Nitrite and nitrate through the roof during cycle

[Louis287]

Hi,

This is my first time cycling a tank and doing it without much knowledge other than reading online step by step instructions but over last week I’ve hit a wall and got myself abit confused.

I’ve been cycling now since the 13th of November which is 6 weeks tomorrow and I’m still away off I think. I started by using fish flake which now I realise was the wrong way to go as it was so slow! I then topped my tank with dr tims one and only which got the cycle really going but now I’ve had no change in nitrite and nitrate for a week and they are the highest they can read, is this normal?

As it stand I have

0 ammonia
5.0ppm nitrite
80/160ppm of nitrate

Could anyone shed some light on if there’s anything I can do or is it just a case of waiting for the nitrite to go?

Thanks

[Andys temperate tank]

Your on the way. The nitrite will drop all all of a sudden once the munchers wake up.

[plankton]

The high nitrites last about 10 days or so as a rule, the nitrate isn't so important as the test reacts to ammonia and nitrite as well.
You'll be doing a large water change to get rid of nitrates at the end anyway.

[Stephen]

You are well on your way to completing the cycle.
You may need a 50% water change to replenish the carbonates/bicarbonates, if you do then top up the ammonia to 2ppm and continue monitoring.
I recon you'll be done by new year.

All the best

[black ghost]

I’d change the water to remove the nitrates, then redose with ammonia. Nitrites of 5 are fine, not unusually high.

[Louis287]

Did a 30% water change yesterday and I still have sky high nitrites my nitrates came down from 160 ppm to 20/40pm (colour chart is white hard to read) I also dosed my ammonia this morning to the instructions on the dr Tim’s ammonia for 2ppm which for some reason is showing a little higher than 2ppm.

A little bit confused to why my nitrites seem to have stalled. Admittedly i haven’t been dosing ammonia as I thought you shouldn’t dose ammonia untill the nitrates have disappeared but then I read that you should carry on dosing to 2ppm every time the ammonia gets back to 0! Could someone tell me if I’m on the right track or do I need to do a big water change to get the nitrite down?

Here is what my test is showing! I’m nearly 6 and a half weeks in now

[Andys temperate tank]

I would write off the time spent using fish food to cycle. What are your nitrates like out of the tap?

[Louis287]

I would write off the time spent using fish food to cycle. What are your nitrates like out of the tap?

Just done a test now it reads 5ppm

[black ghost]

Your nitrites haven’t stalled, they’re going straight through to nitrates.

I’d hold off on the ammonia and wait for the nitrites to shift. I wouldn’t be surprised if they go now after that water change (you’re right with it being hard to read, it didn’t go from 160 to 30/40 with a 30% water change).

[plankton]

When you add the Dr.Tim's are you allowing for a reduction in volume due to substrate and decorations?
You normally need to take 15%-20% off the total volume.