please help fishless cycling question!!!

[nichole]

I have been fishless cycling for a little over a week. Monday the nitrites spiked to 5ppm and the ammonia was also at 5 ppm. Tuesday morning the nitrites were still at 5ppm but the ammonia had fallen to around 1ppm. We added more ammonia to the tank to get it back to 5ppm. Wednesday the nitrites started decreasing to around 2ppm and the ammonia was back to around 1ppm. Once again we added enough ammonia to get it back to 5ppm. We thought we were close to being cycled, but today the ammonia is still at 5ppm without adding any and the nitrites are at 2ppm.
Any advice as to what has happened? Anything I should be doing differently?
Thanks for your help.

[wetmanNY]

Sounds like you're on track. Don't boost the ammonia levels: 5ppm is tops. Test at the same time each day, morning or evening, and add enough NH3 to bring it back to 5ppm.

When your system neutralizes 5ppm ammonia in 24 hours, without any nitrites detectable (but you'll have some nitrAtes)-- you'll be ready for fish!

Don't rush the process. Do you have the perfect setup for the fish you want? Make plans. Read up on your fish. Enjoy the process.

[NJ Devils Fan]

Also remember to keep adding the 5ppm of ammonia after the tank is cycled until the day before you are adding fish to prevent your bio load from decreasing.

[canucks]

HI nichole. I read your post and thought you might find some useful info in a thread that I started about a month ago. I don't know how to do a link, but it's on page 3 of this forum about halfway down titled "Where did my nitrites go? (and other questions)." Just thought I'd letcha know.

Good Luck.;)

[carpguy]

A fishless cycle seems to take around 3-4 weeks and the nitrite phase seems to take about twice as long as the ammonia phase. Just a seems so from all the various reports. Mine was 4 weeks even plus 2 days with double zeroes just to be sure. Some folks (like me) like to half the dosage for the nitrite phase, other (reasonable and knowledgeable) folks like to let it ride at 5ppm all the way through.

Canuck's thread (http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7602) makes a nice real time case study, if I do say so myself :rolleyes: ;) .

And Canucks, I saw your "Thanks!" thread and meant to stop in and say congrats. I've been planning on some Honey G's for awhile now. A personal favorite :D Enjoy!