Will adding fertilizer help cycle a new tank?

[Grizzly]

So question, I have a new dirted tank set up and have .5 ppm of ammonia and no nitrites and nitrates. Since liquid fertilizer( easy green) has nitrates in it would dosing the tank with it speed up the cycling process? 

[H.K.Luterman]

I think adding nitrates wouldn't do anything other than just helping the plants grow, which in turn will help lower ammonia. But it wouldn't help grow the beneficial bacteria you need, that just takes time.

[Mmiller2001]

It will not. The dirt substrate should have everything it needs at this point.

You could dose bacteria to speed things up a bit.

Edited February 17, 2022 by Mmiller2001

[Torrey]

On 2/17/2022 at 10:28 AM, Grizzly said:

So question, I have a new dirted tank set up and have .5 ppm of ammonia and no nitrites and nitrates. Since liquid fertilizer( easy green) has nitrates in it would dosing the tank with it speed up the cycling process? 

As was answered, nitrates don't help cycle the tank.

If you don't have any livestock in the tank, adding ammonia will give the bacteria in the dirt substrate something to eat so the beneficial bacteria can start multiplying. 

As Mmiller2001 said, if you have bottled bacteria (SeaChem, API, Tetra, and Fritz all sell bottled beneficial bacteria) that can help get the cycle going. 

Did you cook your dirt before you put it in the tank? Some people do, others don't. I don't, because cooking it does kill the bacteria, and will then definitely be assisted by adding bottled bacteria.