Water chemistry advice please

[Lyghthouse]

I setup my 15UK Gallon tank two weeks ago. It is heavily planted and I am
cycling it with 5 leopard danios.

During week 1 I changed 25 % of the water 3 times and added some plant
fertilizer on the second change.

During week 2 I have not changed the water but have done all the water
tests.

I have no ammonia, 0- 0.1mg/l nitrite and 12.5mg/l nitrate. Due to these
results I have not changed the water but just added the correct dose of
fertilizer for the plants.

Can I take it that my tank is cycled or are the plants interfering with the
cycling process

Thanks in advance

Lyghthouse

[sophiefishstuff]

In message >, Lyghthouse
> writes
>I setup my 15UK Gallon tank two weeks ago. It is heavily planted and I am
>cycling it with 5 leopard danios.
>
>During week 1 I changed 25 % of the water 3 times and added some plant
>fertilizer on the second change.
>
>During week 2 I have not changed the water but have done all the water
>tests.
>
>I have no ammonia, 0- 0.1mg/l nitrite and 12.5mg/l nitrate. Due to these
>results I have not changed the water but just added the correct dose of
>fertilizer for the plants.
>
>Can I take it that my tank is cycled

if you're showing nitrite then the cycle isn't finished. That nitrate
reading could well come from the nitrogen cycle, but I'm not sure what's
in your ferts...
--
sophie

www.freewebs.com/fishstuff
(under construction. ish.)

[Elaine T]

Lyghthouse wrote:
> I setup my 15UK Gallon tank two weeks ago. It is heavily planted and I am
> cycling it with 5 leopard danios.
>
> During week 1 I changed 25 % of the water 3 times and added some plant
> fertilizer on the second change.
>
> During week 2 I have not changed the water but have done all the water
> tests.
>
> I have no ammonia, 0- 0.1mg/l nitrite and 12.5mg/l nitrate. Due to these
> results I have not changed the water but just added the correct dose of
> fertilizer for the plants.
>
> Can I take it that my tank is cycled or are the plants interfering with the
> cycling process
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> Lyghthouse
>
>
Not so much interfering, as providing a filter. You don't always get
measurable ammonia or even nitrite in heavily planted tanks. Two things
happen. First, the plants directly absorb ammonia. Second, plants
often have nitrifying bacteria living on their leaves so your tank gets
seeded with many more bacteria than an unplanted tank.

I routinely see what you are seeing when I start my "jungle" tanks, but
without as much nitrate. I take it your fertilizer or tapwater contains
nitrate?

In my tanks, it usually takes about a month for the filter's biomedia to
start turning brownish with a good growth of bacteria whether or not I
see measurable ammonia or nitrite. This sounds weird, but a cycled
filter also has a sort of gentle fresh, pondy smell. When the biomedia
looks and smells right, I add a few more fish.

--
Elaine T __
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