Question: High nitrate level due to rotting plants in cycling tank...

[Carl]

So I've been cycling my tank now for a 11 days now and still no drop in ammonia:sad: (but not a surprise) I put some Amazon Frogbit which I got cheap on eBay in but it all rotted within a few days:uhoh: so I fished it out once I realised it wasn't going to improve (roots all dropped off etc.) but now I'm left with a 20ppm nitrate level (test of tap water revealed 10ppm anyway) is that going to be a problem?

also what would you recommend to speed-up cycling? I don't have any access to used tank material what are chances of being able to beg some used gravel from an aquarium shop?

 

[Molch]

just patience, patience Nitrate is not very toxic, and levels of 20ppm aren't too high, though it's better to keep them below that. (or did you mean nitrite? Just making sure). The rotting plants would have contributes ammonia as well.

Do you have any healthy, growing plants in the tank? If you can get any such as hornwort, I recommend those. Dense, healthy plant growth speeds up cycling like nothing else. Gravel from an established tank is also ok, but I wouldn't get any from a pet shop, whose tanks are often not well maintained. Who knows what else you could introduce that way.

Other than that, I'd just do water changes and let it cycle naturally - it can take well over a month
for a tank to cycle.

 

[Carl]

Thanks Molch,

I was considering buying some plants off eBay (seller with a good rating is doing 25 for about £6) how much light do most plants need? at the moment the tank is in the corner of my room diagonal too the window and there is a another window in front

a not to scale plan which took absurdly long in paint...