High nitrates during cycling

[Trever]

I'm on Day 11 of a fishless cycle using Dr. Tim's.

I've watched my nitrates go up over the days here, and now it's up between 50 and 100, probably right around 75 but could be higher (using Salifert test kits).

Technically the tank still isn't cycled, but it's close. Later today or tomorrow I plan to does ammonia again (waiting for nitrites to get .2 or below, per the Dr. Tim's recipe). I may also have to keep the tank going with a little ammonia dosing for 1/2 - 1 week, because next weekend we go out of town for 4 days so I've pretty much decided not to add fish before we get back. I'm starting with just two baby clowns, it's a 33 gallon DT. But I suspect the tank will not finishing cycling until around the time we come back, so timing will work out.

But the nitrates... is this level of nitrates normal during new tank cycling? I've also tested for phosphates several days again, was .2, which I consider fine.

But wondering about the nitrates... they say water changes won't do much for those, though I've seen that asserted in the context of a fish laden tank, no in the context of a new tank with no livestock.

I have pukani (a lot of it) and used Caribsea live reef sand.

I haven't been trying to keep ammonia at 2 or anything stupid like that. Following the recipe and even got support from Dr. Tim's to make sure I'm likely where I think I am in cycling, which it seems clear my tank is close but not done cycling. Probably cycled enough for two baby clowns, however. So one option is to stop putting in ammonia (or reduce the doses) and instead put in fish. I'd rather not do that though.

Just "worried" about the nitrates...

 

[2Wheelsonly]

If you’re showing any nitrites the stop testing for nitrates as nitrites give most nitrate test kits false readings.

 

[Trever]

@2Wheelsonly ok. So if that's true that might explain why the Dr. Tim's does not tell you to test for nitrates. It also doesn't seem to make sense chemically that I could have so much nitrate.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

@2Wheelsonly ok. So if that's true that might explain why the Dr. Tim's does not tell you to test for nitrates. It also doesn't seem to make sense chemically that I could have so much nitrate.

Correct. :)

The way most nitrate kits work is they convert a tiny fraction (sometimes only 1%) of the nitrate into nitrite, then detect the nitrite.

Thus in such a kit, 1 ppm nitrite will read as 100 ppm nitrate.