Test readings

[panboy]

what are normal water readings of a cycled tank?

i have a 10g that i think is alrady established but the readings are...

very little ammonia, not zero, but hardly above it
0 nitrite
2.5 nitrate

is nitrate to low?
i know ammonia and nitrite should be 0, but wht about nitrate?

im kinda confused, is nitrate the good bacteria or what is it?

 

[Phantom Thief]

Nitrate is not the good bacteria. It is the produce of the good bacteria. Nitrate is generally not poisonous except in extremely high concentrations. To keep nitrates down, use live plants. You seem to have no problems with it.

the readings of a cycled tank should be:

ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate at least more than what is already in your tap water.

P.T.

 

[mrnewbie]

nitrate ideally 20 anything higher starts to affect you fish

 

[caz27]

I always thought anything 40 and under was fine

 

[Eelzor]

i was going to say what caz just said. under 40ppm nitrates should be fine.

 

[njparton]

nitrate ideally 20 anything higher starts to affect you fish

That's not true at all.

Practical Fishkeeping magazine recommend water changes at 70 mg/l.

Ammonia and nitrites should be zero all the time.

 

[caz27]

I read that on one of cfc's post........nice to know

I use to panic if they were on 40

 

[njparton]

I read that on one of cfc's post........nice to know

I use to panic if they were on 40

If you have live plants, 40-70 mg/l nitrate is a good thing.

 

[panboy]

so how do u really know if u have a cycled tank or not, saying u go to a friends house and they dont know if its cycled or not, because they know nothign abotu fish.