Cycling Tank But When Will Nitrite Drop?

[Kipper_Face]

Hi,

I am currently cycling my new 40gallon tank without fish, ammonia peak has passed a week ago and there are high nitrate readings but the nitrite does not seem to be dropping at all. I am as per guides on cycling adding ammonia to reach 2ppm each day which drops to zero within hours. however the nitrite never seems to drop.

Am I getting the wrong end of the stick and the nitrite will never drop to zero while ammonia is being added? Or when can i expect to seem a nitrite peak?

Also does the final water change need doing if plants are due to be added first? (I would of course do a water change before fish are added at a later stage)

thanks in advance for any advice

 

[ArcticLancer]

You're going through exactly what I'm going through.

I thought something was up too, with my nitrite levels not dropping after 3 weeks on a high.
However, like all ... well, is it good? ... anyway, all good things, it does end. I'm FINALLY seeing drops (starting only yesterday, which is 1 month, 1 day after I started the cycle) in nitrite levels.

If you've been cycling longer than I, I can't really say anything else, but otherwise, just hang in there!

 

[Squid]

me too chap.. patience im afraid..

will always take longer than the ammonia drop did.. seems like 2-3 times longer.

 

[RoyalGrammaPrincessHannah]

Yeah that's fine, not all the ammonia was converted into nitrites at the same time, so not all the nitrites will be converted into nitrates at once. You do need to keep an ammonia source going though so the cycle weon't stop.

 

[Kipper_Face]

Thanks for the replies, I will just keep testing until the light at the end of the tunnel appears!

Have some plants coming soon, will that disrupt the cycle? Dont want to slow it down anymore than necessary

 

[Squid]

no.. mines with plants.. some people have even said it may help!

Squid