Cycle Almost Done?

[Dpayton11]

Okay so I've been cycling for about two months now. My cycle stalled and like two or three weeks ago I reset by doing a complete water change. In the last 5 days after I dose 2 ppm of ammonia it is gone in about 24-30 hours. However my nitrite is still at somewhere between 3-5 ppm and not dropping yet. PH is steady at 7.6-7.8 and temp is steady at 80 degrees.

So my question is when can I expect my nitrite to finally start dropping? And do I just keep adding 2 ppm of ammonia every time it drops to 0 until nitrite drops to 0 in 24 hours? And once both drop to 0 in 24 hrs I do a big water change to get the nitrates low correct? Then I can slowly start to add fish?

So ready for this to be done...me and my gf are tired of looking at an empty tank.

Thanks.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

You should add a 'maintenance' feeding of ammonia, just 1ppm should be enough to keep the ammonia bacs happy while the nitrite bacs come along.  This will keep the nitrite from popping too high.
 
You are getting closer if the nitrite isn't off the scale.  Did it ever jump off the scale?
 
 
Stick with it.   If you are planning to plant the tank, adding some plants now would give you something to look at and fiddle with while you wait.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Did you read here ? http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first/

 

[Dpayton11]

You should add a 'maintenance' feeding of ammonia, just 1ppm should be enough to keep the ammonia bacs happy while the nitrite bacs come along.  This will keep the nitrite from popping too high.
 
You are getting closer if the nitrite isn't off the scale.  Did it ever jump off the scale?
 
 
Stick with it.   If you are planning to plant the tank, adding some plants now would give you something to look at and fiddle with while you wait.

I don't think it went off the scale ever. It's a pretty dark pink on the API test. So I'm guessing its around 5 right now. It's never went over that as far as I know. What would it mean if it does jump off the scale?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Well, the nitrite bacs you want don't do so well at very high concentrations, so the higher the concentration, the slower the ones you want will reproduce and break down the nitrite.  If its still in the 5ppm range, then you are fine.  It would have to be over 10ppm before it would be a major concern.   (If it had jumped off the scale and come down on its own, that's a good sign.)
 
And 'off the scale' on the API kit looks like a weird greyish color.
 
 
Just check on the link TTA gave, and tick over the ammonia bacs with a smaller dose to keep the nitrite levels down a bit.  You are getting closer.

 

[Dpayton11]

Alright. Thank you. You've helped out a lot. Appreciate it.