Cycling Question

[v8will]

I began fishless cycling my tank on 4th Sept, added some ammonia (and then some more 1 week later, correct amount calculated for 115 litres), API Stress coat and some API Zyme+. Only got my API master test kit today, showing 2ppm Ammonia but no Nitrate or Nitrite.

I have 4 plants in the tank but surely I should be showing some Nitrite at the very least?

The test strip kit I've been using the past 2 weeks also has shown no Nitrate/Nitrite although today is the 1st I've been able to test Ammonia levels

Had a bit of an algae bloom as well but running without light for 2 days has slowed that and I can always remove the excess by hand.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[OldMan47]

Your algae and the plants have been removing the ammonia. It is not at all unusual to have plants remove enormous amounts of ammonia. One of my tanks runs with a high plant concentration and tons of fish and I have a hard time getting any build up in that tank of any form of nitrogen. It sometimes amazes me how much nitrogen a plant can absorb.