I am about to test my systems water for the first time. System one has been running over a year, system 2 for a couple months. pH is doing fine, i guess everything else is too since I dont have any floating fish or dieing plants.

Whats a normal level for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate ext. . . ?

I have just been going with the flow and it works for me. Just going to check the situation out to add to my journal. Maybe if it is laying around in the future and the grandkids pick it up and say "what the hell was grandpa up to?"