Confused

[lewis13]

So, after the water cycle is complete, and your ready to put ur fish in the tank, how would you go about removing the nitrites? Would you have to change the water out for freshly dechlorinized water without any bacteria, or do you have to add one of those bacteria packet thingys again? Im lost

Last thing, should I add living sand/rock with my water that im trying to cycle to try and help the process go faster?

 

[oneponygirl]

If you still have nitrites your tank isn't cycled. Nitrites will kill a fish so you want them (and ammonia) at 0 before you add fish. Once your tank is truly cycled you don't need to do anything to it before adding fish.

 

[dwarfgourami]

If you have been doing a fishless cycle on your tank, adding ammonia, and the tank is now cycled= no trace of ammonia or nitrites 24 hours after adding new ammonia, then you will have a high reading of nitrAtes. These you get rid of through a big water change (70% or so) and then add your first fish within 24 hours. It is essential to finish off a fishless cycle with diluting the nitrAtes. You don't need to add any bacteria as these will already have colonised the tank- that's the whole point of the fishless cycle.