate made from the ammonia made by the fish will be very dilute.