High nitrate but zero nitrite?

[murtazadalal52]

Hi. I have a 10 gallon tank with an oversized sponge filter. It’s been running for about 6 months. I have a bunch of Malaysian trumpet snails.( just bored lol) That I regularly feed weekly or more. I added cherry shrimp last week and they have been slowly dying. I have had all sorts of plants that have come and gone. I have some elodia floating currently. I tested the water for the first time. I have .25ppm ammonia and 160 ppm nitrates. I have 0 nitrite. Can some one help me explain why I have these these odd numbers?


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[rage]

Ammonia will kill fish and shrimps.
You want 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, some nitrate is ok.
The bacteria convert ammonia to nitrite, other bacteria convert nitrite to nitrate, you cut down nitrate by water change.
If you still have ammonia, it means your tank has not completed its cycle and it is still going through changes. The bacteria population is still fluctuating and is not doing their jobs.

Another thing, one test is not enough, test kits may be old, or inaccurate. You need to do more tests.

[ladykemma2]

i would float a lot of pothos on the top and anchor anubias on the bottom.KIMG0613.JPG

[ladykemma2]

updated pothos tank. also are you doing weekly water changes? IMG_20180624_170130.jpg