Cycle not completed ??? Nirate is always 0

[laupao]

It's been 2 weeks since I have my fishes in a 55 gallon. It came with 2 seeded sponges. I change about 50% water everyday or once every 2 days. Since I use prime I'm not able to gauge on the ammonia level, but the nitrite is always 0. However the nitrate is always 0too. I've never got a reading over 0 for nitrate.

Is it because I don't give it a chance for the nitrate to go over 0 because I change the water too often?

or

Is it because my nitrogen cycle is not completed? But it's been 2 weeks already with 2 seeded sponges


Pls help

[Chunks]

Even with a cycled tank you will get NirAtes eventually. The bacteria converts NitrItes into NitRates and only a wc will get rid of the NitrAte build up. As to why you haven't seen a measurable level yet could be due to the water changes you doing, that will keep it low anyway. Check your kit as well and the instructions on how to check NirAtes, with my API kit it's the more tricky test to do properly out of the three. If you don't use it right it won't show a proper reading.

[Chunks]

Excuse the typos, iPhone seems to think it knows how to spell better than I do, that's my story anyway!

Edit: I fixed them, I get pedantic about that sort of thing.

[CrazyAngels]

If it's a bare bottom tank and you are changing water/vacuuming the bottom that often, you will get very low numbers. Worst case on my BB tanks is like 2 PPM, unlike my planted tanks with substrate which tend to run around 10 PPM. If you have seeded sponges trust them, and don't forget to clean them every so often so they don't go bad on you. Since you have 2 of them try and stagger them a week apart.

[laupao]

Yes, it's a BB tank with no plants. I use the API test kit. For the nitrate test, i fill the water to the line.. add 10 drops of bottle #1 then 10 drops for bottle #2. Shake crazy for 1 min and the results are always 0 (yellow color). I haven't squeeze/clean the seeded sponges since i got them.

[judy]

a cycle usually takes six weeks to complete. with zseeded sponges it should be shorted-- but you could easily still be in the cycle period. keep checking your ammonia and nitrite levels daily.

[walt3]

you need to shake 2 bottle hard for at least 30 sec.before use... you didnt say you did that part. just checking. important so it says on test instructions! walt.

[laupao]

walt3 - what do you mean shake 2 bottle hard? 1 bottle, 10 drops of bottle #1 and 10 drops of bottle #2.

[CrazyAngels]

Shake bottle # 2 for 30 seconds before you add the 10 drops into your water sample. Then you must shake the sample for a minute before you let it sit approx 5 minutes to get your reading. HTH

[D9VIN]

Yep. Shake that second bottle like a dollar. Also, I think prime converts nitrates, but I may be mistaken.

[lipadj46]

yes re-read the directions, you will not get nitrate readings if you don't bang the heck out of bottle #2 on a hard surface

[aalbina]

Yep. Shake that second bottle like a dollar. Also, I think prime converts nitrates, but I may be mistaken.

I'm pretty sure Prime does not convert nitrates to anything. Nitrates are the final by product of the Nitrogen Cycle. Prime is a water conditioner and binds ammonia into a non-toxic form. The API test kit will give you false readings on ammonia if you use Prime or Safe. You can check both toxic and non-toxic ammonia forms when using Prime - you just have to have the right test kit. I use the indicator disk from SeaChem so I have a constant visual on ammonia levels: http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/AmmoniaAlert.html You can also use a test kit that will accurately read both types: http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/MT_Ammonia.html

Adam