Shop says no - nitrates too high

[Paige2906]

Cycled the tank for over the week used API testing strips every day. Everything looks grand. Water is super clear from having a cloudy few days a few days ago.

Take some test water to a fish shop. And they say my nitrates are quite high and not to put fish in? My test strips say very different.

I'm so confused and don't now know what to do. Testing strips say one thing shop says the other.

 

[kwi]

What do your test strips tell you for nitrates? We need numbers.
Did you do a big water change since cycling your tank? Which is what the shop should of advised you to do.
It's also worth investing in an API master test kit, it seems expensive but on a cost per test basis it far outstrips those strips (Pun not intended.), and they are more accurate too.

What method did you use to cycle your tank?

 

[Paige2906]

What do your test strips tell you for nitrates? We need numbers.
Did you do a big water change since cycling your tank? Which is what the shop should of advised you to do.
It's also worth investing in an API master test kit, it seems expensive but on a cost per test basis it far outstrips those strips (Pun not intended.), and they are more accurate too.

What method did you use to cycle your tank?

He didn't suggest a water change no, its been set up for 10 days. I don't know what the numbers are on the strips but colour wise it looked perfect.

It's just made me very nervous to get anything. I was very content with how the tank is and was confident in putting fish in. Now I'm super anxious.

 

[kwi]

Have you plants in the tank?

 

[Paige2906]

Have you plants in the tank?

Yes it's a well equipped tank.

 

[kwi]

Whatr about your other parameters?
Ammonia, Nitrite

 

[LostBear]

He didn't suggest a water change no, its been set up for 10 days. I don't know what the numbers are on the strips but colour wise it looked perfect.

It's just made me very nervous to get anything. I was very content with how the tank is and was confident in putting fish in. Now I'm super anxious.

10 days isn't very long TBH -we cycled ours for month. Test strips aren't very accurate - you'd be better with something like the API kit - expensive, but lasts for yonks.

And be thankful that the fish seller (I was really tempted to say fish monger, there ) is ethical and has refused to sell you fish that could be dead in a couple of days, or survive but suffer horribly until the tank is properly cycled. Whoever he is, he's worth making friend of because he cares about his stock more than his profits.

 

[Paige2906]

Whatr about your other parameters?
Ammonia, Nitrite

Everything else is spot on. The guy in the shop said that too.

 

[LostBear]

Your tank is certainly visually very attractive - you've done a lovely job. Try to be patient. You'll get there. Do you know anyone with an established tank who can give you some soiled filter material? It will kick start the cycle.

 

[Paige2906]

Your tank is certainly visually very attractive - you've done a lovely job. Try to be patient. You'll get there. Do you know anyone with an established tank who can give you some soiled filter material? It will kick start the cycle.

Thank you. We are certainly very happy with it.

Just very frustrating as we planned to get the fish today because we are both off and I've been testing kpi strips everyday and it looked great. The nitrates were the one thing I was very confident in.

 

[kwi]

Nitrates are the reason we do water changes, what about your source water, did you test that for nitrates too?
A cycled tank will deal with the ammonia and nitrites for you.

 

[CassCats]

Can you take a photo of your test strips for people to read?

And how did you cycle your tank?

Your tap water could naturally have nitrates in it as well so test your water straight from the tap too

 

[Essjay]

What number does your test strip read for nitrate and what did the shop say it was? And as kwi says, what is the nitrate reading of your tap water?

Are you adding any plant fertiliser which contains nitrate?



What are the plants you have? If they are fast growing, you don't need to do a fishless cycle just wait till the plants are actively growing. Floating plants are particularly good at taking up the ammonia made by fish, and most of the fish we buy come from water with overhanging vegetation to the fish appreciate cover over their heads.

 

[Paige2906]

Can you take a photo of your test strips for people to read?

And how did you cycle your tank?

Your tap water could naturally have nitrates in it as well so test your water straight from the tap too

Ive attached the api strip I have done now I'm back home.
From the pdf online for the api testing strip I read that the top line which is nitrates should be 40 (where I put the black dot)
For the second one the nitrates it should be 0.

Am I missing something? The test strip looks pretty good to me.

 

[CassCats]

Thats read as total zero, so definitely not cycled yet.

Are you adding an ammonia source to cycle this tank?