QT Tank Cycle Question

[toomanymatts]

First time setting up a QT tank. My main tank is a 13.5 evo that I set up in Feb.
The QT tank is 10 gallons with a HOB filter and a bottle using K1 and air diffuser.
I started with fresh salt water. I had some DR Tim's refresh handy so I added that. I've fed the tank with the amount of food I believe I would feed the new fish daily. Not one day did I get an ammonia reading. Today ( 7 days in) I tested for Nitrate, it is at 25. I haven't had a cycle before where I don't get a ammonia reading, but there is so much nitrate that it has to be complete.

Is it safe to start to add fish?

 

[Cichlid23]

if you start with 0 of everything and have 25 ppm NO3 that means you have to have a cycled tank. All waste starts as NH3 and only goes to NO@ and then to NO3 via bacteria. I would be very confident in adding some fish. It's very possible for bacteria to start doing it's think within just 24 hours after adding it, hence no NH3.

 

[ASWoodsy]

First time setting up a QT tank. My main tank is a 13.5 evo that I set up in Feb.
The QT tank is 10 gallons with a HOB filter and a bottle using K1 and air diffuser.
I started with fresh salt water. I had some DR Tim's refresh handy so I added that. I've fed the tank with the amount of food I believe I would feed the new fish daily. Not one day did I get an ammonia reading. Today ( 7 days in) I tested for Nitrate, it is at 25. I haven't had a cycle before where I don't get a ammonia reading, but there is so much nitrate that it has to be complete.

Is it safe to start to add fish?

I would say it is not safe if you had a spike out of nowhere. Continue with the cycle, and if everything settles down, or what you start to see what you normally would in a QT cycle, then you should be able to think about adding fish.