Help my nitrites will not go down!!!!

[pacersfan09]

I am doing a fishless cycle and it has been going for about 2 weeks now. I have had my nitrites for the past week and nitrates have already shown up. So are the nirtrates not doing their job or is there something I am doing wrong? :confused:
Todays Readings:
ammonia 0
nitrite 5.0
nitrates 20
ph 8.0
please help me out because my german blue rams come on friday and i am scared my tank wont be ready

[southpaw]

Just give it time...my nitrites stayed maxed out for a few weeks...then one day they just pretty much went away.....patience,patience,patience

[southpaw]

Just noticed you said you had some GBR's coming Friday...I say you jumped the gun alittle soon to be buying/ordering fish....you may still like 3-4 weeks in your cycle

[Slappy*McFish]

It usually takes a tank 4-6 weeks to cycle. You're about halfway through it. Your nitrites will decrease to 0 in another week or two. When they do, your nitrate levels will be high and you'll need to do at least a 50% water change to reduce them.
Nitrate does not impact nitrite levels at all. It is simply an end product of nitrite after the bacteria break the nitrite down. (This is in reference to your "nitrates doing their job" question)

I'd recommend getting some established filter media and/or some Bio-Spira if you have fish on the way. Rams are very delicate and I wouldn't have added them to such an immature system. Especially one that is still cycling.

[MySpace Mike]

nitrites and nitrates are always present no matter what. I recommend getting a cycled filter or medium from someone who has an established tank, this will help speed the cycle up by introduing already cycled bacteria to the tank.

[Slappy*McFish]

Nitrites should always read 0 in established tanks. If you always have nitrites present, then your biofilter isn't doing it's job due to (overcrowding/over feeding/insufficient filtration/etc)

Try to keep your nitrates under 20ppm with regular weekly water changes after the cycle is done.

[pacersfan09]

well i say my GBRs are coming friday but they are arriving at the LFS friday and i wanted to get the pick of the litter but i guess i got to wait

[chunkoblue]

Patience is the key.. good thing the rams are going to the LFS otherwise there may be trouble. Also don't forget to keep feeding the ammonia eating bacteria so they don't die out while you are waiting for the nitrite eating bacteria. I'm also waiting for my nitrites to go down in my 55 gallon that I'm doing a fishless cycle, but I still add ammonia twice a day.

Also: In my opinion it is best not to get fish that just arrived to the LFS because they are most stressed at this time and are probably more likely to die on you being transferred from the water they were transported in, to the LFS's water, and then the water at your home.