Help Fishless Cycle Gone Wrong

[alby10]

Hi everyone
I have been cycling my Rio 180 using pure ammonia following a recipe off the internet, everything was going fine the ammonia was dropping to zero overnight and the nitrite had peaked and had begun to drop, the nitrate was off the scale but I was intending to do a massive water change to rectifiy this when the nitrite was down to zero.
However when I checked yesterday the ammonia had still dropped to zero, but the nitrite had gone right up again.
Today not even the ammonia has dropped and the others are off the scale, whats gone wrong ?
I have done nothing different to when it was working well, the only thing that I can think of is, maybe the very high nitrate has affected the bacteria, if so would a partial water change help ?
please help it would be a nightmare to start all over again after all this time. Has
anybody had any similar experience they can share with me and how they made it right.

 

[rdd1952]

The nitrates shouldn't have any effect on ammonia and nitrite. Since it sounded as if the ammonia and nitrite had both spiked and dropped, I would go ahead and do the water change and then add about 3 or 4 ppm of ammonia again. It should cycle right through. There's not any chance that somethig got into the tank by accident is there? SOmething like cleaners of furniture polish that may bave been sprayed in the vicinity. How long have you been cycling and how much ammonia was it going through in a day?

Edit: I just reread your post and I misunderstood. You said you were going to do the water change WHEN the nitrite dropped so I guess it hasn't dropped yet. Is the temperature still ok (not dropped down) and do you have plenty of aeration to replinish the oxygen?

 

[alby10]

Hi thanks for the reply
No I hadnt done a water change or added any thing that might alter the chemistry at all.
Although I have other tanks that are mature its the first time ive tried this method for the sake of he fish, I cant remember the start date but it seems like an age ( I think 3-4 weeks ) I have been adding anough ammonia to bring the level to 3-4 ppm each day after it dropped back to zero.
Today I have added some material from my mature filter hoping to give it a Kick start and have changed some water as it was filthy and smelly, I will let you know how it goes.
Cheers
AL

 

[alby10]

Hi just to let you know that the very next day the tank read zero ammonia and nitrite, so did a big water change waited a couple of days to be sure of levels and added fish who are all doing well.
job done !