tank cycle - high nitrite

[mrplecostomus]

hi all.
So i have new 60 ltr tank and currently have just a plecco & 1 tiger barb. I know it would have been better fishless cycling but we are where we are now after a snail explosion in old smaller tank. i didn’t transfer any media through fear of transferring any snails !!
I am on 2nd week - my ammonia levels showing ok now (according to API test kit), they were high 1st week but stable now. The nitrite level is sky high though - showing 1-2.0 ppm.
i am doing partial water changes (around 20%) every other day. I have read about tank cycling and some seem to suggest this is normal before the tank develops the important nitrates ; is this correct?
I have and am using API quick start along side the water changes.
Is there anything i can do to lower the nitrites or is this just a needed step that i can only go with and continue what i am doing?
I am no expert so help & advice appreciated but please keep in layman’s terms !! (so not to confuse me!)
thanks

 

[Colin_T]

Do a 75% water change any day you have an ammonia or nitrite reading above 0.25ppm until the tank has finished cycling. Then do it once a week after that.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Do not do a water change. Instead, go here and read how to deal with nitrite by adding a small amount of salt to the tank. https://www.fishforums.net/threads/rescuing-a-fish-in-cycle-gone-wild-part-il.433778/

The same often applies to ammonia. The article above will also tell you how to know when you should change water to protect fish from any given level of ammonia or if it is not needed at the levels and water parameters one might have.

Waters change, especially in a new tank with new fish, can be stressful. Stress is the major cause of a fish's immune system from being compormised. If the fish were not stressed by a water change, they would not be hiding when it is being done.