End of Cycle? 0 Nitrates

[WaldoDude]

Hello! 
I'm at the end of week 3 for my new 15 gallon tank.  The tank was definitely cycling but now it seems to have reached its end (at least I hope) but of course I just want confirmation as 3 weeks seem very fast (but I know its usually the minimum)  and the 0 nitrates has given me doubts (but again I know its possible). 

Cyclig progress as follows:

End of week 2
Am - 1.0-2.0
Nitrite - 0.25
Didn't test for nitrate

End of week 3 (tested today)
Am - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0 (it seems, I tested it twice, just in-case I didn't shake the API bottles hard enough haha)

Both time's I've tested it the day after doing an ~80 water change. 
Is this normal? Is the cycle finishing? or did I mess it up by doing too big of a water change? Its mainly the lack of nitrates that is concerning me, but my other tank, a 10 gallon cube that has been running for almost a year now also tests for 0 nitrates the past few months. Both tanks are heavily planted. 

I will test again tomorrow just to confirm and give it more time after a water change.

Cheers
 

[WaldoDude]

Also Im an idiot and read my own dates wrong. This is the end of week 2 for the tank! So the first test results were the end of week 1 and the latest test results is end of week 2 (day 16 to be exact). So still even more speedy in this case! 

[sdlTBfanUK]

It does sound and look like you have cycled the tank well. I imagine if there are lots of plants they are absorbing the nitrates.

If you did the usual seeding from your other tank then it is quite possible to be cycled in less than the 3 weeks, possibly even a week. Did you seed from your other tank?

What is your plan now? Do you know your parameters now?

Simon

 

[WaldoDude]

Haha I sure hope so! I did not seed from another tank BUT I did use Aquaone Bio Starter which I forgot about and is what I'm thinking to be the probable the reason for the quick cycle. 
Just tested the rest of the parameters and they are as follows:
Ph - 7.5
Am - 0
Nitrite  - 0
Nitrate - 0
GH - 7
Kh - 3
TDS - 171

My plan was to move in my 6 neons and 3 darwin algae shrimp from my small 7 gallon. I'm going to give it a couple more days first, testing for ammonia as I'm using some ADA Amazonia soil which I know should be leaching ammonia. But if its undetected, I am going to move my shrimp first, give it a week then move my neons in. 
 

Edited August 22, 2020 by WaldoDude

[sdlTBfanUK]

It does sound and look like you have cycled the tank well. I imagine if there are lots of plants they are absorbing the nitrates.

If you did the usual seeding from your other tank then it is quite possible to be cycled in less than the 3 weeks, possibly even a week. Did you seed from your other tank?

What is your plan now? Do you know your parameters now?

What will you then beusing the 7 gallon tank for?

Simon

 

[WaldoDude]

Probably gonna get rid of it/clean it up and sell it. It’s an Aquaone lifestyle 29, one of those with built in filter, lights and hood. While it was a good beginner tank, I find It hard to maintain as the built-in features make it hard to get around the inside to clean and what not. Also the light doesn’t reach the back of the tank.

Planning on getting a 5 gallon rimless tank  in the future and starting a Caridina shrimp colony. Thinking Orange-eyed blue tigers. 

[Crabby]

Just a bit of a warning - it's usually best to leave the tank about a month before adding shrimp. Just so algae can grow well, and there's sufficient biofilm. So maybe add the neons then the darwins? Just my personal preference tho.

[WaldoDude]

Yeah I have read that too but the tank currently has an outbreak in all sorts of things, as you might see in the pictures. In particular the driftwood has thick biofilm emanating from it, typical of new wood in an aquarium. I've got brown diatoms all over the tank and glass, even forming cobwebs on the rocks, and there's green algae on the wood now. From what I know, shrimp will readily eat all of this, especially the biofilm. Some of the plans look like they are suffering from the brown diatoms, so I'm hoping the shrimp will help alleviate the issue. Also I only have 4 darwins, so I don't think it should be a huge hit to the tank, in terms of initial stock? What do you think?

[Crabby]

Oh, um, yep, that should be good ?

 

[sdlTBfanUK]

Tank looks great! Hope all goes well with the shrimps and neons in the tank.

Simon