New to planted tanks

[Boxcar Muzzdogg]

So I've started a 20 long planted tank. I have some nutrient rich substrate and some small gravel on top of that. I just put the gravel in today but the tank has been running with the plant substrate for about 6 days. I'm trying to do a fishless cycle. I have been putting a small amount of cichlid pellets in every other day and I've been adding bio-zyme every other day. I used an old filter cartridge from my other tank. The carbon no longer works but there is plenty of benneficial bacteria in it. I have been testing the water parameters and ammonia has been coming up at about .15-.25 ppm. There are already signs of nitrates but they have stayed at the same level and I have yet to see a nitrite spike.

I'm wondering:
1) Are the plants using up the nitrates causing them to stay at a constant level?
2) Since there are already nitrates present but nitrites are absent does this mean the tank is nearly done cycling and the nitrite spike may have occured in between tests?

 

[fishwatcher]

I would continue to do the fishless cycle a few more days, testing each day if possible. Once the ammo and nitrites are at 0 the cycle is complete. You'll have to keep "feeding" it though either with the food you're adding or fish. Otherwise the good bacteria will die. And yes, plants will use the nitrates so that's probably why they are staying constant.

 

[Boxcar Muzzdogg]

thanks fishwatcher