Question about my Nitrate test

[jacksonsmom25]

Hi!
Hoping someone can explain this to me.
I have 2 nitrate tests. One low range and the other is high range.
When I tested with the low range test the results were 1.0 mg/l.
When I tested the the high range test the results were barely 10mg/l.
Is it saying that I have nitrates...but there not very high? Is one test working and the other not?
What is the difference? what should my nitrates be for a healthy fowlr tank? Does this mean that my tank is definatly cycled? My ammo was way high yesterday, but today its zero...Im hoping thats a good sign..
thanks
megan

 

[jacksonsmom25]

bump

 

[Mish]

I'm not positive on this but, it seems weird that the ammonia would drop so suddenly? Did you do a water change? Are you cycling with live rock? How long has your tank been in the cycling process?

 

[jacksonsmom25]

I didn't think it was weird for the ammo to drop..thats what its suppose to do when cycling...at least that was what I thought.
my tank is a 29g with 30lb of cured LR. Did a fishless cycle with pure ammo for first 2 weeks, ammo went up, saw nitrite,,,did a small w/c and nitrite dissappeared. week went by...test read zero for everything..alk was 3.5.
got 3 damsels to test the water...after 3 days of the damsels being in the tank...saw ammo come and go...then started to see small amount of nitrate..sounds pretty typical cycle to me...I just don't understand the and low nitrate and high nitrate test..
no waterchanges since ive had the fish

 

[examiner]

First off, you have to realize these hobbist grade test kits aren't very precise....so.....safe to say you have "some" nitrates. Not alot, but "some". That's really about the best you can hope to tell yourself with these testing kits.

If 10 is the lowest reading obtainable on the "high range" kit, you are probably somewhere under 10 but over 1. How's that for an answer??? Not helpful I know, but probably realistic. If your nitrates are truly under 10, the low range test is probably more accurate. At least in theory it should be.

A FOWLR tank can be very successful w/ nitrate levels between 50 and 100 mg/l, and even higher in many cases. You just don't have to be that anal about nitrate control in a fish only tank. Less is obviously better though.

Seems like you are hitting the end of the cycle, but nitrates will probably continue to climb a bit higher.

 

[jacksonsmom25]

Ok, that pretty much...what I was looking for..I also didn't mention..my tank is barebottom.
At least its reading some nitrate....last week I was getting none...so thats something..
thanks

 

[dan12]

i was wondering why i have a high nitrite this is insane its like above the violet color and way out of porportion can anyone explain why

 

[bertoni]

You should probably post a thread of your own, but if other parameters are non-zero (like ammonia), you might be seeing some interference with the nitrite (or did you mean nitrate) test kit.