Is my tank cycled? Please give me your input..

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Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Aug 18, 2009
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Nunya
Hi I am a pretty experienced fishkeeper. I have set up and cycled plenty of tanks successfully in my days. However, I recently took a different approach. I used Tetra Safestart. I have tried this stuff before but it never worked. So I did more research and it turns out the directions for using this stuff are pretty precise (the bottle doesn't say much). So I followed them exactly while cycling my new 20 gallon community tank. I have 8 fish (6 cories, a betta and a xingu pleco) and 4 snails in the tank (which I set up 5 days ago) but It still is not showing any ammonia whatsoever. Nitrites and nitrates are 0 as well. Im pretty sure levels should be measurable by now if the TSS didnt work.. Do you guys think it actually worked this time? Why dont I have any nitrates?
 
What sort of test kit are you using? Is the tank planted? Did you use mature media?
 
strollo22 said:
If you have no nitrates, it didn't work. The only one I've found that actually works in seachem's stability

Why are his ammonia and nitrites zero also then? After that many days one or both should be showing up.....In any case I've used safe start multiple times with great success...maybe I'm just lucky
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I've also used safe start multiple times and its worked every time.
 
I don't know the specifics of safe start, but I have read that some of the "bacteria in a bottle" or "immediate cycle" products out there can mess with ammonia tests.
 
Regardless of whether he's showing ammonia or not, there are still no nitrates showing and that means it's not cycled or the test strip/kit is bad.
 
I am using the API drops test kit. No the tank isnt planted and no this is all brand new media. I have one nice size piece of real driftwood in there. Could that possibly be removing nitrates or something?
 
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