Nitrate up and down

[Saulw987]

So I’m doing my cycle. I’ve started using stability and prime.

Yesterday my ammonia a was 0.5/1ppm so I did a 50% water change. But since I have added the prime to the water my nitrates have gone to 0 ppm. Does the prime affect my readings in anyway?

 

[Colin_T]

Hi and welcome to the forum

Don't bother testing for nitrates until the ammonia and nitrite have both gone up and come back down to 0ppm. Nitrate test kits read nitrite as nitrate and give you a false reading.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Welcome to TFF

Why the water change? You are performing a fishless cycle, correct?

Cycling Your New Fresh Water Tank: Read This First!

Cycling Your First Fresh Water Tank What is Cycling and Why is it Important? Fish waste, and especially fish breathing, plus uneaten food and other organic matter breaking down in a tank all produce Ammonia. This can quickly become toxic to fish if it is allowed to build up to any measurable...

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