Didn't Cycled Showing 0 Ppm

[phamr08]

Hey guys im new to this forum and i have an urgent question. 
 
I have a small setup tank thats been running for 2 weeks or so now, i bought live plants , 2 snails for the non cycled tank. I have shrimp substrate that i bought and a brand new filter and an old heater.
 
I was about to fishless cycle with my ammonia but before i did so i checked my testings and all results turned about to be around 7.6 ph, and the ammonia im not quite sure of the colour its yellow and im sure its 0 ppm either 10% sure its 0.25 ppm, the nitrite is 0ppm and my nitrate seems to be either 0 or 5 ppm. 
 
I didnt cycle the fish tank at all but did the plants and snail cycle the tank for me? i am really confused!

 

[daizeUK]

The snails will probably not be producing enough ammonia yet to be readable on your test kit.  The plants may also be helping to absorb any ammonia produced, depending on how many you have and how healthy they are.
 
Your tank is not cycled and your snails may suffer if they are left in an uncycled tank.
 
You will kill the snails if you add ammonia to the tank now.

 

[Blondielovesfish]

If you're using the API ammonia test kit, people often get false readings of 0.25ppm. Unless you have 0.25ppm ammonia in your tap water then it is most likely a false reading because snails have a very low bio load.

There is possibly nitrate in your tap water which is where the nitrate has come from.

You will still need to cycle the tank.

It will be best if you can remove the snails from the tank because snails (and shrimp) really do not like ammonia and nitrite and will die if they're exposed to it for too long.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Your tank is not cycled and your snails may suffer if they are left in an uncycled tank.
 
You will kill the snails if you add ammonia to the tank now.

 
Thats what I thought too.
 
Until I cycled my second tank which went through 3 weeks of cycling with several doses of 3ppm ammonia and had nitrite spikes and high nitrates etc etc.
 
And near the end of the cycle I found there were 5 common snails on the plants and gravel moving about fairly quickly as normally as snails do, can be surprising how fast these wee snails can move!

 
Think the snails bury themselves into the gravel/substrate until the worst is over and are pretty darn hardy little things!
 
I now have a lot more respect for these little critters since then 

 
So would not really worry about the snails. Just thought I would throw that in for anyone interested.