Tank done cycling, 0 nitrate?

[Zer0.]

So I have a 180 gallon DT that has been cycling for about a month and a half to 2 months and a QT that has been cycling even longer. The DT just got to where nitrite are at 0. So i checked the nitrate level which is also now reading 0, which seems weird as it was sky high not too long ago. I dont think the test kit is bad (although it is API) because I just tested the QT for nitrates and it still read very high (red with just a hint of orange)

I'm thinking this could possibly be from the large amount of algea that has grown recently? I have had the lights on the last few week and have a good amount of various algae growing?

Any thoughts? Also I have never done a water change yet on this tank

 

[m0nkie]

have you at least tested the DT again??? nitrate is low due to algae growth is very possible.. 0 is kinda sketchy. but then again, it all depends on size and what is considered "large amount" of algae. when your api runs out, i suggest switching to salifert

if anything, just do a massive water change, since you haven't done one. Add a few snails and see how they do.

 

[Dmorty217]

Ammonia and nitrites are all you care about as far as a cycle for fish

 

[thegrun]

Nitrites drop very fast once the bacteria population gets established.

 

[Zer0.]

Here are a couple pics. GHA i believe as well as a film of orange green and purple. By the way is the pinkish purple spots in this photo coralline algae or cyano ?

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[Zer0.]

ughhhh.....sorry, didnt realize the photos from my cell phone were the size of my house

 

[m0nkie]

I have the purple spots too. I don't think it's coralline algae. the neon green (specially ones closer to your seeding rock), could be the beginning of coralline algae.

and I don't think that's considered a lot of hair algae.. i think there's some human/test kit error in the 0 nitrate result

 

[shesacharmer]

If that's your hair algae problem it's not enough to be affecting your Nitrates. I would wait another week and repeat all of your testing. Dropping fish into a tank that has barely (if even) finished cycling is a poor choice. If you are concerned about Cyano it is rusty rather than purple. Much more red than purple. I have experienced the green coralline appearing on my new rock before the purple takes over.

 

[Denbf58]

That doesn't look like a lot of algae. You can try a few snails as far as the coraline hit with a blast of water with a Turkey baster if it comes off it is cayno.

 

[myofibroblast]

Re: cycle. If in doubt, dose ammonia to 1-2 ppm today, check ammonia tomorrow.

 

[Zer0.]

If that's your hair algae problem it's not enough to be affecting your Nitrates. I would wait another week and repeat all of your testing. Dropping fish into a tank that has barely (if even) finished cycling is a poor choice. If you are concerned about Cyano it is rusty rather than purple. Much more red than purple. I have experienced the green coralline appearing on my new rock before the purple takes over.

Wasn't planning on putting fish in yet. was going to start out with some CUC. I dosed ammonia up to about 3ppm and with in about 36 hours it was all gone with 0 nitrites as well, nitrate was between 0 to 10. Don't think the test kit is bad as I added a few drops of QT tank water and the test quickly turned medium orange with just a couple drops. Had a few snails and hermits in there doing well a few days now. Just seems odd the nitrates are seemingly so magically low.

 

[Zer0.]

That doesn't look like a lot of algae. You can try a few snails as far as the coraline hit with a blast of water with a Turkey baster if it comes off it is cayno.

Thats a good idea. I do have strong flow in the tank. got a pair of RW-25's in the tank in Else mode. Sand wouldnt even stay down till it got some bacteria/algea over it. Still see grains moving around now. and the occasional sand twister one of the very far sides of the tank lol