Help!

[kharma2815]

Started running a fishless cycle on my new 40L tank about 5-6 weeks ago. I've had 0 Ammonia for almost 2 weeks now but the nitrate and nitrite levels are still at the top reading on the testing strip!

I'm starting to get desperate now so any help or advice would be much appreciated.

 

[ox5477]

Well I don't know if it should be taking this long, but you shouldn't worry. Keep adding ammonia (either through decaying material or through very, very, very small amounts of bottled ammonia) to keep the cycle going and once the you can add ammonia and have it completely converted to nitrate in a day, your cycled. When this occurs, do a large wc, say 90%+ and then once temperature is stablized, your ready to add your fish.

 

[rdd1952]

Have you been adding ammonia daily? If so and it is dropping as it should, I would do a large water change to lower the nitrite and nitrate levels to where you can tell what they are doing. Also, what is your pH? A lot of times, the pH will fall into he low 6s which slows bacterial reproduction. A water change should raise it back up. And last but not lest, I would suggest getting a good liquid test kit. Strips are notoriously inaccurate. They can show varied results just from how you stick them in the water and pull them out.