Some Feedback On My Tank's Cycling

[PsychoATCO]

Hi everybody,
 
I got a 260l (68 USG/57iG) tank and set it all up with sand, plants, wood, and obviously water. Its steady at 26C (78F), and has 16 bubbles per minute CO2 going through an atomiser. Lots of T5 lighting (2 x 54W 1047mm [41"] T5 bulbs). Good filteration and water movement through the tank...
 
Living in Germany I have had serious hassles obtaining an Ammonia solution without surfactants. However hopefully tomorrow or Wed will see some "pure" solution being delivered.
 
The PH is constant at 7.1 KH is 4. GH is 11. PO4 is 0. 
 
It has been running for around a week now. The first reading I did 3 days ago was:
 
NH4: 0,15 ppm
NO2: <0.01 ppm
NO3: between 0.5 and 1.0 ppm.
 
I did readings today again:
 
NH4: 0.2
NO2: 0.025 to 0.050 ppm
NO3: 0.00
 
Are these values going in the right direction? The only living things in the tank are 3 snails LOL. (They are Assassings that unintentionally arrived with the plants, and I feed them a small piece of tilapia flesh which I remove the next morning before it starts to rot)... No fish as yet until the cycle is done.
 
I don't particularly want to kill the snails with the addition of ammonia though... 
 
Any thoughts feedback?
 
Thanks
Bryan

 

[eaglesaquarium]

How many plants?  With an introduction of CO2, the plants will use up nitrogen at a higher rate, so you might be able to do a 'silent' cycle - using the plants to deal with the ammonia produced by the fish.  You'd need a lot of stem plants primarily, but its been done.  The key is to keep the stock of fish very small and add slowly.

 

[PsychoATCO]

How many plants?  With an introduction of CO2, the plants will use up nitrogen at a higher rate, so you might be able to do a 'silent' cycle - using the plants to deal with the ammonia produced by the fish.  You'd need a lot of stem plants primarily, but its been done.  The key is to keep the stock of fish very small and add slowly.

Quite a few - 4 big stem ones (Crinum Natans, Myriophyllum matogrossense, Rotala wallichii and a Limnophila aquatica). Then heaps of small ones (Java moss all over the shrimp hut, lots of Ammania sp. 'Bonsai', lots of Alternanthera reineckii 'Mini', and plenty Utricularia graminifolia... And also a baby Pogostemon erectus...