My Ammonia is going down from 4ppm to zero in 12 hours, i believe this is what it should be. The next stage is Nitrite, this is off the chart. I went to my LFS and told them about my Nitrite level they suggest i buy a bottle of API Stress Zyme. Has anyone heard this one before? Apprently it will reduce my Nitrie level and boost the biological bacteria in my filter...?
What shall i do next...? Do i continue to add a daily dose of ammonia until the nitrite level falls to zero within 12hrs?....
I am working on a cycle using SafeStart. I thought it was working, but now I don't.
One thing you might do to help move things along, or at least make yourself feel better, is do a water change to lower the nitrite levels. The bacteria you are trying to cultivate in your tank prefer lower concentrations of nitrite, instead of high values.
Save yourself the money, and just do some things to increase your chances for faster growth. Increase the surface agitation (more oxygen in the water, especially given one of the later steps), lower the water level a bit to allow the water to splash from the filter into the tank. If you haven't already done it, increase your temp to around 84F/29C. (Increasing the temp decreases the water's ability to hold oxygen, so that's why you need to increase your surface agitation to increase oxygenation of the water.) The bacteria you are looking for prefer a pH around 8.2-8.4. You can add sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to raise the pH (assuming this is a fishless cycle!).
If you do the water change so that the nitrites are on the scale, you will be able to monitor them more closely rather than just seeing them sit off the scale day after day. Good luck and keep at it! (Don't forget to dechlorinate the water if you decide to do the water change.)
