Questions Questions Questions on aquarium cycling

0.05ppm to 0.1ppm still sounds extremely low for nitrate.
Usually we aim for below 20ppm although it is said to be completely harmless at 40ppm.
In most well maintained aquariums, the nitrate reading would be anywhere from 5 to 40ppm. To be at less than 1ppm, it is unlikely unless you have been doing large partial water change every day for a long time while the tank is lightly stocked.

The shaking is needed on two occasions during the test. Once before the test, to shake the bottle of nitrate formula for 30 seconds or more if I remember correctly. The second time was after you have mixed everything up, and it says you need to shake it for a minute. Lets see if you get a more accurate reading. ☺