First time aquarium nitrate help

[Vagoma]

First Time Aquarium

55Gallon: 40lbs kitty litter/4kg FLUVAL Plant & Shrimp Stratum

all planted the first week Eleocharis Parvula/Limnophilia Sessilifora/Bacopa Compact/Ludwiga Palustris/Dwarf Hairgrass/Pearlweed

Fluval 406 prefilter only, 6L Eheim Subtrat Pro inside

Nitrates Week 1

Nitrates Week 3

Test Strip Week 3 Nitrates

Test Strip Week 3 PH

Pearlweed died back and starting to grow week3

Dwarf Hairgrass Week 3 growing roots

Pentair Everpure 4C is the filter used for water.

Eheim 200w Heater set@75

The only thing added to the tank is some algae wafers for the snails that showed up, Seachem prime/stability and Tropica specialized fertilizer. 

Lights are the 48" led bar that came with the kit and a Nicrew Skyled 36"

This is all the info I can think to give.

So did my nitrates disappear in 3 weeks? My test strips say otherwise. Is my tank ready for fish? could one of my test be tainted? When I repeat the tests the results are the same. A Digital TDS Meter Also a Digital PH Meter will arrive today. 

What I would like to do is be overstocked with Neon tetras and red cherry shrimp.

Any advice is welcome! Also if I'm doing something wrong please let me know as well.

I forgot to add that the water has never been changed

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

There are 3 parameters to monitor when starting up a new aquarium.  Here is a very helpful video that explains it.  Quick summary - ammonia is the first thing to show up in a tank. It's toxic. Bacteria form that eat the ammonia and these bacteria give off nitrites (also toxic).  A second bacteria show up that eat nitrites.  These bacteria give off nitrates (ok for fish, within reason - see test kit instructions).  The only ways to reduce nitrates are water changes (fastest way) and live plants.  (Technically there are additives you can put in the tank to remove nitrates, but you don't want them totally gone because your plants need them.)

 

I would recommend doing a water change at this stage.

[Vagoma]

On 10/24/2022 at 10:41 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

There are 3 parameters to monitor when starting up a new aquarium.  Here is a very helpful video that explains it.  Quick summary - ammonia is the first thing to show up in a tank. It's toxic. Bacteria form that eat the ammonia and these bacteria give off nitrites (also toxic).  A second bacteria show up that eat nitrites.  These bacteria give off nitrates (ok for fish, within reason - see test kit instructions).  The only ways to reduce nitrates are water changes (fastest way) and live plants.  (Technically there are additives you can put in the tank to remove nitrates, but you don't want them totally gone because your plants need them.)

 

Hi, I bought the wrong kit and only have the nitrate test not the full API spectrum of tests. according to the nitrates disappearing the plants have eaten/used them? Why do my two test differ so much? The API says somewhere between 0-5 ppm but the test strip states somewhere between 100-250mg/L. Also according to the test strips my nitrites seem to be off the charts past 10mg/L. I don't know how to convert them to be the same measurement. As far as I know I've followed the Seachem Stability bottle to build the bacteria I need.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 10/24/2022 at 1:58 PM, Vagoma said:

according to the nitrates disappearing the plants have eaten/used them

Yep, if they have gone away and you haven't changed any water, it's plant food!

 

On 10/24/2022 at 1:58 PM, Vagoma said:

I don't know how to convert them to be the same measurement.

No need to convert. Whichever test kit you are using, just follow the instructions that came with that kit. It will tell you what the safe levels are.  Most people here use the one that reads in ppm, though, and that may be a good test kit to use when seeking help from others.