# Nitrates and potassium nitrate. Cycling.



## Pocky (Jun 20, 2015)

Hi,

I have a 90gal, it's planted with a bunch of vals, crypts, java fern, and anubias. There is 10 juvenile giant danios in there. The fish has been in there since Saturday. When I put them in, the tank water had 0-0.5 ammonia. 0 nitrites. 

I tested the water last night and it has 0 ammonia 0 nitrites. I'm not sure what's going on with the nitrates because I don't have a test kit for it. I'm thinking of picking one up but I am also dosing Potassium Nitrate as a fertilizer, I'm guessing that will show up in the test kit? So is there really no way for me to test if the tank is cycling or done cycling?


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## Mikeylikes (Nov 22, 2013)

If you just put the fish and plants in on Saturday it's unlikely cycling is complete. Takes a lot longer than 3 days. 

Process should take 5-6 weeks to complete.


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## Pocky (Jun 20, 2015)

I guess what I'm asking is not really if it's done yet. I just want to know how it would be possible to test to see if it's done if a nitrate kit picks up the potassium nitrate?


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## kafes (Jan 15, 2015)

buy some test strips thats show your water quality ,u need to wait at least a month for cycling to be done . giant danios are good for cycling , since they eat alot and grow fast ...but good luck with keeping them with other fish. you need fish as fast as giant danios in your tank , otherwise they will keep harassing them... i would prefer regular peaceful danios over giant ones to be honest...


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## Pocky (Jun 20, 2015)

I wasn't aware that giant danios were aggressive?



kafes said:


> buy some test strips thats show your water quality ,u need to wait at least a month for cycling to be done . giant danios are good for cycling , since they eat alot and grow fast ...but good luck with keeping them with other fish. you need fish as fast as giant danios in your tank , otherwise they will keep harassing them... i would prefer regular peaceful danios over giant ones to be honest...


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## aniroc (Aug 23, 2012)

I would stop dosing nitrates if you have fish. Use Potassium sulfate if "K" is what you want.

If ammonia/nitrites are both at 0 and you have growing plants in your tank, I guess you cannot tell if you are still cycling or finished by testing for nitrates and it doesn't matter anyway. Fish are safe.


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