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now it's official: 5 weeks, no changes, no additives, completely sterilized tank before start, and no byproducts in the water.
ammonia=0
nitrite=0
nitrate=0

what the hell?
my tank is planted, but sparsely, and the plants are recovering from a very bad condition (almost lethal), so i don't think they eat so much nitrate. even if they were, the tank wizzed through cycling somehow (maybe the soil i used as substrate).
i suspected my test kit is lying, so i took a sample to the shop. after looking at the results, the shopkeeper started making joke threats to make me tell him how it is done!

anyone with a good idea?

Hi,
There is not quite enough information to suggest
THE answer.

However, in a new tank that is lightly populated
with fish, or with no fish, that has plants,
it is entirely possible to either miss the traditional
spikes of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, as the plants
use those compounds up as fast as they occur. Or, in
some cases they don't have the chance to occur.

In a very large tank, it can take months for the cycle
to complete itself and settle down.

It depends upon the size of the tank, the type and
quantity of plants, and similiarly, the typs and
size of the fish.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Do you have any fish in the tank? Whether you use hardy fish or pure ammonia, you need some source of ammonia to cycle a tank.

thanks for the answers.

i have a very small tank, with two young rosy barbs (as starter fish. they'll get back to the shop once i populate the tank).

do the plants eat the ammonia and nitrite too?
if not, then how come i haven't seen ANY nitrite spikes? not even a small one?

Have you been doing water changes? If you have, how much and how often? Did you take the tests after your water changes or before?

Two questions;

1) Where did the filter come from?

2) You mentioned the substrate, what is it and where did you get it?

-greg

1. i didn't change any water since the tank was started, because i wanted to cycle it.
i can't see why i should change it now. water is clear, and parameters are good.

2. the filter was disinfected after a very bad infection in the tank. it is completely clean of bacteria. the substrate has 2 layers: lower is garden soil. i happen to live where the soil is great, and so i took some in a field nearby. the upper level is fine granite gravel (3-4mm grain size).

Wonder if the garden soil had some good bacteria in it to begin with?