Safe Start and new tank cycle questions

[arkhamresident]

I have a 10 gallon tank that's been set up for 14 days. This past Thursday I put a bottle of Safe Start in hoping it would speed things up. I tested the water prior to the addition (API master kit) and nitrites/nitrates were 0 and ammonia was approximately 0.2. The day after the addition of Safe Start I checked the water again and came back with 0 ammonia/nitrites and 5 ppm nitrates. Same readings yesterday before a 15% water change and I tested again today and ammonia/nitrites are still 0 and nitrates were greater than 0 but lower than 5 (stupid color chart).

Everything I've read about cycling a tank says these readings are good and signal a finished cycle but I haven't heard of any bacterial products working that fast. Am I good to go or are there anythings I'm overlooking?

The tank has a Tetra 10i filter, 50 watt heater kept @ 78°, 15% water changes every other day up until today using API water conditioner.

Thanks.

[shellieca]

What are you using as an ammonia source? If pure ammonia, I would redose to 4ppm & see what happens in 24 hrs & I would do this for several days. If you leave your ammo at 0 for too many days you will start losing BB. 15% water changes every other day are not necessary unless you have fish or live creatures in the tank & your ammo/nitrites are >.25. Nitrates usually will spike much higher than what you're showing but not always.

[White Mage]

I poured a full small bottle of Safe Start into my sister's 5.5gal with 5 fish, and it instantly cycled over night! Ammo/nitrites were reading 0 with nitrates at around 5 or so. It had steady readings for about a week, until she recently got parasites. We had to do a 70% water change, however, strangely the only spike we had was nitrites at like 2 or 3, but in the morning we saw a bacterial bloom had occurred and everything was normal again. Very good stuff!

[arkhamresident]

I completely forgot to mention the male betta currently residing in the tank. Dur...

[shellieca]

Then I would just test daily for a week or so to make sure all stays good & go to a weekly 50% water change schedule unless yous readings deem otherwise.

[arkhamresident]

Originally Posted by shellieca

Then I would just test daily for a week or so to make sure all stays good & go to a weekly 50% water change schedule unless yous readings deem otherwise.

Will do. Thank you very much.